Ever wanted to hike on a precariously high trail made up of a single plank of wood? No, neither have we. But for some reason, the tourists can't get enough of it. All you have to do is look at photos of Mount Huashan's famous hike to give yourself a case of vertigo. This cliffside trail is perched 7,087 feet in the air and leads to a temple and tea house. Though most of us would prefer more than a cup of tea at the end of such a feat, there are plenty of people who attempt it every year.
Traditionally, the trail was only frequented by monks and nuns, as a way to show their dedication to their faith - it's the only way to reach this extremely out of the way temple. But tourists have since caught on to the trail's existence and the death toll doesn't seem to bother anyone. No official statistics are available, but around 100 people fall to their death every year.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.