drb
logo



"QUANTUM SHOT" #736
Link - article by Avi Abrams
      
      

      The Ultimate Black Obelisk That Nature Has Made (in Sao Tome)

      Maybe you've read Stephen King's huge fantasy epic "The Dark Tower", or
      perhaps the Tower of Mordor from "The Lord of the Rings" more readily
      comes to mind? In any case, you'll be surprised to find the fantastic huge
      black tower actually exists... on a small island near Africa. More
      precisely, on the São Tomé island in the Gulf of Guinea. It's called
      Pico Cão Grande, or the Great Dog peak.

      
      (image credit:
        Inna Moody)

      This is one of the highest needle-shaped "volcanic plug" peaks on Earth
      (300 m), perhaps even more impressive than the Devils Tower in Wyoming
      (386 m), as it rises above the landscape in an equally unexpected and even
      bluntly obscene way. It is however more difficult to photograph than
      Devils Tower: its top is often hidden by clouds or precipitation, not to
      mention that it's harder to get to the tiny country of São Tomé and
      Principe (though I'm sure it's worth the effort). The heavy mist and
      humidity over the surrounding jungle (the rainfall varies between 4500 mm
      to 5000 mm per year) adds to the mystery and the foreboding feeling of the
      Great Dog Peak, as its rocky presence rises and darkly glistens in the
      murk.

      
      (image credit: Antonio Martins & Jose Bazelga,
        via)

      It looks like a giant finger that simply should not be there:

      
      
      (images via
        1,
        2,
        3)

      Fearsome black snakes live on this peak, and approaches to it are filled
      with impenetrable giant ferns and lianas:

      

      "Dramatic" is not enough to describe it. "Overwhelming", "Foreboding",
        "Serene" - a Tower Shrouded in the Mist

      
      
      (images via
        1,
        2)

      Among the animals who live in the nearby jungles and come to "pay respect
      to the tower" are the
      Leatherback Sea Turtle
      and the The São Tomé Giant Treefrog, Hyperolius thomensis,
      endangered and rarely seen frog species:

      
      (images via
        1, D.
        Lin, California Academy of Sciences,
        2)

      Vertical climbing of this peak is complicated by the thick mist that
      lingers around it. The rock is as slippery as oil on marble:

      
      (images
        via)

      The Dark Tower, err... no, the Great Dog is located within
      Obo National Park, if you fancy visiting this location and bringing back the One Ring to
      Rule Them All.

      
      (image
        via)

      But hurry. Big monsters tend to find such towers and climb them to their
      doom. Here is a (bear)? trying to scale the Devil's Tower in Wyoming:

      
      (a poster based on the image painted by Herbert A. Collins in 1936,
        via)

      CONTINUE TO "ANGEL FALLS: THE WORLD'S LARGEST WATERFALL"! ->

      Check out the rest of our "WEIRD NATURE" category ->




RECENT ARTICLES:

Visual Caffeine #8
Visual Caffeine, Issue 8

A thrilling blend of art, myths and technology

Visual Caffeine #7
Visual Caffeine, Issue 7

A thrilling blend of art, myths and technology

Art Deco
Imperial Dreams: Art Deco Update

Wings, Gears, & Glamorous Ladies

1970s SciFi
DRB Pics-of-the-Day

Grand Space Adventure 1970s Art



"Dark Roasted Blend" - All Kinds of Weird and Wonderful Things, Discovered Daily!"

DRB is a top-ranked and respected source for the best in art, travel and fascinating technology, with a highly eclectic presentation. Our in-depth articles in many categories make DRB a valued online magazine, bringing you quality info and entertainment every time you visit the site - About DRB

Connect with us and become part of DRB on Facebook and Twitter.



YOUR COMMENTS::

7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

The bear image with Devils Tower is actually from the Native American story that explains why the outside is so roughly textured.

___  
Anonymous maptravel said...

There lived the Indians and their tribes were connected with the Indians lived there, their tribes were connected with nature so closely that the instincts lent form of sacrifice and cannibalism. And yet, it's great Mets.

___  
Blogger Andz said...

It reminds me of "Itabira" here in Brazil, although this one has some mountains around.

You can google it for the images. I wasn't able to post a link here.

___  
Anonymous Dwijayasblog said...

..Unbelieveable..

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Devils tower is pretty incredible. The native american tale of how the great butte grew from the ground is something worth reading.

http://www.aaanativearts.com/article471.html

___  
Blogger jps said...

An hybrid eclipse will ocurre this year at November 3rd crossing the Atlantic and Equatorial Africa. The totality main spot is predicted to plain ocean nearby the portuguese ex-colony. Gabon will be more lucky for total views as well other equatorial countries like Congo and Uganda: "...the track just misses Sao Tome and Principe and intercepts the coast of Gabon north of Port-Gentil in the Wonga Wongue Reserve (13:51 UT) where the central line duration is 1 minute 7 seconds"
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OHfigures/OH2013-Fig05.pdf
Not by no means as impressive as the one ocurred in 1919 in the same area: "This eclipse was photographed from the expedition of Sir Arthur Eddington to the island of Principe (off the west coast of Africa). Positions of star images within the field near the sun were used to verify Albert Einstein's prediction of the bending of light around the sun from his general theory of relativity"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_May_29,_1919

___  
Blogger Unknown said...

Even the bear can be linked to the Dark Tower series. A giant bionic bear named Shardik guards one of the beams linked to The Dark Tower iteslf.

___  

Post a Comment

<< Home


SF ART & BOOK REVIEWS:
Don't miss: The Ultimate Guide to NEW SF&F Writers!
Fiction Reviews: Classic Cyberpunk: Extreme Fiction
Short Fiction Reviews: Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness" (with pics)
New Fiction Reviews: The Surreal Office



READ OTHER RECENT ARTICLES:


Abandoned, Dieselpunk
DRB Pic-of-the-Day

Abandoned: Streamlined Three-wheeler

Visual Caffeine #6
Visual Caffeine, Issue 6

A thrilling blend of art, myths and technology

Visual Caffeine #5
Visual Caffeine, Issue 5

A thrilling blend of art, myths and technology

Hellish Weather on Other Planets

Wild, Untamed, and Uncut

Medieval Suits of Armor

Metal Body Suits vs. Weapons of Medieval Destruction

World's Strangest Theme Parks

Amusement to the (twisted) extremes!

Enchanting Victorian Fairy Tale Art

"Then world behind and home ahead..."

Adorable Pedal Cars

Collectable Pedal Vehicles Showcase


Japanese Arcades: Gundam Pods & Other Guilty Pleasures

These machines have gone up to the next level


Modernist Tallinn Architecture

Delicious blend of old and new!


Early Supercomputers: A Visual Overview

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons"


Futuristic Concept Cars of the 1970-80s

French, Italian & Japanese rare beauties


Epic 1970s French Space Comic Art

DRB Time-Slice: Valérian and Laureline


The Trees Are Escaping! The Abandoned Prison in French Guiana

"Great Escape" from the Devil's Island



FULL ARCHIVES
(with previews, fast loading):

2022/16
2015/14
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006

Link Lattes

Feel-Good & Biscotti Issues





CATEGORIES:
Feel-Good! | airplanes | animals | architecture | art | auto | boats | books | cool ads | famous | futurism | food
gadgets | health | japan | internet | link latte | military | music | nature | photo | russia | steampunk
sci-fi & fantasy | signs | space | technology | trains | travel | vintage | weird | abandoned