New 7 Wonders of the World: Machu Picchu & Christ the Redeemer
July 9, 2012 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on New 7 Wonders of the World: Machu Picchu & Christ the Redeemer
#3 Machu Picchu, Peru – February, 21, 2012
Machu Picchu is not an easy place to get to. From the town of Cusco it took 90 minutes by car to get to the Peru Rail Dome Train. (You can take
the train from Cusco but not during the rainy season due to mud and rock slides.) Then it takes another 90 minutes to go 27 miles to the town of Aguas Calientes at the base of the mountain. From there you have a 10 minute walk to the center of the town where you board a bus that takes you up a narrow, one lane, twisty road with 18 switchbacks. After 30 minutes you arrive at the top at 8000 ft. After walking up a lots of steps you see the breathtaking city.
And actually that is the easy way to get there! If you want you can hike there and it will take you four days and three nights. Machu Picchu was built around 1450 and was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height. Its giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. The natural setting, situated in the midst of a tropical mountain forest on the eastern slopes of the Andes, encompasses the upper Amazon basin and is extraordinarily beautiful.
Aguas Calientes
#4 Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – February 24, 2012
The statue of Christ the Redeemer is located at the top of Corcovado Mountain and commands a panoramic view of the city and the bay. The
entire monument of statue of Christ the Redeemer is 125 ft high with the statue accounting for 98 ft and overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro is one of the tallest statues in the world; the span from finger tip to fingertip is 92ft and there is a small chapel housed in the base.
Heitor da Silva Costa was the engineer who designed the statue. Construction was started in 1927 and completed in 1931. This was much easier to get to. It took 15 minutes to get to the train station and then a 20 minute ride to the top. From there you have 222 more steps to reach the base of the statue.
In the summer of 2007, more than 90 million people cast their votes to determine which architectural marvels in the world deserved to be one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. There were a total of twenty-one landmarks vying for that title.
Of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, only the Great Pyramids in Giza, Egypt still stand. The pyramids were given an automatic spot after infuriated Egyptian officials said it was a disgrace to have to compete for something that had belonged to their country for so long. I agree! We saw them in 2007.
It is our goal to see all twenty-one landmarks. Also, Chris and I have collectively seen a lot of the twenty-one, however, not together. So the rule is, we go back and see all of them together!
New 7 Wonders of the World we’ve been to:
- #1 Chichen Itza, Mexico – 2005
- #2 Great Wall of China – 2010
New 7 Wonders of the World Runner Ups we’ve been to:
- #9 Statue of Liberty, New York – 2005
- #10 Sydney Opera House, Australia – 2005
- #11 Hagia Sophia, Istanbul – 2007
- #12 Acropolis, Athens – 2007
- #13 Angkor Wat, Cambodia – 2010
- #14 Eiffel Tower, Paris – 2010
- #15 Stonehenge, England – 2011
FUN-travel: South America: Regent 7 Seas Cruise – 22 Days – Rio de Janeiro to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil
March 7, 2012 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: South America: Regent 7 Seas Cruise – 22 Days – Rio de Janeiro to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil
Day 22 – Saturday, February 25 – Rio de Janeiro to Regent 7 Seas Cruise – sunny, warm, 90’s
Copacabana Beach From Sugar Loaf
- Bad News – wake up @ 6 am!
Sugar Loaf
- Good News – fall back to sleep
- Good News – 7:30 I’m spoiled! my love brings me coffee (he does that most every day) & it is really hot & strong
- Breakfast Break – 9:30 (standard buffet fare)
- Good News – 10 am shopping stroll – find post office & get stamps w/no English & sign language
- More Good News – stores all have sale signs
- Bad News – most stores very expensive (even for half price)
- Good News – Chris finds cute black sleeveless jumpsuit (another birthday present!) – feels like pajamas & goes w/my baby alpaca sweater
- Check out noon – hang out in lobby
- 1:30 pm taxi pickup – 40 minute drive to ship
- Good News – first Regents 7 Seas Cruise – 22 days – Champagne Welcome
- Bad News – computer glitch takes an hour to check in
- Good News – very nice room & wonderful crew – upgraded to deck 10 & free internet (very smart on their part – reach silver level after 21 cruise days – they give it to us up front!)
- Good News – get 5 pm manicure
- Happy Hour on pool deck 11
- Dinner – La Veranda Restaurant – deck 11 outside seating
FF (FUN-facts) – Regent’s has a Canyon Ranch Spa on board.
More Rio Views
Day 23 – Sunday, February 26 – Day at Sea – Sunrise 5:32 – Sunset 5:59 – sunny, light puffy clouds, high 80’s
Rio Pyramid Cathedral
- Good News – gained an hour & slept really well & had wonderful Cappuccino’s
- Really Good News – they have a Pizzeria! & really, really good thin crust pizza!
- Really Good Day consists of:
- 1:00 – Massage
- 2:00 – Nap
- 5:30 – Captains Welcome Reception & Viva La Vida Show – features Latin music in Havana, Cuba
- 7:30 – Dinner – Compass Rose – deck 5
- Really Good News – Academy Awards showing in main theatre
- Bad News – we’re 5 hours ahead – starts @ 10 pm – stay up until 2 am
FUN-travel: South America: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
March 5, 2012 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: South America: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Day 21 – Friday, February 24 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – blue skies w/high wispy clouds – hot & humid
View of Rio Harbor from New 7 Wonder of the World
Christ the Redeemer
- Good News – have full day tour
- Bad News – pick up 8:15 & we’re first ones – takes one hour to pick up all passengers
- 1st stop – 9:15 – Christ the Redeemer – one of the New 7 Wonders of the World
- Good News – this makes the 4th one we’ve seen together (goal is to see all 21 places that were vying for that title)
- Bad News – very crowded and have to wait until 10:00 to take our train up
- Bad News – not everyone in our group follows the guides requests – suppose to meet @ 11:30 – sit & wait for them until 11:50
- Lunch stop – Brazilian BBQ buffet – just OK
- 2nd stop – Soccer stadium
- Bad News – it’s closed & really, really hot
- 3rd stop – Cathedral – shaped like a pyramid 30 stories high – reflection in glass bldg across street is awesome
- 4th stop – Sugar Loaf Mountain – take an aerial tram to first mtn – then take another one up to top – great views & 20 degrees cooler when the clouds roll by
- 5th stop – bad excuse for a souvenir store!
- 6th stop – get dropped in Copacabana for street market
- Good News – find exactly what we want
- Bad News – spend all our money
- Good News – walk back to Ipanema instead of taxi
- Dinner stop – cold beer & risotto – just OK
Rio Cathedral Reflection
FF (FUN-facts) – Ipanema Beach is where the locals go and Copacabana is where the tourists go.
FUN-travel: South America: Cusco, Peru to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
March 4, 2012 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: South America: Cusco, Peru to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Day 19 – Wednesday, February 22 – Cusco to Lima, Peru to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – big thick clouds w/sun – high 60’s
- 9:30 breakfast & all ready for check out
- Good News – take morning walk into plaza
- Really Good News – Carnaval parade through town w/over 3 dozen stilt walkers (5 to 25 yrs old) – adorned in colorful costumes w/marching band of drums & horns
- Good News – go shopping for my birthday present (money from my dad) find beautiful baby llama sweater on sale
- 2:00 pickup for airport – arrive 2:15 for 4:00 flight
- Bad News – flight delayed
- Good News – rescheduled on 4:55 flight
- Bad News – bag search for alcohol (we assume it’s a scam for them to get free booze)
- Good News – we lie & say “No” – poor search turns up nothing!
- Really Good News – no baggage police or gate Nazi’s in force
- Good News – ask to upgrade to biz class – told only $246 each
- Bad News – only one seat left
- Good News – nice, big terminal – relax & have beer & sandwich while waiting
- Good News – depart 9:50 pm
- Bad News – plane is full
Day 20 – Thursday, February 23 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – light wispy clouds, hot & humid
- Good News – arrive on time 5:50 am
- Bad News – really 2:50 am body time
- Really Good News – breeze through customs! & we are at Sea Level!
- Good News – get yellow taxi outside to hotel @ Ipanema – 40 minute ride
- Good News – arrive 7:30 am & room is ready
Carnaval Stilt Walkers
- Bad News – they charge us half day rate
- Good News – includes breakfast
- Good News – sleep for 5 hrs & take long walk on Ipanema beach
- Good News – Route 66 restaurant serves Mexican food & cold beer
- Bad News – not that good – order nachos – chips, meat, cheese whiz, little pico de gallo, Tabasco sauce on table
- Good News – Italian restaurant w/thin crust pizza across the street
- More Good News – nice wine – great people watching spot
BB-(Buyer Beware) – taxi in airport costs 99 reals – outside yellow cabs cost 75 reals