DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Mahendra Kumar’s autorickshaw – with roof garden. Video screenshot.
• As much of India swelters in unusually high temperatures, the driver of one New Delhi autorickshaw has found a new way of keeping himself and his passengers cool: growing a mini-garden on the three-wheeler’s roof. Mahendra Kumar says the covering of grasses and plants shields the plastic and metal roof of the vehicle from direct sunlight. “I planted them to get some respite during the heat,” the 48-year-old said, standing by his green and yellow autorickshaw in a grey uniform and a scarf slung from his neck to wipe away sweat. One passenger, Maya Bisht, added: “It is sunny but the presence of these plants is keeping us cool and providing us with fresh air.” Autorickshaw taxis are ubiquitous in Indian cities and popular for cheap short-distance travel. Kumar, who has also installed fans inside his, says the garden features at least 25 different plants, some of them edible. “I have grown tomatoes, mango, okra, snake gourd, and spinach,” he said. – SUNIL KATARIA, New Delhi, India/Reuters
• A 71-year-old US woman has become the oldest person to swim the length of the Sea of Galilee. Pat Gallant-Charette, a retired nurse from Westbrook in the state of Maine, reportedly swam the 21 kilometres with a time of eight hours and 22 minutes. Gallant-Charette already holds mulitple Guinness World Records for marathon swimming including being the oldest person to swim the North Channel between Scotland and Ireland and being the oldest person to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming which includes the 45.8 kilometre 20 Bridges Circumnavigation Swim of Manhattan, the 32 kilometre wide Catalina Channel between Santa Catalina Island and the Southern California mainland and the 33.7 kilometre-wide English Channel between England and France.
• A marble bust bought for $US34.99 from a Goodwill store in the US turned out to be something of a bargain – it was an ancient Roman bust dating from around the time of Christ. The bust, which is now temporarily on display in a museum in San Antonio, Texas, is believed to depict a son of Pompey the Great, a prominent Roman who was defeated by Julius Caesar in a civil war. Dating from the first century BC or first century AD, it was formerly in the collection of King Ludwig I of Bavaria but went missing after World War II when experts believe it may have been removed by a soldier. Laura Young reportedly bought the bust in 2018 and subsequently contacted auction houses to find out about its history. Sotherby’s eventually confirmed its origins. The bust will be returned to Germany next year.
