I have had an idea for a new Travel ToDo List for a while now; "The New Seven Wonders of the World" (there is only one wonder remaining of the Ancient World; the Pyramids - and I have been there).
The seven wonders are the Great Wall of China (already on my B-list!), Petra (Jordan) , Christ the Redeemer (Brazil), Machu Picchu (Peru), Chichen Itza (Mexico), Colosseum (Italy - I have already been there, but will probably revisit it) and Taj Mahal (India).
I pondered this back and forth for a long while, but eventually I agreed with myself - and decided to do it!!
However once I had made this decision, I started reading more about the wonders - and how the new list came to be.
Apparently an organization (The New7Wonders Foundation) set out with a list of 200 potential wonders and made a shortlist of 21.
Then the people of the world would vote for their favourite. The top seven monuments got on the list.
So here began my concerns... A popularity contest?
I read further and saw that some countries didn't care at all about this contest, some openly criticized it - while other countries forcefully helped out (realizing that being on this list would no doubt result in an extra flood of tourists).
I read about Brazil opening up toll free numbers you could use to "Vote for Christ" - and sending out text messages to all citizens reminding them to vote.
I read rumours about Jordan producing 14 million votes on Petra - which is impressing from a country with a population less than 7 million.
I didn't like what I read at all - it didn't feel like a "real" list - I wanted a list made by experts, dagnamit!!
So what to do?
I began to read about the shortlist of 21 monuments and which monuments was on there.
I realized that I had already seen some of them (Big Ben, Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower). Some I had already plans on visiting (Red Square and Stonehenge). And some I had been thinking of visiting some time in the future (Ankor Wat and Hagia Sophia).
So here my mind started to write checks my body might not be able to cash.
Should I really do this?
After some battling within my mind I decided; what the heck, why not?!
So this is the official post:
I am going to see all 21 monuments that was presented as candidates for the New Seven Wonders of the World.
The list is of The 21s:
Great Wall of China (China)
Petra (Jordan)
Christ the Redeemer (Brazil)
Machu Picchu (Peru)
Chichen Itza (Mexico)
Colosseum (Italy)
Taj Mahal (India)
- - - - - - - - - - -
Acropolis of Athens (Greece)
Alhambra (Spain)
Angkor Wat (Cambodia)
Big Ben (England)
Eiffel Tower (France)
Hagia Sophia (Turkey)
Kiyomizu-dera (Japan)
Moai (Easter Island, Chile)
Neuschwanstein (Germany)
Red Square (Russia)
Statue of Liberty (USA)
Stonehenge (England)
Sydney Opera House (Australia)
Timbuktu (Mali)
Fun times! :)
