#1 Why?! Tourists have annihilated California’s poppy super bloom.
Where: Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
What: Instagram has never met a field of flowers it did not like – and that’s unfortunately true for Southern California’s poppies. Thousands of people have descended on the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in recent days to view the latest super bloom. And, instead of respecting the incredibly delicate flowers, people have been illegally crossing into the fields for the sake of content. The flowers are so fragile that they’re killed once stepped on. The trampling tourists have ensured that entire areas will be bare for years to come.
It’s not just people absent-mindedly wandering into the fields either. One couple took the search for the ultimate picture to new levels. They landed a helicopter in the middle of the field before disembarking and later getting chased away by authorities. The pair is now under police investigation.
Read also: Tourists are actually fighting for the perfect selfie at Rome’s Trevi Fountain
#2 Bieber is partially to blame for Iceland’s Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon closure.
Where: Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, Iceland
What: Since the release of Justin Bieber’s 2015 I’ll Show You music video (above), the previously unknown Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon (say that three times fast… or at all) in Southeast Iceland has encountered a fair bit of trouble. The canyon has seen drastic devastation to its vegetation as Beliebers flock to the location hoping to catch any remaining traces of the pop star.
Now, Bieber is taking the blame as the canyon has been closed to tourists. Iceland’s Environment Agency hopes that by closing the area until June at the earliest, the area will be allowed to recover.
#3 A reminder to make sure your passports are valid before travelling.
Where: An Australian airport
What: An Australian mom showed up at the airport with her four children fully prepared to take them on a Thai holiday. The only problem was that her nine-year-old daughter’s passport only had five months left on it. Now, for Australians, Thailand does not have specific requirements on how much time you need to have left on your passports. However, the country leaves it to the airlines’ discretion to make decisions on who can travel.
So, unfortunately for the family, the unnamed airline refused to let the daughter check-in for their flight. And, after much discussion, the family went off on their Thai holiday, without the girl.
We have no words for the airline or the family, but seriously, check your passport’s validity and your airline’s policies before you travel next.
Read also: Get your passport ready for these 5 trips best taken in April
#4 Accidental stopover in Scotland, anyone?
Where: Edinburgh, Scotland instead of Dusseldorf, Germany
What: A British Airways flight from London due to land in the German city of Dusseldorf instead found itself in Edinburgh. No one even realised the error until the arrival was announced over the P.A. system. Confused passengers then began asking one another about whether or not they had gotten on the wrong flight. The crew, apparently, only realised the issue when they took a poll of passengers and found that no one had been looking to go to Edinburgh that day.
As it turns out, British Airways had been given the wrong path by the flight operator. Our question, however, is how did it take that long for anyone to notice?
