PIRATE PUBS OF THE CARIBBEANWILL TREASURE-LADEN
LAND SURVIVE TOURISTS?Tuesday, December 13, 2022In today’s newsletter, we enter a treasure-filled temple in the Himalaya, learn about the pirate pubs of the Caribbean, examine how you can determine if you have long COVID … and celebrate National Horse Day with a few of our favorites from the archive. PHOTOGRAPHS BY CORY RICHARDS

For centuries, the ancient kingdom of Mustang was unique—its 15th century temple a home to Buddhist scholarship and priceless Tibetan artifacts. Its location, once along the fabled Silk Road, has these days been far from trade and tourism routes, insulating it from the modern world. 

But now the world—in the form of a Chinese-built highway—is ascending toward the Himalaya enclave, and the king (shown above) must seek to preserve its culture and greet the outsiders. The king also must, tells Nat Geo Explorer Mark Synnott, worry about art thieves. 

What’s Mustang look like now? And how will it change? 

Read and see the full report here. 

Please, consider getting our full digital report and magazine by subscribing here.A rooftop view: Atop the king’s palace, you can see a maze of stone-paved streets and red walls, with the mountains in the background. Read more. STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWINGPHOTOGRAPH BY GREGORY REC, PORTLAND PRESS HERALD/GETTY IMAGES Critics slam USDA’s ‘paltry’ fines for animal welfare violationsRelated: Why the USDA took months to save abused beagles—and then issued no fines(a rescued beagle, above)How do you know if you have long COVID? U.S. announces breakthrough in fusion energy American diets that could extend your lifeA rare look at the world’s most expensive sheepWhy scientists created a flu-RSV hybrid Science may solve the riddle of the Dead Sea Scrolls A new way to stop hot flashes The world’s oldest map of the night sky was amazingly accurate WHERE IN THE WORLD? PHOTOGRAPH BY WAYNE WU YING/WILD WONDERS OF CHINA, NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY Where is this dolphin? This species of dolphin (above) is known as the “giant panda of the sea,” and uses sound for feeding, socializing, and navigation. But with the growing cacophony of nearby propellers, submarine drilling, and industrial trawlers, their numbers are plummeting—down more than 80 percent in just 15 years. Do you know where these dolphins live? Click here to find out.WHERE ARE THEY?PHOTO OF THE DAYPHOTOGRAPH BY ALBERT MOLDVAY A kiss for a shaggy-maned pony: For today’s National Horse Day, we loved this image from a 1973 story on Gotland, the largest island in the Baltic Sea. With that in mind, here are a few of our favorite horse stories from the archives:

—In California, female rodeo performers carry on with a Mexican tradition  
—Ghana jockeys cherish horses and their own cultural history 
—Mustangs: The unbridled spirit of a shrinking West LAST GLIMPSEILLUSTRATION VIA PICTURES NOW, ALAMY A pirate walks into a bar … and business booms. During the Golden Age of Piracy, when pirates’ loot included fine porcelain or earthenware, taverns readily took the goods off their hands at a steep discount. Pirates were also known to spend thousands of pieces of eight in a night—more than local laborers could make in a year. (Above, a 19th century wood engraving of pirates in Charleston, South Carolina.) 

AHOY, BARTENDER!Today’s soundtrack: Havana, by Camila Cabello

We hope you liked today’s newsletter. This was edited and curated by Sydney Combs, Jen Tse, and David Beard. Have an idea or a link for us? Write david.beard@natgeo.com. Happy trails! 

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