Showing posts with label Around The World. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

World's Top 7 Most Dangerous Drinks

We humans love to intoxicate ourselves from time to time, especially over the weekend, and then come out of it with a colossal hangover to nurse all through Monday. However, these few borderline illegal and downright absurd drinks exist only to melt your brain in all the wrong ways.

Snake Wine: Yet another drink originating from Vietnam, this one's a rice wine with a snake in it, a very venomous snake to be precise. The distinctive taste doesn’t come from the snake's meat, but the poison itself. Thankfully, the ethanol kills the venomous effect of the venom and reveals the protein-rich essence of it. This one too is considered to have various medicinal qualities

Absinthe: A drink made famous by pop-culture is known worldwide as being the brand ambassador of illegal drinks all around the world. Made out of wormwood and anise, it is considered to be a highly alcoholic beverage. Supposedly, it drove people crazy and caused epilepsy and tuberculosis, and hence was banned in the 19th century. Albeit, due to recent changes in the rules and regulations of food and beverages, there has been a revival of Absinthe culture and it is back in the market.

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Mezcal: Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made of a form of agave plant from Mexico. What makes it special? As a marketing gimmick in the 1940's, the producers started putting a worm in the bottle, a larval form of the moth Hypopta Agavis that lives on the agave plant. The trend caught on and to this very day Mezcal is sold with a visually disturbing worm inside it!

Scorpion Vodka: To everyone who considers vodka to be the ladies’ poison, think again. Vodka is a strong concoction, and the Russian’s love it. Albeit this time around they’ve taken it to the next level. Scorpion Vodka has a full-length scorpion preserved vodka in it. And is used as an aphrodisiac in south-east Asia and for medicinal uses such as back and muscle pain. Oh, and the scorpion is edible, along with its stinger.

Three Lizard Liquor: Want to feel powerful and avoid evil spirits from messing with you? Just have a sip of this uber-awesome drink, a liquor stuffed with three lizards! The Three Lizard Liquor originated in China and Vietnam. It is believed that the lizards are a source of energy and are capable of repelling evil spirits and are hence consumed by the masses

um three days old, mind you. Let them drown till their miniature lungs are filled with wine, and leave them for fermentation for a year, and voila! You have your very own Baby Mice Wine, and you have a mice-free home too. Radical indeed. This one originates from China, and like others, has medicinal qualities.

Seagull Wine: This one has to be the manliest drink around. Invented by the Eskimos to brave the cold arctic weather, this one is made by mutilating a seagull, chopping it into pieces or storing it whole in a bottle of water, and leaving it in the sun for a prolonged period of time till it ferments.

Top10 Largest Natural Arches in the World

11:29 PM Around The World, Top 10, World's largest No comments

A natural arch is a geological formation where rocky cliffs subject to erosion from the sea, rivers or weathering forms a rock arch. Some natural arch has a stream of water flowing underneath, in which case the arch is called a natural bridge. The distinction between a bridge and arch is somewhat arbitrary. The Natural Arch and Bridge Society identifies a bridge as a subtype of arch that is primarily water-formed. By contrast, the Dictionary of Geological Terms defines a natural bridge as a "natural arch that spans a valley of erosion." The correct method to measure an arch is also debated because of which the reported measurements often varies from source to source. Under these circumstances to prepare an irrefutable list of the world’s largest or longest or highest natural arch is impossible. Amidst this confusion new discoveries and potential candidates always keep popping up around the globe.

Natural arches are abundant in the deserts of Utah and Arizona in the United States. The Arches National Park in eastern Utah contains the largest concentration of significant natural arches in the world. As many as 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations are found in this region.

The following is a list of 10 biggest natural arches from around the world according to the Natural Arch and Bridge Society.

Fairy Bridge or Xianren Bridge, China

Xianren Bridge, also known as Fairy Bridge, is the world's largest natural arch with a span measuring 400 feet or 120 meter. The bridge is carved through the limestone karst by the Buliu River. It is located about 40 km northwest of Fengshan in northwestern Guangxi Province, China.

Until recently, Fairy Bridge has been virtually unknown outside of China. The Natural Arch and Bridge Society (NABS) first became aware of it in 2009 when a geologist was searching the area using Google Earth and spotted what looked like a large natural bridge spanning a river. This was quickly confirmed by a Panoramio photo linked to Google Earth, taken by the Chinese photographer. Estimates using Google Earth and other photos suggested that the span might be the largest in the world. After a failed attempt, the bridge was successfully reached and measured in 2010 by a NABS team

Jiangzhou Immortal Bridge, China

Jiangzhou Immortal Bridge is located about 2 km east of the village of Jiangzhou in Guangxi Province, China, about 30 km south of Fengshan. It is a principal feature of the Xianren Natural Bridge Tourism Area, which is a southern unit of the Leye-Fengshan National Geopark. A paved road and a river pass under the bridge, as do some utility lines.

The actual length of the bridge is a matter of controversy due to conflicting information about the arch. An upper bound for the span can be placed at about 340 feet, which would indeed make the span the second longest in the world, and a lower bound can be placed at about 280 feet, which would make it very close to the spans of Landscape and Kolob arches in the U.S.

Landscape Arch, USA

Landscape Arch is located in the Devils Garden section of Arches National Park in Utah, the US. Landscape. The Landscape Arch is considerably old and almost near the end of its lifecycle. In its thinnest section the arch is only 6 feet thick, yet it supports a span of rock 290 feet long. The arch could collapse at any time. Of course, this means it could collapse tomorrow or within the next couple of centuries.

In 1991, a 73-foot slab of rock fell out from underneath the thinnest section of the span. The rock that fell, however, was probably not structurally important to the arch. In fact, by reducing the weight of suspended rock, the arch was probably strengthened. In 1995, another 47-foot mass of rock fell from the arch followed by yet another 30-foot rock fall the same year. Due to these events the Park Service has closed the loop trail that once led underneath the arch.

Kolob Arch, USA

Kolob Arch is located in Zion National Park, the US. The arch measures 287 feet, just 3 feet short of the span of Landscape Arch.

Located deep in the backcountry of Zion National Park, the Kolob Arch is not easily seen. Because of its remote location and virtual inaccessibility, Kolob Arch for years has challenged cowboys, rangers, hikers, climbers, and photographers alike. For most of the twentieth century many believed that Kolob was in fact the world’s largest freestanding arch, leading to years of debate and the motivation for various parties of adventurous thrill seekers to climb on and secure a measurement.

Aloba Arch, Chad

Aloba Arch is one of the most magnificent natural arches in the world, located in the Ennedi Range of the Sahara Desert in Chad. This is not a natural bridge, but a very large alcove arch. Aloba Arch has a span of approximately 250 feet, but perhaps more striking than the span, is the sheer height of the arch. At 120 meters (394 feet) tall, it towers over the more famous Rainbow Bridge and is undoubtedly one of the tallest known arches in the world.

Morning Glory Natural Bridge, USA

Morning Glory Natural Bridge is located in Negro Bill Canyon near Moab, Utah. Morning Glory is not actually a natural bridge, but is instead a very large alcove arch. The arch's span is 243 feet, and is a mere 15 feet from the cliff wall so it is not as spectacular or photogenic as some other arches in the area. Nevertheless, at a height of 75 feet, it is a very impressive piece of rock.

Gaotun Natural Bridge, China

Gaotun Natural Bridge (Tiansheng Qiao) is a waterfall natural bridge located at the bank of the Fulu river, not far from the town of Li Ping, Guizhou Region in southern China. It is one of the major attractions of the Bazhou He Scenic Area, an area developed for tourism. The arch measures 240 feet.

Rainbow Bridge, USA

Rainbow Bridge is sometimes incorrectly referred to as the largest natural bridge in the world. The Gunniess World Records 2008 even lists Rainbow Bridge as the highest natural arch in the world, which is incorrect. The Rainbow Bridge spans 275 feet and has a height of 246 feet. There are a fair number of natural arches that exceed Rainbow Bridge both in height and length, topped by Tushuk Tash with a height of 1200 feet.

Rainbow Bridge is one of the most accessible of the large arches of the world, as it can be reached by a two-hour boat ride on Lake Powell from either of two marinas near Page, Arizona, followed by a short mile-long walk from the National Park wharf in Bridge Canyon or by hiking several hour overland from a trailhead on the south side of Lake Powell.

Sipapu Natural Bridge, USA

Sipapu Bridge is located in the Natural Bridges National Monument in the U.S. state of Utah. The span of Sipapu Natural Bridge was originally reported at 268 feet in 1908, who also reported a height of 167 feet. However, a measurement by in 2007 using modern methods yielded a span of 225 ± 3 feet and a height of 144 ± 5 feet.

Sipapu can be viewed from a roadside viewpoint but is best viewed from a short hiking trail that leads down to its base from the canyon rim. Since the closure of the trail leading under Landscape Arch due to safety concerns, and the voluntary prohibition placed on passing under Rainbow Bridge in deference to Navajo and Hopi spiritual beliefs, Sipapu is now the longest natural arch in the world to have an active trail beneath it that visitors may pass under, affording spectacular views of the underside of the arch.

Stevens Arch, USA

This spectacular arch is located in Escalante Canyon at its junction with Stevens Canyon, just upstream from Coyote Gulch. It’s approximately 220 feet (67 m) wide and 160 feet (49 m) high dominating the skyline as you hike along the river bottom.

Sinkhole Around The World

11:30 PM Around The World No comments

Guatemala Sinkhole, 2010

Heavy rains from tropical storm Agatha likely triggered the collapse of a hugesinkhole in Guatemala on Sunday, seen above a few days afterward.

Guatemala Sinkhole, 2007

In 2007 a similar sinkhole had opened up in Guatemala City—not far from where the 2010 sinkhole appeared. Based on pictures, both sinkholes are thought to have been about 60 feet (18 meters) wide and about 300 feet (100 meters) deep immediately after collapsing.

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Lisbon, Portugal, Sinkhole

A parked bus was the unfortunate "meal" of a sinkhole that opened up in the streets of Lisbon, Portugal, in 2003.

Anything that increases the flow of water into subsurface soil can speed up the formation of sinkholes, Missouri State's Gouzie said.

In many cities, utility infrastructure such as sewer lines and fiber optic cables are buried in troughs filled with loose material, which can wash away over time. In some cases, a stretch of road can essentially become a concrete bridge over mostly empty space.

"It's eventually not enough to hold the weight of the next truck over it," Gouzie said.

Neversink Pit, Alabama

Neversink Pit, a wet limestone sinkhole in Alabama seen above in 1998, is about 50 feet (15 meters) deep and houses a rare species of fern. The sinkhole was bought in the 1990s by a group of cavers to preserve it for future generations.

Winter Park, Florida, Sinkhole

The sinkhole in Winter Park, Florida (map), opened up in 1981 underneath the city's public swimming pool, Missouri State's Gouzie said.

Mulberry, Florida, Sinkhole

This 185-foot-deep (56-meter-deep) sinkhole appeared in 1994 in Mulberry, Florida (map), in a pile of waste material dumped by mining company IMC-Agrico. The company was mining rock to extract phosphate, a main ingredient in fertilizers and a chemical used to produce phosphoric acid, added to enhance the taste of soda and various food items.

Iceland Sinkhole

Adventure kayaker Mick Coyne lowers himself down the wall of a sinkhole toward the headwaters of the Jokulsa, Iceland's second longest river.

Though the river is fed by melt from a glacier, this 150-foot (45-meter), inverted funnel-shaped hole was blasted into being by rising steam from geothermal vents below.

Picher, Oklahoma, Sinkhole

Years of mining for zinc and lead has left Picher, Oklahoma, near the border with Kansas (see map), literally full of holes—including this sinkhole seen in 2008. Some mines were dug too close to the surface, and the roofs were unable to support the weight of earth on top, leading to collapses.

Ik-Kil Cenote, Mexico

Swimmers float in the saphirre waters of the Ik-Kil cenote, near the Maya site of Chichén Itzá in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Cenote means "natural well" in Spanish.

Sinkholes occurring at sea level will fill up as high as the water table, creating the famous clear blue pools, used by the Maya royalty for both relaxation and ritual sacrifices

Blue Hole, Belize

Sinkholes can happen anywhere water can erode a vertical channel that connects to a horizontal drain, a situation that allows a column of solid material to wash away, Missouri State's Gouzie explained.

If the sinkhole is near the sea—or in the sea, as with the famous Blue Hole in Lighthouse Reef off the coast of Belize—seawater can quickly seep in after a collapse, forming a deep pool.

Flight Attendants (Air Hostess) from different Countries

3:40 AM Around The World No comments

01. Brazil, Azul Brazilian Airlines

02. Singapore, Singapore Airlines

Many used the services of airlines to travel to another country. And some have to make flights daily. Do you know who they are? Of course, the flight attendant. And the flight without them seems boring and stale. We suggest that you look like flight attendants look like in 36 countries. Offered to your attention not only different countries but also different airlines - from budget to luxury. 42 more images after the break...