Exploring the New 7 Wonders — Which Are on Your Bucket List?
My husband and I have been blessed to travel to some exotic places, but our 2017 trip to Peru stands out as one of our favorite adventures. We flew to Cusco and hiked the Salkantay Trail, a 5-day trek that covered 50 miles at altitudes exceeding 15,000 feet. We ended the hike at the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu, which has for many years been considered one of the wonders of the world. But maybe not for much longer.
Nobody really knows for sure when Machu Picchu was built, or why. The Inca civilization, which was conquered by invading Spaniards in the 16th century, kept no written records. Archaeologists believe it was constructed in the 15th century by the Inca emperor Pachacuti, perhaps for use as his own personal retreat. Fortunately, the Spaniards never found the city, and it remained “lost” until an American explorer, Hiram Bingham, found it in 1911. Today, it’s visited by thousands of travelers from around the world.
In 2007, Machu Picchu was designated one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in a global contest, receiving more than 100 million votes. Eighteen years later, the organizers of that vote, New7Wonders, warn that the site is at risk of losing its “credibility” as one of the wonders due to overtourism, limited conservation policies and social conflicts. Everything depends on critical decisions by the Peruvians, the organization says. Peru’s Ministry of Culture did not directly comment on the New7Wonders statement but said that the site “is not being violated” and is not included on the UNESCO list of “World Heritage in Danger.” The Peruvian government says it is constantly working to seek a solution to the “complex situation” on the mountain.
Traditionally, famous places have been designated “Wonders of the World,” and for some reason there are always 7 of them. The original list, of sites in the ancient world, was first established in 1572, and considered places from Greek and Mediterranean history:
· Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt. Still standing, Dave and I saw it in 2010.
· Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Iraq. Destroyed in the 1st century AD.
· Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece. No trace of it remains.
· Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Turkey. We toured it with our family in August.
· Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Turkey. Some of it remains at the site, with artifacts in the British Museum.
· Colossus of Rhodes, Greece. Destroyed by an earthquake about 600 years ago.
· Lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt. Another earthquake casualty, but its remains were found underwater in 1994.
How about that 2007 contest? Here are the winners, based on global voting:
· Giza Pyramids, Egypt. Given honorary status, the only one of the original Ancient Wonders that is still largely intact.
· Great Wall, China. We passed on this one during our 2016 visit in favor of exploring Tibet, but the Wall is still there, so maybe someday…
· Petra, Jordan. Featured in many films, including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, this city dates back more than two millennia. I toured it when we had an International Summit in Jordan.
· Colosseum, Italy. The most famous stadium in the world, built in the 1st century AD, we toured it with Dave’s parents during our visit to Rome in 2000.
· Chichén Itzá, Mexico. This ancient Mayan city in the state of Yucatán is on our bucket list.
· Machu Picchu, Peru. The featured photo for this newsletter shows Dave and me at the beginning of our amazing tour of the site. In the background is the mountain Huayna Picchu, which can be accessed by climbing the “Stairs of Death.” We passed on that one.
· Taj Mahal, India. Perhaps the world’s most famous mausoleum, built in the 17th century by an emperor for his wife, is also on our list.
· Christ the Redeemer, Brazil. This famous statue of Christ on a mountaintop overlooking Rio de Janeiro is the most recently constructed “marvel” on the list, finished in 1931. We were there at the start of a South American cruise in 2014. It stands nearly 100 feet tall.
Well, we have a few places left to visit, it seems! Are any of the modern Wonders on your bucket list? We can help you check them off! Give us a call!
Sue Tindell
My husband and I have been blessed to travel to some exotic places, but our 2017 trip to Peru stands out as one of our favorite adventures. We flew to Cusco and hiked the Salkantay Trail, a 5-day trek that covered 50 miles at altitudes exceeding 15,000 feet. We ended the hike at the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu, which has for many years been considered one of the wonders of the world. But maybe not for much longer.
Nobody really knows for sure when Machu Picchu was built, or why. The Inca civilization, which was conquered by invading Spaniards in the 16th century, kept no written records. Archaeologists believe it was constructed in the 15th century by the Inca emperor Pachacuti, perhaps for use as his own personal retreat. Fortunately, the Spaniards never found the city, and it remained “lost” until an American explorer, Hiram Bingham, found it in 1911. Today, it’s visited by thousands of travelers from around the world.
In 2007, Machu Picchu was designated one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in a global contest, receiving more than 100 million votes. Eighteen years later, the organizers of that vote, New7Wonders, warn that the site is at risk of losing its “credibility” as one of the wonders due to overtourism, limited conservation policies and social conflicts. Everything depends on critical decisions by the Peruvians, the organization says. Peru’s Ministry of Culture did not directly comment on the New7Wonders statement but said that the site “is not being violated” and is not included on the UNESCO list of “World Heritage in Danger.” The Peruvian government says it is constantly working to seek a solution to the “complex situation” on the mountain.
Traditionally, famous places have been designated “Wonders of the World,” and for some reason there are always 7 of them. The original list, of sites in the ancient world, was first established in 1572, and considered places from Greek and Mediterranean history:
· Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt. Still standing, Dave and I saw it in 2010.
· Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Iraq. Destroyed in the 1st century AD.
· Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece. No trace of it remains.
· Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Turkey. We toured it with our family in August.
· Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Turkey. Some of it remains at the site, with artifacts in the British Museum.
· Colossus of Rhodes, Greece. Destroyed by an earthquake about 600 years ago.
· Lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt. Another earthquake casualty, but its remains were found underwater in 1994.
How about that 2007 contest? Here are the winners, based on global voting:
· Giza Pyramids, Egypt. Given honorary status, the only one of the original Ancient Wonders that is still largely intact.
· Great Wall, China. We passed on this one during our 2016 visit in favor of exploring Tibet, but the Wall is still there, so maybe someday…
· Petra, Jordan. Featured in many films, including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, this city dates back more than two millennia. I toured it when we had an International Summit in Jordan.
· Colosseum, Italy. The most famous stadium in the world, built in the 1st century AD, we toured it with Dave’s parents during our visit to Rome in 2000.
· Chichén Itzá, Mexico. This ancient Mayan city in the state of Yucatán is on our bucket list.
· Machu Picchu, Peru. The featured photo for this newsletter shows Dave and me at the beginning of our amazing tour of the site. In the background is the mountain Huayna Picchu, which can be accessed by climbing the “Stairs of Death.” We passed on that one.
· Taj Mahal, India. Perhaps the world’s most famous mausoleum, built in the 17th century by an emperor for his wife, is also on our list.
· Christ the Redeemer, Brazil. This famous statue of Christ on a mountaintop overlooking Rio de Janeiro is the most recently constructed “marvel” on the list, finished in 1931. We were there at the start of a South American cruise in 2014. It stands nearly 100 feet tall.
Well, we have a few places left to visit, it seems! Are any of the modern Wonders on your bucket list? We can help you check them off! Give us a call!
Sue Tindell
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