Oddity Central

Oddity Central

Stray Dog Who Followed Extreme Sports Team During Grueling Amazon Race Melts Internet Hearts

Posted: 20 Apr 2015 01:09 AM PDT

When a team of Swedish athletes trekking through the Ecuadorian rainforest last year sat down for a meal of canned meat, they were joined by the most unusual dinner guest – a scruffy old stray dog. They felt sorry for the poor creature and gave him some of their food, but little did they expect that the small gesture of kindness would earn them a friend for life. From that moment on the dog never left their side, following them through the rough terrain for the entire duration of the trek!

The group of four trekkers happened to be navigating the final two stages of the 430-mile Adventure Racing World Championship, during the time that the dog – whom they later named Arthur – befriended them. "I had just opened a food pack when I saw a scruffy miserable dog in the corner of my eye," said team member Mikaels Lindord. "I thought he was hungry and gave him a meatball. Then I thought no more of it."

But the act certainly made an impression on Arthur, who refused to leave his new master's side. Despite his ill health, he kept up with the team through every gruelling task. He swam alongside them while they kayaked down rivers, dragged himself up treacherous hills as they hiked, and even managed to pull himself through knee-deep mud during treks.

Arthur-dog

Artist Creates Fluffy Celebrity Portraits with Dog Hair

Posted: 20 Apr 2015 12:40 AM PDT

Colombian-American artist and opera singer Mateo Blanco was in the news late last year for creating three celebrity portraits out of the most unusual material – dog hair! Blanco revealed that he was listening to Lennon when inspiration struck, and he decided to honor the three late singers with dog hair purchased from a local groomer.

The portraits – of musicians John Lennon, Michael Jackson, and Jimi Hendrix – were purchased by Orlando-based Ripley Entertainment and unveiled at Ripley's Odditorium on December 12. The Michael Jackson portrait is still on display in Orlando, while John Lennon is currently at Ripley's Mexico City, and Jimi Hendrix at Ripley's Key West Odditorium.

dog-hair-portraits3

Bicimaquinas – The Amazingly Useful Low-Tech Bicycle Machines of Guatemala

Posted: 20 Apr 2015 12:16 AM PDT

Cheap, eco-friendly machines, made from discarded bicycle parts and powered by pedalling, are all the rage in rural Guatemala. They're called 'bicimaquinas', and they are used for various purposes in the community – right from simple food processing to making shampoos and soaps.

The unique device is the brainchild of 'Maya Pedal', a locally-run non-profit in the rural town of San Adrés Itzapa. Founded in 1997 as a collaboration between Canadian organisation 'Pedal' and local mechanic Carlos Marroquín, the organisation is credited with the invention of several devices that make use of spare parts from bikes and harness the power of human energy.

Each bicimaquina (bike-machine) is handcrafted at the Maya Pedal workshop, using a combination of old bikes, concrete, wood, and metal. Their designs are 100 percent original, and are both functional and economical. Priced at about $40 apiece, the machines come in several variations for different purposes.

bicimaquinas

Comments system

Disqus Shortname