There are places in the world that don’t just show you nature—they tell you stories. And then there’s Lake Mashū, a mystical caldera lake nestled in the mountains of Hokkaido, Japan. Known for its mirror-like waters and often shrouded in fog, Mashū is mysterious on any given day. But once a year, it unveils something truly otherworldly: the Dragon Eye.

Forget what you think you know about death. In Mexico, it’s not something to fear — it’s something to celebrate. Every year from October 31st to November 2nd, the country bursts into color, scent, sound, and memory for what might be the most magical holiday on the planet: Día de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead.