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Digging the world's artifacts

  • The ongoing mystery behind Poland’s ‘Crooked Forest’

    The ongoing mystery behind Poland’s ‘Crooked Forest’

    Located outside Nowe Czarnowo, Poland, is an eerie-looking collection of curved pine trees nicknamed The Crooked Forest or Krzywy Las.

    No one knows how the original 400 pine trees got their identically bent shape — all 90-degree drops at the base, like elephant trunks. But it’s believed that a special technique was used in the 1930s to plant the spooky grove. The exact method remains unrevealed to this day.

    Poland’s ‘Crooked Forest’

    Others believe that the forest must have experienced unusual damage from heavy snow or some other gravitational force. How else to explain the otherworldly shape of these 50-foot dancing trees?

    Only 100 of the 400 gnarled pines stand in the lot today. While one can take a deep breath in these strange woodlands, the mystery behind the abnormal curvature of the pine trees remains unsolved.

    Poland’s ‘Crooked Forest’
    Poland’s ‘Crooked Forest’
    Poland’s ‘Crooked Forest’

    Wells Baum

    September 7, 2021
    Nature
    Nature, Poland, trees
  • Climbing Austria’s Intersport Klettersteig aka “Sky Ladder to Heaven”

    Climbing Austria’s Intersport Klettersteig aka “Sky Ladder to Heaven”

    Austria’s 140-foot long “Sky Ladder,” or “Ladder to Heaven” via Ferrata Intersport Klettersteig connects a massive gorge on the way to the peak of Donnerkogel on the Gosaukamm mountain range.

    Captured by adventure photographer Alexander Ladanivskyy, these insane panorama-ladder stairs (made out of steel cables) lie 2,297 feet above the ground and overlook Gosau Lake below.

    Photo: Instagram/Alexander Ladanivskyy
    Photo: Instagram/Alexander Ladanivskyy

    “[The Sky Ladder] is a challenge for the mind, but from a climbing point of view, it is actually one of the easier parts of the climb,” says the bridge’s designer Heli Putz.

    If you’re looking to make the trek yourself, blogger Jess Dales offers a first-hand experience of climbing the Sky Ladder. Word of caution: you’ll need some climbing experience.

    The Sky Ladder portion of the route is located approximately 2/3 of the way up the via ferrata. Although the ladder is only rated a “B,” and is not considered difficult relative to other sections of the climb, the exposure is intense and should not be underestimated. In heavy winds, or when others are on the ladder, the movement can be quite unnerving. 

    Jess Dales
    ferrata Intersport Klettersteig
    ferrata Intersport Klettersteig
    ferrata Intersport Klettersteig

    Wells Baum

    August 28, 2021
    Nature, Travel
    Donnerkogel, ladder, Nature, Photogarphy, Travel
  • The edge of the Earth: Australia’s Nullarbor Cliffs

    The edge of the Earth: Australia’s Nullarbor Cliffs

    What looks like the end of the Earth is really just the end of Australia.

    The Bunda Cliffs of Nullarbor Plain, Southern Australia, form part of the longest uninterrupted line of coastal cliffs (62 miles long) in the world. They literally look like someone sawed off the bottom of Australia with a jigsaw.

    These limestone sea cliffs, which are 200 feet to 400 feet high, drop off into the Great Australian Bight, one of the most pristine ocean environments on Earth.

    Limestone caves started accumulating in Australia 50 million years before the continent split from Antarctica. The high cliffs formed as the seas receded between the continents.

    The razor-sharp cliffs also head 7 centimeters north every year, thanks to continental drift.

    PS: The Bunda Cliffs are not to be used as evidence for flat Earth believers.

    Wells Baum

    August 26, 2021
    Nature, Travel
    australia, Earth, geology, Nature, Nullarbor Cliffs, Ocean, Travel
  • The tiny Etruscan pygmy shrew

    The tiny Etruscan pygmy shrew

    The Etruscan pygmy shrew is a tiny mammal of the family Soricidae. It is the smallest mammal on Earth by mass, weighing just 1.8 grams on average.

    The adorable animal can eat twice its body weight though, feeding mostly on insects throughout the day. At night, they use their elongated nose and short whiskers to search for prey.

    The estimated size of this rare creature is about 1.57 inches, excluding the tail which adds another inch.

    They are found in the grasslands of Southern Europe but also North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

    Etruscan pygmy shrew
    Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Trebol-a
    Etruscan pygmy shrew
    Etruscan pygmy shrew
    Etruscan pygmy shrew

    Wells Baum

    August 25, 2021
    Animals
    animals, Nature, pygmy shrew
  • Meet the Traelanipa “slave” cliffs of the Faroe Islands

    Meet the Traelanipa “slave” cliffs of the Faroe Islands

    Located on the island of Vagar in the Faroe Islands, Denmark is the beautiful Traelanipa cliffs. This chasm is the westernmost and widest in the islands.

    The lake above the ocean — also known as “Flying Lake” — starts from the shores of Sorvagsvatn Lake and juts out to the steep cliffs over the Atlantic Ocean. Sea caves are just visible below.

    The dramatic plunge serves as an optical illusion, however. The lake stands only 100 feet above sea level. But don’t tell this to the countless slaves thrown off the steep cliffs.

    Traelanipa cliffs translate to “Slave Cliff.”

    It used to be the site where Viking settlers would push disobedient slaves, mostly women from Ireland and Scotland, down 466 feet into the sea.

    One can take a 40-minute hike to the top of the cliffs and stare down into the abyss for a magical view of the Atlantic Ocean.

    Traelanipa cliffs in the Faroe Islands
    Traelanipa cliffs in the Faroe Islands
    Traelanipa cliffs in the Faroe Islands
    Traelanipa cliffs in the Faroe Islands

    Wells Baum

    August 24, 2021
    Nature, Travel
    Denmark, Ecology, Faroe Islands, Nature, Travel
  • The exceptionally long tongues of Sun Bears

    The exceptionally long tongues of Sun Bears

    Think twice if you think your or your pet’s tongue is longer than a sun bear’s.  

    Sun bears have tongues up to 10 inches (25 cm) long, which they use to slurp up termites, ants, and beetle larvae. Their agile faces and strong jaws help too. These bears also love to climb trees to find bee larvae and use their tongues to extract the honey.

    Although the sun bear’s tongue is unusually long, no other bear species is smaller than the sun bear. They are about half the size of a black bear.

    But don’t let their size fool you: these Southeast Asian Omnivores also feature oversized claws that make them terrifying hunters. They are known to grunt, roar, and make short barks.

    Even more, sun bears have funky-looking orange and yellow horseshoe-shaped colors on their chests. Call it a baby bib.

    The sun bear may just be the weirdest of the bear family if you can count out the socially-distanced giant teddy bears.

    sun bear tongue
    sun bear tongue
    sun bear tongue

    Wells Baum

    August 13, 2021
    Animals
    animals, bears, Nature
  • The fabulous bowl haircut of the Gloster Corona Canary

    The fabulous bowl haircut of the Gloster Corona Canary

    It looks like someone is having a bad hair day.

    The Gloster Corona Crested Canary sports a bowl haircut — often referred to as bushy, rounded ‘crests’ — made famous by The Beatles.

    This chubby and cute wig-wearing little bird also dons a dynamic singing voice, much louder than other groups in the canary breed.

    As a result of the Gloster Canary’s unique hairstyle and charming vocals, the creature has become a popular cage bird. The birds exist as yellow, green, and brown color variations.

    The Gloster Corona Canary
    Photo: Twitter/CherguiaGroup
    The Gloster Corona Canary
    Photo: Twitter/_itwasrad
    The Gloster Corona Canary
    Photo: Twitter/_itwasrad

    Gloster Canary pic.twitter.com/3l2TIXeHsV

    — patty (@patty7497) June 21, 2020

    Wells Baum

    August 9, 2021
    Animals, Nature
    animals, birds, Nature
  • The reflective salt flats of Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

    The reflective salt flats of Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

    The high-altitude salt flats of Salar de Uyuni in southwest Bolivia create the world’s biggest natural mirror.

    Considered one of the flattest surfaces on Earth (4,086 sq mi), the salt flats, also known as “Mirror of God” are so big they can be seen from outer space.

    The salt itself is up to 32 feet thick at the center. During the winter, a thin layer of water hovers over the salt creating the reflective mirror effect.

    As the salt crystallizes from the saline oozing out of the mud cracks, the ridges in the salt flats also become hexagonal (see images 1 and 5 below).

    Visitors to the location are known to take pictures that play with the perspective of the viewer’s depth.

    Check out some of the photoshop-looking optical illusions videos after the jump.

    salt flats of Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia 4
    salt flats of Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia 4
    salt flats of Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia 4
    salt flats of Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia 4
    salt flats of Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia 4
    salt flats of Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia 4

    Wells Baum

    August 4, 2021
    Nature, Travel
    Bolivia, Nature, Travel
  • Norway’s stunning obelisk-shaped Stetind mountain

    Norway’s stunning obelisk-shaped Stetind mountain

    Stetind is a stunning obelisk-shaped mountain in Nordland county, Norway.

    Author and mountaineer Peter Wessel Zappfe once described its smooth, vertical, and overall distinct shape as “an anvil whereupon the Gods can hammer.”

    The 4,566-foot wonder became the official mountain of Norway in 2002. Sailors often use the mountain as a landmark because it rises majestically from the sea along the north coast.

    Pro skydiver Bjorn Magne Bryn shocked the world when he jumped down the iconic Stetind mountain with a wingsuit in July 2020.

    Since there’s no simple approach to the summit, Bryn used a helicopter to free-fall onto the top of the mountain before base-jumping down 4,567 feet.

    Stetind mountain, norway
    Stetind mountain, norway
    Stetind mountain, norway

    Wells Baum

    July 26, 2021
    Nature, Travel
    mountain, Nature, Norway, Travel
  • Iran’s mesmerizing rock salt formations

    Iran’s mesmerizing rock salt formations

    Who knew salt could look like beautiful snowcones?

    Mountains of rainbow-colored rock salt formations dominate the Zagros mountains of Iran.

    The Jashak salt dome formed when the Persian Gulf evaporated millions of years ago and left behind massive quantities of salt.

    Salt and other evaporites have since risen upward through the overlying layers of rock. Rain also washed down mountain sediment over the years which helped compact the salt glaciers.

    Thanks to the monstrous salt accumulation that transpired when the ocean turned to mountains, ocean life has flourished.

    Photo: Reddit/imtisalshah3
    Photo: Twitter/PlanetCustodian
    Jashak salt dome
    Photo: Flickr/sipos.szandra

    Wells Baum

    July 19, 2021
    Nature, Travel
    Iran, Nature, Travel
  • This mythical bird statue in India is the world’s largest

    This mythical bird statue in India is the world’s largest

    Jatayu Nature Park in Kerala, India, holds the largest bird sculpture on Earth, occupying about 15,000 sq feet and standing at the height of about 1200 feet above sea level. It is five times the size of the Pyramid of Giza.

    Opened in 2018 as a tourist destination, the 70-foot tall giant concrete figure pays tribute to the famed divine bird, Jatayu, from the Hindu epic Ramayan.

    It was built over a decade by filmmaker and sculptor Rajiv Anchal, who wanted to make the mythology come alive.

    According to the legend, this is the jungle hilltop where Jatayu once fell and injured his left wing at the location in an attempt to save Sita from the clutches of evil kidnapper Ravana.

    Photo: Wikimedia Commons/The Ganesh Shivaswamy Foundation, Bengaluru

    The stone-cut eagle now serves as a tribute to nature’s splendor and a symbol for the protection of womankind. Visitors must use a passenger ropeway to reach the top.

    View more of the sculpture in the videos and images below.

    Jatayu
    Photo: Wikimedia Commons/athulnair
    Jatayu
    Construction of Jatayu (2013) Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Kumar.kisalaya

    Final chiseling at the hands of Jatayu. The sculpture is now the World's largest Bird Sculpture.

    Rajiv Anchal @rajivanchal at work! pic.twitter.com/t0hIMeD13q

    — Jatayu Earth's Center (@jatayutourism) September 7, 2018

    Wells Baum

    July 16, 2021
    Architecture & Design, Travel
    Architecture, India, Travel
  • The slender sunfish shaped like a Dorito

    The slender sunfish shaped like a Dorito

    One of the more peculiar fish you’ll ever see, the slender sunfish (Ranzania laevis), looks like a mutant fish that’s been cut in half.

    Yes, this Dorito-shaped fish is in its complete form! Interestingly, they also can’t close their funnel-like jaws, which makes them look like mouth-breathers of the ocean.

    The Ranzania laevis is a species of mola but longer — up to 3 feet — and is primarily found in the world’s tropical waters. In fact, the fish was originally discovered off the coast of Adelaide, Australia, in 1944.

    The slender sunfish can give off the impression of a shark from its side view, allowing it to scare off would-be predators. Despite its small fins, the slender sunfish is a skillful and quick swimmer.

    Photo: Wikimedia/NOAA Observer Program
    The incredible (and slender) Ranzania Laevis is shaped like a Dorito
    Photo: Wikimedia/Escapemodule
    The incredible (and slender) Ranzania Laevis is shaped like a Dorito
    Close-up of a slender sunfish (Photo: Wikimedia/Escapemodule)

    Wells Baum

    July 11, 2021
    Animals, Nature
    animals, fish, Nature, Ocean
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