Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald
Monster Hangouts
July 16, 2006

1 Transylvania, Romania
This region of western Romania has Bram Stoker to thank for its
reputation as the home of creatures of the night. Ever since Stoker
decided that chief vampire Count Dracula lived in the region, the area
has become synonymous with horror and the living dead. The locals insist
that garlic and wooden stakes are not necessary, however, pointing out
that it is one of the most beautiful regions in Europe. Among the thick
forests are many fabulous medieval cities crammed with architectural
highlights such as the wooden churches of Maramure - and the rather
vampire-ish Hunyadi Castle. There's also surprisingly good, and very
cheap, skiing to be found here.

2 Loch Ness, Scotland
Nessie is probably the most famous mythical creature of them all and
many still believe that she inhabits the murky waters of Scotland's
second-biggest loch, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Running south-west of the highland city of Inverness, Loch Ness has been
thoroughly investigated by thousands of scientists and millions of
tourists over the years, but the elusive giant still refuses to show her
face. Monster or no monster, the loch is surrounded by glens, hills and
castles, making a boat trip worth it, even sans Nessie.

3 The Devil's Marbles, NT
In Aboriginal culture, the Rainbow Serpent is thought to be responsible
for carving out the landscape, as well as creating water sources and
replenishing supplies. Many a Dreamtime story involves this great snake,
which is viewed with reverence and fear for its protection of its people
and punishment of law breakers. According to legend, it will have
children too. It's believed the Devil's Marbles, a scattering of huge
boulders 114 kilometres south of Tennant Creek, are the serpent's eggs.
Best to see them before they hatch.

4 The Strait Of Messina, Italy
This narrow stretch of water separating Sicily from the Italian mainland
is thought to be the setting for the Greek legend of Scylla and
Charybdis, as mentioned in Homer's Odyssey. Charybdis took the form of a
whirlpool - a natural one of that occurs in the strait and Scylla was a
six-headed monster that devoured anything that came too close. Both took
opposite sides of the narrow passage, making ancient sailors choose
between two equally horrible fates. Today you can sail across the strait
on a ferry without drowning or being eaten alive.

5 Gifford Pinchot Forest, USA
A 526,000-hectare protected area in the state of Washington, this is
home to many a sighting of Bigfoot, the giant, hairy scourge of country
America. In 2000, researchers made a cast of a curious imprint they
found there. The dimensions of the cast were 50 per cent bigger than
that of a human, while analysis of hair samples showed them to belong to
a primate. The forest, if you can avoid the furry behemoths, is a great
place for walking and is the home of the Mount St Helens volcano.

Source: The Sun-Herald