2. Lake Baikal

2. Lake Baikal

Situated deep in the often frozen wasteland of Siberia, Lake Baikal has enchanted locals and visitors for generations. Come there in the summertime and you'll see nothing out of the ordinary: families picnicking, people fishing, and hikers going for long walks to see the wildlife. But there's something far more special to the lake than just its landscape - and it could be one of the world's greatest secrets.

It's hard to imagine anything as flashy as an alien base just hiding out in a little old lake. But while Lake Baikal might be old - positively ancient, in fact - it's certainly not little. From end to end it's just under 500 miles and it covers an area of 12,000 square miles. Not only that, but it's the deepest freshwater lake in the world, reaching a massive 5,400ft down. If that's not enough to squeeze in a hideout, we don't know what is.

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Did You Know...

I

To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.

II

At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.

III

David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.

IV

15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.

V

The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.

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