In the far northwest of the United Kingdom, where jagged mountains slice through clouds and mists cling like secrets, there’s a place that feels almost too magical to be real. The Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye are a string of small, impossibly clear waterfalls and blue-green pools, tucked into the foot of the Black Cuillin mountains.

In the middle of a quiet Japanese winter, where steam rises from hot springs and snow softens every sound, something extraordinary happens on **Lake Suwa**. The ice begins to heave, crack, and rise—forming jagged, frozen ridges that stretch across the lake like ancient scars. Locals call it **Omiwatari**, the “Crossing of the Gods.”