A Spanish galleon heading from South America to Spain was sunk by a British warship.  But this isn’t really recent news.  It happened in 1804, and since the recovery of the 17-ton trove of silver coins from the Spanish ship, legal troubles have ensued over the owner of the sunken treasure.  The shipwreck was discovered off the coast of Portugal by the Tampa, Fla.-based Odyssey Marine Exploration in May 2007, bringing 594,000 silver coins and other artifacts back to the U.S.  The galleon, believed to be the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes, would have had approximately 200 people aboard when it was sunk in the attack while nearing the end of a long voyage toward home.  At the time of its discovery, the coins were estimated to be worth as much as $500 million to collectors, which would have made it the richest shipwreck haul in history.

Spain’s ambassador to the United States, Jorge Dezcallar de Mazar, was expected to watch when the two Spanish military C-130s take off from MacDill Air Force Base with the silver coins and artifacts aboard.  Spain was going ahead with efforts to move the treasure despite a last-ditch, longshot claim to the treasure by Peru.  Peruvian officials claimed that, since the treasure was originally mined, refined and minted in that country, it rightfully belonged to Peru.  The appeal was directed to Justice Clarence Thomas, who did not indicate when he would respond.

Florida-based Odyssey Marine Exploration used the finders-keepers argument to lay claim to the treasure.  They had argued in federal court that the wreck was never positively identified as the Mercedes. And if it was that vessel, the company contended, then the ship was on a commercial trade trip — not a sovereign mission — at the time it sank, meaning Spain would have no firm claim to the cargo.  A federal district court first ruled in 2009 that the U.S. courts didn’t have jurisdiction, and ordered the treasure to be returned.  In Madrid, the Spanish Culture Ministry recently classified the coins as national heritage, meaning that they must remain inside that country, where they will be exhibited in one or more Spanish museums.

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A country known for its flourishing natural resources, Australia was the setting for a “remarkable” find.  Mining giant Rio Tinto said it has unearthed a 12.76 carat pink diamond in Australia, the largest of the rare and precious stones ever found in the nation.

Named the Argyle Pink Jubilee, the huge stone was found at Rio’s pink diamond operations in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.  Miners said it would take approximately 10 days to cut and polish it.  “This rare diamond is generating incredible excitement,” said Josephine Johnson from Rio’s Argyle Pink Diamonds division.  “A diamond of this calibre is unprecedented — it has taken 26 years of Argyle production to unearth this stone and we may never see one like this again.  The individual who gets to wear this remarkable pink diamond will be incredibly lucky indeed.”  Lucky doesn’t go far enough.  According to experts, this diamond is likely to cost close to $10 million.

Rio produces more than 90 percent of the world’s pink diamonds from the Argyle mine.  They say stones of the Jubilee’s size and value typically go to museums, are gifted to royalty or end up at prestigious auction houses like Christie’s.  To give you an idea of just how rare these pink diamonds are,  Christie’s has only auctioned 18 polished pink diamonds larger than 10 carats in its 244-year history.

Australian Aboriginal folklore states that the Argyle mine was formed when a barramundi fish jumped through the net of three local hunters.  The diamonds are its scales glinting in the sun and the pink ones are the fish’s heart.

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Dangi says he is only 22 Inches tall–roughly the size of a toddler–and hopes to claim the title of “World’s Shortest Man.”  This Wednesday was Dangi’s first trip on an airplane, flying from his small village to Katmandu.  “I am very happy to be in Katmandu for the first time in my life.  I am here so I can take the Guinness title,” Dangi told reporters at the airport.  Dangi lives with his eldest brother in Rhimkholi village, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Katmandu.  Because of his height, he has never worked outside the house, doing only household chores.  His five brothers are of average size.  His family is unsure when exactly he stopped growing and he has never been checked out by a medical doctor.  Since his village is so remote, it was only recently that Dangi gained notice. A forest contractor cutting timber in the village met him and informed local media after Dangi’s height was measured.  The current Guinness record for “World’s Shortest Man” belongs to Junrey Balawing of the Philippines, who is 23.5 inches (60 centimeters) tall.

Nepal in the Record Books

Another Nepalese man is shooting for a different record.  24-year-old Manoj Chand of Chaukham village in Baitadi District can write with both his hands and legs simultaneously in normal, and reverse handwriting.  He can also write using his mouth and elbows.  Manoj can also write the alphabet from A to Z in six seconds.  Now on a national campaign, Manoj is trying to have his name enlisted in the Guinness Book of World Records for his unique skills.  An MBS first year student, Manoj said he learned his skills through constant practice in only three years!

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Mexico – The Ariel

The Ariel is the Mexican Academy of Film Award and has been awarded annually since 1947.  The award recognizes excellence in motion picture making such as, acting, directing and screenwriting in Mexican cinema.  It is the most prestigious award in the Mexican movie industry.  The statuette was designed by sculpture Ignacio Asunsolo.  The name “Ariel” was inspired by a series of short writings called El Ariel by Uruguayan writer Jose Enrique Rodo.

Germany – The Bogey

The awards are named after Box Office Germany and are given to films that are viewed by 1 million to 10 million people.  The awards range from the Bogey Award to the Titanium Award.  The prizes are awarded by the industry’s trade journal,  Blickpunkt: Film. 

Taiwan – The Golden Horse

The Taipei Golden Horse Festival and Awards was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office and is usually held in November of December in Taipei.  It is one of the four major Chinese language film awards, along with the Hong Kong Film Awards, the Golden Rooster Awards and the Hundred Flowers Awards.  Under current regulations, any film made primarily in a Chinese language is eligible for competition in the Golden Horse Awards.    The name “Golden Horse” comes from the islands of Kinmen and Matsu.

India – The Filmfare Awards

First introduced in 1954, the Filmfare awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honor both artistic and technical achievements in the Hindi language film industry of India.  Initially referred to as the Clare Awards, named after Times of India editor Clare Mendonca, the awards are determined by both the public and a committee of professionals.  The statuette, depicting a woman whose arms upraise in a dance number with her fingers touching, is commonly referred to as “The Black Lady” (or “The Lady in Black”). Originally designed by N.G. Phansare under the supervision of Times of India’s art director Walter Langhammer, it is generally made of bronze, its height is 46.5 cms and it weighs around five kgs.

Russia – The Nika

The Nika, the Russian name for Nike,the Greek goddess of victory, is a prestigious annual ceremony held by the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences and was established in 1987.  The oldest professional film award in Russia, the Nika Award was established during the final years of USSR by the influential Union of Filmmakers.  At first the awards were judged by all the members of the Union of Filmmakers. In the early 1990s, a special academy, consisting of over 500 academicians, was elected for distributing the awards which recognize outstanding achievements in cinema (not television) produced in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. In 2002 the Golden Eagle Award was created, modeled on the American Golden Globe Awards, as it honors both film and television production of Russia.

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Well, not quite.  The natural phenomenon, which was first documented by photographer Galen Rowell in 1973, is the result of several astronomical and geometric factors.  This marvel of celestial configuration occurs at sunset in mid-February—with cooperation from the winter weather. During the same two weeks every year, the setting sun illuminates one of the park’s lesser-known waterfalls, Horsetail Fall, so precisely that it looks like a molten lava flow over the granite face of the imposing El Capitan.

Capturing this natural marvel, however, is no easy task.  Photographers hoping to snap a picture of the “lava flow” over Horsetail Fall often consider the azimuth degrees and minutes of the earths orbit relative to the sun in order to determine the best day to experience it.  They are looking for the lowest angle of light that will illuminate the waterfall with the colors of an iridescent sunset as its rays reflect off the granite behind the water.  Sounds simple enough.

“Horsetail is so uniquely situated that I don’t know of any other waterfall on earth that gets that kind of light,” says Michael Frye, author of the book “The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite.”

“If you hit it at just the right time, it turns this amazing color of gold or red-orange,” says Frye.

To be successful in photographing the fiery waterfall, it takes luck, planning, and the cooperation of finicky Mother Nature.  Horsetail Fall drains a small area on the eastern summit of El Capitan and flows only during winter and spring in years with good amounts of rain and snow, which are both scarce this year—though experts say it doesn’t take a whole lot of water for the fall to light up.  Most importantly, the southwestern horizon needs to be clear, and, unfortunately, February is the time of year when storm clouds often obscure the gorgeous sunset.  Luckily, recent storms and snowfall have caused Horsetail to start flowing again.  Park officials are hopeful that the fall will continue through February 24^th.

But don’t blink!  The fiery spectacle begins around dusk and only lasts for about two minutes.  The best views are east of El Capitan along the main roads into and out of Yosemite Valley—although if you just follow the huge crowds with cameras and tripods, you’re sure to find a great view.

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Utah’s Corona Arch is a beautiful, natural formation. The chance to see it in person is an amazing experience, but an even better one would be to swing from it on a 150 ft rope.

Devin Graham, also known as DevinSuperTramp has just created what he calls the world’s largest rope swing. Tied securely to the top of the Corona Arch in Arches National Park, the rope allows one harnessed person at a time the opportunity to free fall 130 ft from the rock formation before shooting up to into a pendulum swing of about 100 ft.

The act may sound dangerous, but hours of pristine engineering has gone into the creation of this natural ride. Graham and his friends carefully constructed the 150 ft long rope with 300 ft of webbing and 38 carabiners, in order to “make sure nobody dies.” The group even ran tests, one of which involved filling a backpack with rocks in order to simulate the weight of a person, and put it through the swing first.

Graham emphasizes to those inspired by his rope swing that they probably shouldn’t copy him, but “if you’re going to do this even if I tell you not to do it, make sure you guys know what you’re doing.”

A Glance Inside Arches National Park

Okay so the name says it all. This park is home to a lot of natural rock arches. But to say that “you’ve seen one arch and you’ve seen them all” is a gross accusation.

Double Arch

A .8 mile roundtrip will take you to the massive adjoining two arches known as Double Arch. Recognize them? They’re the biggest celebrities ofUtah; they starred in the intro of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Windows

One mile into the park you’ll find the North & South Windows, as well as Turret Arch.

Wolfe Ranch

The ranch and restored homestead of John Wesley Wolfe is open for viewing. Be careful not to touch anything, the man settled there in the late 1800s, restoration or not, that place is old!

Fiery Furnace

This area is only accessible by ranger led tours, which can be reserved at the visitor center. The tour will take you through a labyrinth of sandstone fins, and some of the most interesting geologic areas of the park. The tour comes with a price- better book it in advance, they sell out quick.

Delicate Arch

If you’ve come to the Arches National Park, this is what you came to see. The Delicate Arch is the most famous arch in the park and quite possible the world. The arch can be seen from a roadside turnout at the end of a .8 mile trail. Feel like getting up close? Then take the 3 mile trail from Wolfe Ranch and stand underneath this natural wonder. Caution: the second trail is strenuous, hiking an elevation of 480 feet; be sure to bring lots of water. If you go anytime after sunrise, chances are the trail will be busy, but if you want the best picture, go at sunset; the entire arch will glow ruby red and the mountain frames within its gap.

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Belgium

For the city of Binche, Mardi Gras festival is the most important day of the year. At the Carnival of Binche, a thousand men dressed red linen suits, white lace cuffs, and creepy moustached masks (known as gilles), parade around the city from morning past dusk. Males as young as three years old mask up for the occasion.

Brazil

The name may be different, Carnaval, but the party is just as wild. Carnaval is the most famous Brazilian holiday. The largest celebration in Brazil and the entire world takes place in Rio de Janeiro, where up to 2 million people party yearly. Get ready to samba (a Brazilian dance) because it’s the staple of the event.

Germany

In Germany, Mardi Gras is called Karneval, Fastnacht, or Fasching. The most famous parades are held in Cologne,Mainz, and Dusseldorf on the Monday before Ash Wednesday, called Rosenmontag. Fancy costumes, dancing, heavy drinking and floats fill the streets. If you hear someone yell “Helau” or “Alaat” keep an eye on the floats; soon after someone will be throwing little bottles of Kolnishwasser (cologne) into the crowd- it’s a great way to cover that boozy musk.

Italy

Hide your faces from the world! Carnevale is the earliest dated pre-Lenten celebration (besides the Roman age). It was this festival that the French borrowed and made popular. Here, Masquerade is king, and masked balls are plentiful. Parades are filled with jugglers, magicians, stilt walkers, and elegantly masked individuals. While the celebration often begins several weeks prior to Ash Wednesday, the heat doesn’t really pick up till the last days of Carnevale, when the aroma of traditional foods, sweets, and booze are most poignant in the air. The party doesn’t end until Saturday (especially in Milan).

Netherlands

If you want to celebrate an authentic Carnaval in Netherlands, then head to the south and visit the provinces of Noord-Brabant and Limburg. But good luck trying to find a steak there after the weekend; the festival’s name derives from ‘Carne Vale’ which in Latin, means ‘Goodbye to the meat’.

Sweden

In Sweden the celebration is called Fettisdagen. On the day before Ash Wednesday, one should be sure to eat semlor. Semla is a traditional pastry that consists of a cardamom spiced wheat bun, filled with milk, almond, paste, and whipped cream…or if you want to go really old school you can eat the original semla, a plain wheat bun in a bowl of warm milk.

US

While the season is celebrated all over the US, no one does Madi Gras like New Orleans. Much like Italy, the celebration runs through to Saturday night. participants in the French Quarter will not only strut the classic purple, green, and gold, but they will often wear some of the craziest costumes you’ll ever see.

Today, the Mardi Gras is celebrated with music, parades, picnics, and floats. One of the most popular traditions is the King Cake, which is the same as coffee cake but for the colors and tiny, plastic toy baby hidden inside. Whoever gets the baby has to bring the cake/host the party for the next year.

History

Mardi Gras dates back to the days of Rome, when pagan celebrations of spring and fertility were king. When Christianity arrived in Rome, religious leaders decided to mix these local traditions into their new faith. As a result, one crazy night of debauchery and excess became the prelude to Lent, the 40 days of penance between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Mardi Gras (Carnival) was born.

As Christianity spread across Europe, Mardi Gras went with it. By the time the seasonal hedonism hit France, the name was changed to what it is today.

In 1699, when French explorer Jean Baptiste le Moyne Sieur de Bienville founded a camp site in Louisiana, he named it “Point du Mardi Gras” after the holiday that was occurring in France that day.

The first Mardi Gras was celebrated in the US in Mobile, Alabama, in 1703. New Orleans was soon to follow. Unlike today, back then Mardi Gras celebrations were held as private balls. Parades didn’t begin until around 1857.

The classic Mardi Gras colors, purple, green, and gold represent justice, faith, and power.

The color theme actually didn’t exist until somewhere in the 1870s when Grand Duke Romanoff of Russia was invited to party. The people of New Orleans let the guest choose the colors, and they’ve been a hit ever since.

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From nose to tail, the newly discovered Brookesia Micra grows to just over an inch.

So how did anyone even find them?  While research team leader Frank Glaw claims that his group had experience finding tiny lizards, he also admitted “it was also luck.”

The team of researchers waited till nightfall to search for the micro lizards, as the animals tend to be inanimate come sundown. Using headlamps and flashlights, the team searched for the chameleons, which generally climb branches to sleep on.

Only for the B. Micra species, that means climbing about 4 inches off the ground; this made them difficult to find. But once found, the lizards were easily caught, as Chameleons are entirely immobile during sleep. “It’s like picking up a strawberry” Glaw described it.

Research has shown that these newly discovered reptiles may represent the limit of miniaturization possible for a vertebrate with complex eyes. But it’s hard to tell, seeing that every time a species is declared the smallest, a tinier is discovered. But beyond the occasional pygmy species, there’s plenty to discover on the island of Madagascar.

A Glance Inside Madagascar

Get out of the central highland and urban areas and visit the traditional Malagasy villages. Here things are a little different, houses are made from plant materials and a humped cattle known as the zebu, roam freely throughout the streets. Warning- don’t touch the zebu (or at least don’t look like you’re taking them) because this animal is considered sacred in Madagascar and although often wandering, they usually do have owners.

What to Eat

Try the Voanjobory sy henakisoa- a rice dish made with bambara groundnut cooked with pork. And wash it down with some zebu milk…or if you’re feeling brave, the betsabetsa, a traditional alcohol of the island.

What to See

There are plenty of bizarre and unique things to oogle on this island, so we’ll just start you off with a few.

Tsingy de Bemaraha (Stone Labyrinth)

Enter a forest consumed by jutting limestone pinnacles, known as the “Tsingy”. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, these 152,000 hectares are home to 50 bird and 7 lemur species, and B. Micra’s cousing, the rare stump-tailed chameleon. Enjoy the beauty of this rocky plateau, but be careful the pinnacles are razor-sharp!

Avenue of the Baobabs

Located 45 minutes north of Morondava on Madagascar’s west coast, is one of the most extraordinary landscapes of the island. A candidate as one of the 7 wonders of Africa, more than a dozen giant baobab trees as old as 800 years, and of heights of more than 30 meters surround the land. If you were looking for the perfect place for a sunset photo, here it is.

What to Do

Maraingy

Beyond the splendors of this land’s natural wonders, definitely try to catch a match of Maraingy, a type of hand to hand combat and traditional past time of the coastal regions. When the fights over, feel free to challenge someone to a game of Fanorona, a popular board game played throughout the island.

Kite/Wind Surf

Between April and November, the Emerald Sea in Diego has a constant flow of 30 knot winds, making it one of the best spots for kite and wind surfing in the southern hemisphere.

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The Empire State Building

Ok so this one might take a little planning. Each and every year, 14 couples elope on the 80^th floor of the most famous building in the world, and thus become a part of the coveted Empire State Building Wedding Club.

In order to receive the honor of marriage at the same place that King Kong swatted down fighter jets, pairs must prove themselves worthy. This involves writing to the building’s supervisors and explaining why they want to get married there. Originality and style are key to swaying the heart of the workers, as couples are chose on their story alone.

Some would say a wedding here is truly an affair to remember.

Bangkok, Thailand

In Bangkok, love has literally taken flight. Falling from the sky, hanging from sides of cliffs, and floating underwater, is how people in Thailand can be found tying the knot.

The best place to wed in Bangkok is none other than the village of love.

And for those girls who have yet to find Mr. Right, it doesn’t hurt to pay a visit to the Trimurti shrine where they lay a red rose, candles, and incense, before saying a prayer that they may meet their lover soon.

Guatemala

Much like the US, people of Guatemala celebrate Valentines Day by exchanging flowers, chocolates and cards- but the occasion is a family affair as much as it is a lover’s.

For the more mature couples, Guatemala City is the perfect place to wed or renew vows, but you won’t be alone. Constantly passing you will be a parade of colorfully red and pink doting senior citizen’s, celebrating an event known only as Old Love.

Philippines

Why get married alone when you can do it with 149 other couples? In the Philippines, Valentine’s Day is a time for people gather and say “I do” by the hundreds, in the ever trending mass marriages.

Just last year, 150 couples got married and planted mangrove trees in the rain in Palawan.

They’ve also got the record for most people kissing simultaneously.

Verona, Italy

Love like Shakespeare. Seal the deal in the town where the legendary romance of Romeo and Juliet unfolded. In an event called “Veronain Love” the city organizes events like tours that retrace the Shakespearian lovers’ tragic footsteps and a love letter to Juliet competition.

Beyond the event, the city itself emits a robust scent of love. Renaissance gardens, vineyards, cobblestone streets, and candle lit restaurants will light the night with love.

Paris, France

Known itself as the city of love, Paris might just be the most romantic place to wed in the world. Montmartre’s Wall of Love offers couples the chance to declare to each other in 300 languages.

Fauchon chocolates, a sex museum, and boated operas, Paris has got it all.

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The race to discover life in one of the most remote and extreme places known to Earth has begun.

…And Russia is leading the way, having pierced through Antarctica’s ice and into the fresh water lake below in an attempt to find ancient or new kinds of life. The life that Russia would find wouldn’t be any normal specimen, but one that has clearly adapted to the extremely cold, sunless climate, similar to that found on Mars or Europa (Jupiter’s moon).

But the Russians aren’t the ones trying to crack the code of this Antarctic crust, scientists from the US and UK are close on their heels, with technology that will speed analysis the millions of years uncovered in the lake.

After 20 years of drilling, this year Russia finally pierced through 12,365 feet of solid ice in order to reach Lake Vostok, the largest and most isolated of the Antarctic lakes. It hasn’t been touched in over 15-25 million years.

But due to lacking Russian technology, samples which will have to bring back to Russia for examination, will not be ready for analysis till 2013. This gives both the US and British a chance to pull ahead, as both teams will be equipped with microscopes, allowing them to analyze the freshwater samples on location during each expedition.

Both countries will be heading to the bottom of the world to begin their own expeditions during the next Antarctic summer (from mid-October this year until February). The British team will examine lake Ellsworth, while America’s will move to lake Whillans.

While both US and British teams have denied the expeditions are a race,  Valery Lukin, head of Russian Antarctic mission, said “it’s like the first flight to the Moon.”

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