In the snowy wilds of Japan's Yamagata Prefecture, where winter wraps the land in an icy hush, something eerie stirs in the Zao Mountains. As the temperature drops and the storms rage, the trees on these slopes begin to transform—until they no longer look like trees at all.

Just 60 kilometers north of Luxor, nestled along the Nile’s west bank, lies one of Egypt’s most underrated treasures: the Dendera Temple Complex. While tourists flock to the Valley of the Kings and Karnak, Dendera offers a quieter, more mystical experience—complete with star maps, secret crypts, and the only known depiction of Cleopatra VII with her son Caesarion.