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The Mustang Caves

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The Mustang Caves

Is it worth climbing the treacherous heights of the Mustang Caves just to bury the dead?

  • The Mustang Caves is a network of manmade caves found in a remote area of Nepal, in the Himalaya mountain region, in Asia.
  • The ‘Mustang Caves’ are also known as the ‘Caves of Mustang’ and ‘Sky Caves of Nepal’.
  • Some of the Mustang Caves reach an elevation of 47 metres (155 feet) from the valley floor.
  • Around 10,000 caves are thought to be associated with the Mustang Caves network, many of which were homes, contain murals, or are sites of burials.
  • Originally the Mustang Caves were not accessible to foreigners as a result of political unrest in nearby Tibet, and since 1992, it has been open to visitors who obtain a permit.
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Mustang Caves
Image courtesy of Elaphurus/Flickr
  • At least 8000 documents have been discovered in the Mustang Caves, most thought to originate from around the 1400s AD, and many are works of a spiritual nature.
  • Climbing up the Mustang Caves can be dangerous task, as rocks ahead are prone to loosening or crumbling, while the stability of the ledges are unpredictable.
  • It is thought that the Mustang Caves were originally used as gravesites, and were later adapted as shelters and homes, and by the 1400s, they were mostly abandoned and used for religious purposes.
  • Approximately two thirds to three quarters of the human bones found occupying the Mustang Caves have cuts on them, possibly as a result of the civilisation’s burial procedure of slicing the flesh off the bones and allowing vultures to consume it.
  • In the Mustang Caves area there are a few small towns and villages, and as the area once belonged to Tibet and was closed to outsiders for a long time, it has kept much of its historical language and culture, most of which reflects Tibetan customs.
Bibliography:
The Ancient Mysteries of Mustang’s Caves, 2013, BBC Travel, http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20130501-the-ancient-mysteries-of-mustangs-caves
Bond A, Mystery of the ancient kingdom discovered in Nepal where thousands of caves are carved 155ft off the ground, 2013, Daily Mail Australia, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2403094/Mystery-ancient-caves-Nepal.html
Cave People of the Himalaya, 2012, PBS, http://www.pbs.org/program/cave-people-himalaya/
The Mysterious Caves of Mustang, Nepal, 2016, Amusing Planet, http://www.amusingplanet.com/2016/03/the-mysterious-caves-of-mustang-nepal.html
Finkel M, Sky Caves of Nepal, 2016, National Geographic, http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/10/mustang-caves/finkel-text

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Achacha

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Achacha

Not many fruit pop like an achacha does.

  • Achacha is a variety of tropical fruit that originates from the Bolivian Amazon region of South America.
  • Achacha fruit grow on a trees with the scientific name Garcinia humilis, from the family Clusiaceae, a family of mostly tropical shrubs and trees.
  • ‘Achacha’ is known as ‘achachairú’ in its native area and has the literal translation of ‘honey kiss’.
  • The colour of the skin of achachas is generally a bright orange colour when ripe, often with a red tinge, while the flesh itself is white, and typically contains one large seed.
  • Achachas are shaped like an ovoid, and can reach 6 centimetres (2.4 inches) in length and have a diameter of 4 cm (1.6 inches).

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  • Achachas can be eaten fresh or in a salad, made into a dessert, or pureed and served as a cold beverage.
  • The rind of achachas is bitter, though it is often used to flavour drinks, while the flesh is a sweet and tangy flavour.
  • An achacha can be opened by making a slit in the skin and squeezing the fruit between your fingers, which causes the skin to pop off the flesh.
  • To store achachas, they should be kept at room temperature, and will usually keep longer if kept in a humid environment like a sealed container, so that the skin doesn’t dry out.
  • Achachas are high in antioxidants, vitamin C, folate and potassium, and they have low levels of sugar compared to many other fruits.
Bibliography:
About the Achacha, 2013, Achacha, http://achacha.com.au/
Achacha, 2016, Body + Soul, http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/nutrition/health+foods+az/achacha,23975
Garcinia humilis, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garcinia_humilis

Japanese Laurel

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Japanese Laurel

Money may not grow on trees… but gold spots grow on Japanese laurels.

  • Japanese laurels are a species of shrubby plant native to the forests of Japan, China and Korea.
  • ‘Japanese laurels’ are also known as ‘spotted laurels’, ‘gold dust plants’ and ‘Japanese acuba’.
  • The scientific name of a Japanese laurel is Aucuba japonica and it is from the family Garryaceae, a family of evergreen dicot shrubs and trees.
  • Japanese laurels generally grow to be heights of 1.8 to 3 metres (6 to 10 feet), however some varieties can be as short as 0.9 metres (3 feet).
  • The green leathery leaves of Japanese laurels are often variegated, dotted with yellow specks, and the leaves are usually between 5 to 20 centimetres (2 to 8 inches) in length.

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  •  Japanese laurels are hardy and easily grown in a wide range of conditions, and they can be situated in shade to full sun.
  • Non-edible berries, around 1.3 centimetres (0.5 inch) in size, are produced in autumn, on female Japanese laurels if fertilised by a nearby male, and they are a red colour, and not eaten by birds.
  • Japanese laurels produce deep red to purple coloured flowers that typically bloom in spring, and the flowers form differently on the male plants, compared to the females.
  • Japanese laurels are popularly used ornamentally as a hedge or for other landscaping purposes.
  • A number of varieties of Japanese laurels have received the Award of Garden Merit from the United Kingdom’s Royal Horticultural Society.
Bibliography:
Aucuba Japonica, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aucuba_japonica
Aucuba Japonica, n.d, Missouri Botanical Gardens, http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e496
Japanese Laurel, 2016, Fine Gardening, http://www.finegardening.com/japanese-laurel-aucuba-japonica

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Super Glue

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Super Glue

Messing around with super glue will result in sticky situation… literally!

  • Super glue is a particularly strong adhesive that is made primarily of the chemical compound cyanoacrylate, and technically it is an acrylic resin.
  • While ‘super glue’ is a generic term for the product, it is a brand name for the adhesive as well, and the glue is also  known as ‘power glue’ and ‘instant glue’, or by other brand names ‘Krazy Glue’ and ‘Eastman 910’.
  • Super glue bonds with surfaces due to a reaction with water, which causes strong bonds to be formed with most surfaces touching the glue.
  • Urban legend tells of super glue’s origins being accidental and purposed for the military to seal wounds during a war, however this is mostly untrue, though the glue was used during the Vietnam war for this purpose.
  • Super glue was first discovered in 1942 by American scientist Harry Coover and his co-workers, in an attempt to create a particularly clear plastic for firearm scopes, however the product was disregarded.
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Super Glue
Image courtesy of Earl/Flickr
  • Due to air moisture, super glue’s life is shortened significantly, to a month after opening, compared to a year when unopened, however the life of the adhesive is said to be able to be extended by placing the product in the freezer.
  • In 1951, the super glue mixture discovered years prior, was rediscovered by Harry Coover along with Fred Joyner during a different scientific experiment, and together they noticed the commercial opportunity; and in 1958, the product became available for purchase under the name ‘Eastman 910’.
  • Super glue can generate large amounts of heat when applied to natural textiles, even causing combustion in materials such as wool and cotton.
  • Super glue is often used for hobby crafts or models, or to fix broken objects, and a variation of the product is used medically to seal wounds, and in forensics, to make fingerprints visible.
  • Super glue can be suitably removed from many surfaces using acetone, a chemical found prominently in nail polish remover, while the adhesive is naturally shed from skin surfaces in around four days.
Bibliography:
Cyanoacrylate, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate
Hiskey D, Super Glue Was Invented By Accident, Twice, 2011, Today I Found Out, http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/08/super-glue-was-invented-by-accident-twice/
Was Super Glue Invented to Seal Battle Wounds in Vietnam?, 2004, The Straight Dope, http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2187/was-super-glue-invented-to-seal-battle-wounds-in-vietnam

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X-ray Tetra

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X-ray Tetra

Take more than a scan over these x-ray tetras.

  • X-ray tetras are a species of freshwater fish, native to some of the waterways of northern South America including the Amazon region.
  • ‘X-ray tetras’ are also known as ‘x-ray fish’, ‘water goldfinch’ and ‘golden pristella tetra’.
  • The scientific name of an x-ray tetra is Pristella maxillaris, from the family Characidae, the family of characids, and it is the only species of its genus.
  • X-ray tetras are notable for having a mostly transparent body, with their internals a shiny silver-gold colour and fins coloured black, white and yellow.
  • The length of x-ray tetras ranges from 3 to 5 centimetres (1.2 to 2 inches), and they generally have a lifespan of 3-5 years in the wild.
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X-Ray Tetra
Image courtesy of Mike S/Flickr
  • X-ray tetras have a diet that consists of insects, crustaceans and worms, that are scavenged from the bottom of their river and swamp environments and sometimes they feed on aquatic plant material.
  • Female x-ray tetras produce from 300 to 400 eggs at a time during the wet season, which they lay among plants in the water, and the eggs can hatch from 24 hours onwards.
  • X-ray tetras have what is known as a ‘Weberian apparatus’, a group of tiny bones that act as a sound amplifier, and as a result, the fish are able to hear very well, allowing them to speedily move away from predators.
  • X-ray tetras have been popularly kept as fish tank pets, as they are attractive and quite resilient, however they are a schooling fish and as such it is best if they are kept in groups of at least six.
  • The first scientific description of an x-ray tetra dates back to 1894, by American marine biologist Albert Ulrey, though the fish was originally known under different scientific names, including Pristella riddlei.
Bibliography:
Interesting Facts About X-Ray Fish, 2016, Buzzle, http://www.buzzle.com/articles/interesting-facts-about-x-ray-fish.html
Pristella maxillaris, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pristella_maxillaris
Pristella maxillaris, 2016, Seriously Fish, http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/pristella-maxillaris/
X-Ray Tetra, 2016, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/x-ray-tetra/
X-Ray Tetra, 2016, About Fish Online, http://www.aboutfishonline.com/articles/xraytetra.html

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Australian Finger Lime

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Australian Finger Lime

Your Aussie bush tucker will surely include an Australian finger lime.

  • Australian finger limes are a species of citrus fruit that are native to rainforests of the central eastern coast of Australia.
  • The scientific name of the Australian finger lime is Citrus australasica and it is from the family Rutaceae, the family of citrus.
  • Australian finger limes are long and cylinder-like in nature, reaching 3 to 12 centimetres (1.2 to 4.7 inches) in length and they generally have a diameter of 1 to 3 centimetres (0.4 to 1.2 inches).
  • The skin colour of Australian finger limes can be yellow, pink, red, purple, or green, and the fruit may have no seeds at all, or they may have many.
  • With numerous individual globules, the flesh of Australian finger limes resembles caviar, and it is a translucent red, green, pink or yellow colour.
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Australian Finger Limes
Image courtesy of Malcolm Manners/Flickr
  • Australian finger limes have quite flavourful juices, particularly tangy, especially when the pulp itself is chewed.
  • Australian finger limes have become more popular in recent times for culinary use – on the rise since the late 1900s, especially in the restaurant industry.
  • Generally, Australian finger limes are used to flavour a dish, both as a garnish or with its juice, and they can be used to to make marmalade, sauces, and condiments, while the skin is also useful as a flavouring.
  • The thorny plant that Australian finger limes grow on can range from a shrub to a small tree, reaching 2 to 7 metres (6.6 to 23 feet) in height.
  • Australian finger limes were traditionally a form of bush tucker, and they are now cultivated for the food industry and export markets.
Bibliography:
Citrus Australasica, 2007, Australian Native Plants Society (Australia), http://anpsa.org.au/c-aust.html
Citrus Australasica, 2015, Australian National Botanic Gardens and Centre, https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2013/citrus-australasica.html
Citrus Australasica, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrus_australasica
Growing Australian Native Finger Limes, 2010, NSW Department of Primary Industries, http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/320272/growing-australian-native-finger-limes.pdf

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