The “New” Seven Wonders of the World have been chosen by people all over the world. Since I haven’t been to all of them (yet), I’ll pick my own “Seven Wonders of the World”. This list will only count places I’ve been. One of the reasons for this is to get things down on paper so I can revisit this AFTER I’ve toured Western Europe. I will then likely update the list to reflect the things I’ve seen that change my mind.
Without further ado, I present MY personal list of the Seven Wonders of the World that I’ve visited:
1. The Great Wall of China- (Visited in 2006) Okay, so I’m cheating a little bit. This is already ON the “Wonders of the World” lists. It’s still awe inspiring and mind boggling. I saw one tiny sliver of this HUGE monument to xenophobia, but it’s just too incredible to leave off the list, even if it’s hardly a new thing to rave about.
2. Angkor Wat (Visited in 2007) The ONLY reason this isn’t on everyone’s list like other entries is because Cambodia hasn’t been free and independent long enough for tourists to discover this beautiful, wonderful place. It’s still an undiscovered treasure to most of the world. Really spectacular.
3. The Forbidden City (Visited in 2006) China, again. This palace complex is ginormous. Even if we didn’t have much time to explore, and everything was being explained by a Korean tour guide, the sheer scope and enormity of this enclosed city was impressive.
4. The Glaciers and Mountains of Alaska (Distant Childhood memory) This isn’t the first vacation I’ve been on, but it’s one of the most memorable. 6 weeks in a RV with my family, touring numerous sites in the distant wilderness. Being able to listen to a single radio station between cities was a treat! This is some of the most beautiful scenery in America, and it won’t last long before it’s exploited and ruined. See it while you can!
5. Bulguksa (Visited in 2003, 2005) This is a place I went with my parents to show them the beautiful architecture of Korean temples. It is my favorite temple in Korea to visit, especially in the winter when there are no crowds. It can’t hold a candle to The Forbidden City in scale, but it’s still very impressive.
6. The Subways of Tokyo- (Visited in 2003) It’s the only modern location on the list. This is one of the few places in the world so utterly bewildering that you feel like an ant trapped in a cruel maze. I rarely get so hopelessly lost that I have no clue how to get out of a structure, but I literally had no idea how to “escape” from the masses of tunnels, stairs, and gates that required tickets. Some kind Japanese person finally rescued me and pointed me in the right direction. If it wasn’t for that, I might STILL be wandering around in there.
7. Fjords of Norway- (Visited in 2004) Talk about an impressive geologic feature? These HUGE features carved by glacial ice, and these tiny, isolated houses in the middle of nowhere only accessible by ferry.
