After spending most of yesterday fretting about my money situation, I got that resolved and managed to go see a few of the maoi that were within walking distance.
There is a lot I have to say about this place and I’m going to save most of it for video, but suffice it to say this little island may have the saddest history of any place on Earth. Its been several hundred years of one crappy thing after another happening to it, the list of which includes civil way, genocide, leporacy, smallpox, and slavery….and a serious lack of ATM machines.
Met several Brits yesteday. I seem to strike up conversations easier with them than I do other Americans. Most people view this as an extension of a trip to Latin America as opposed to me treating it as an extension of polynesia (which in reality, it is).
I’ll try to get at least one photo up later tonight or tomorrow morning.
There is a website which is taking votes on a list of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Easter Island is on the list of 24 finalists. I certainly think it’s more worthy than some of the stuff on the list. There are two months left to vote.
FYI: My vote is
- Great Pyramids in Egypt
- Great Wall of China
- Coliseum in Rome
- Angor Watt in Cambodia
- Easter Island
- Machu Picchu in Peru
- The Acropolis in Greece
My criteria:
I eliminated the Effiel Tower, the Sydney Opera House, the staute of Christ the Redeemer at Rio, and the Statue of Liberity because they’re modern. They are iconic for sure, but if you include those, why not the CN Tower in Toronto or any number of other modern structures. Also, you run into the problem of new things constantly removing things from the list.
Neuschwanstein Castle is pretty, but is of no historical or cultural significance.
The Pyramid at Chichén Itzá….well, I don’t know why this pyramid gets mention over other ones in the region. I also doesn’t stick in my mind as something as significant as the others.
Kiyomizu Temple….never heard of it.
Timbuktu…..I think they added this just to throw a bone to Africa.
Alhambra…..again, pretty but there are lots of pretty castles.
Hagia Sophia….tempting, but why not the Golden Mosque in Jeuresalam or St. Peters in Rome?
The Kremlin…..not a wonder.
Stonehenge, The Taj Mahal, and Petra were all close. If any of them get voted in, I wouldn’t be suprised or upset.
With that, I’m off to go see stone heads.