The idea is meant to feel like a “hula wave” that washes over the body and manipulates the brain into total relaxation. But at $2K per massage, that means each finger is worth $20. We’re still waiting on reviews.

That got us thinking —- what other outrageously expensive massages are out there? And what would it take for us to try them out in the name of journalism?

Well, for one, you could get massaged with diamonds. Hearts on Fire and Spa on Location (a mobile spa) joined forces in Santa Monica, California, to bring $1-million worth of loose diamonds to your home to be placed on your spine while a massage therapist massages your back. No, we wouldn’t judge you for slipping a diamond or three into your pockets either.

Photo: o5com/Flickr

At the Mandarin Oriental in New York, you can get a two-person massage that will run you about $660 for 1 hour and 50 minutes. It’s so expensive because it involves two people at once, so you’ll be getting a foot, back and head massage and a scrub all at one time. Yeah, we think that sounds kinda nice.

But as far as innovative massages go, “20-Hands” takes the cake. Where did you receive your most expensive massage?

Countering our world’s obsession with the fast and efficient, Barros has fashioned the Passing Cloud – a unique and ground breaking means of transportation that would allow people to float on giant balloons among the clouds, meandering from one drop off spot to another around the country. The Passing Could is environmentally friendly, has an incredible futuristic design, and would be fueled solely by the wind. Wherever the wind takes it, the Passing Cloud goes.

If you have somewhere to be, the Passing Cloud probably wouldn’t be your best bet, since you can’t predict the end point of the Cloud’s journey or how long it will take to get there. Having said that, it would be pretty ideal for the cruise ship and train riding bunch who can enjoy the process of getting from one place to the next.

Barros’s has a particularity romantic view of his product,

It’s an unique journey. The feeling of floating in the atmosphere – on top of a cloud – with an open schedule and unknown final destiny. All National Ground would be potentially covered at virtually no cost and the help of the wind. The journey becomes your destiny.

Sounds a bit touchy-feely to us, plus he seems to have left out any mention of the impact of bad weather would have on his invention, but we still love this concept and think it would be incredible to see it fully realized in real life.

All Images: Tiago Barros/Cargo Collective

Well, sort of.

After many, many years of dealing with tourists from all over the world tramping as close as possible to the famous landmark, locals are trying to come up with a way to stop the insanity. They say they are tired of people blocking the road, illegally parking their cars, and inhibiting emergency vehicles from getting to where they need to go in the area.

Of course, GPS and Google maps have made it all the worse, with everyone and their mama trekking in at all hours of the night, Smart phones held toward the sky.

Image: Derek Purdy/Flickr

So, the residents decided to create signs like, ‘Warning – Tourist-Free Zone – All Tourists Leave the Area’ (oooh) and posting videos on Youtube of illegally parked cars (grrr). 

But as much as these LA locals are annoyed by tourists, they are far from the only ones being impacted by tourists lack of awareness. In a NY Post chart, slow-walking tourists took 20.9% of the vote for annoying New Yorkers the most. Oh, and if you are in Paris, don’t you dare try and order a complicated latte the way you would in a Starbucks in America, or you’ll end up with a coffee full of “nice organic cruelty-free loogie.”

The teensy little issue with the neighbors of the Hollywood sign being all enraged that things have gotten so much worse is the fact that, according to fire officials, the neighborhood is NOT more congested than other hillside communities. So, maybe it’s time to suck it up and realize you bought property NEAR THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN, and just get on with it.

Are you wary of trying new things? Had enough of learning local customs, tasting scary delicacies, and dealing with just plain unfamiliar smells? Sick and tired of not being understood when addressing people in plain English? Are you itching to see the Eiffel Tower without making a French faux-pas? The Great Wall of China without the great haul to China? The Temple Mount without all the schvitzing?

Well say goodbye to those crying-baby-behind-you blues because air travel — indeed any travel at all — could be a thing of the past when you visit these miniature scale models of famous places. See an entire city in a glance or all the world’s landmarks in an afternoon. What these places lack in authenticity, they more than make up for in convenience.

1. Shanghai Model City — Shanghai

Located in the slightly kooky Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, this model of Shanghai shows what the city will, in theory, look like in the year 2020. At 1,000 square feet, it’s the biggest to-scale model in the world — showing all planned developments for the entire city for the next nine years. We’ve got to say their construction foresight and attention to detail is pretty impressive.

Image: Stuck in Customs/Flickr

Image: mobil’homme/Flickr

We can’t imagine how long this bad boy took to make, but we do know that twice a year workers delicately clean mini-Shanghai with mini-dusters and paint brushes to keep it looking this good.

Image: IvanWalsh.com/Flickr

2. Miniaturk — Istanbul

Image: Basak B./Flickr

Just in case you happen to be in Istanbul but aren’t interested in going to historical sites yourself, you can always head to Miniaturk. The theme park was built in 2003 and contains the marvels of Istanbul and the Ottoman world — all at 1/25th scale.

Image: Basak B./Flickr

It’s actually one of the largest miniature (whoa…) parks in the world, with 105 models on display. Although nothing can really stand in for the original monuments, Miniaturk ups the ante with its virtual, online 360-degree view of park (here). Simulated 3D views of miniature scale models of real monuments? The mind boggles.

Image: Basak B./Flickr

Image: Basak B./Flickr

3. Beijing World Park — Beijing

Image: omefrans/Flickr

With such a well traveled population, you’d think the cosmopolitan city of Beijing’s World Park would be on top of updating its monument models. But no — in the land of Beijing World Park time stands still. Not only could the models benefit from a good cleaning, but the World Park’s curators should really consider removing the Twin Towers from their Manhattan model.

Image: omefrans/Flickr

Image: omefrans/Flickr

That being said, the park is still good for a few laughs. Beijing World Park employs dancers that perform daily, and they are known to bring in animals to “highlight” the different displays. We also heard it’s a popular spot to take wedding photos. Go figure…

Image: omefrans/Flickr