LATEST VILLAGE NEWS ......................   Why not try something new in 2009? ....................  Highlights of 2008 in 48 pictures ............ Christmas and New Year celebrations  ..................... Ideas for providing facilities for our teenagers ..................  Forthcoming dates for 2009 ....................

Chasing the Wonders of the Modern World

 

Chichén Itzá: Richard and Pat in front of the seventh wonder of the modern world.

 

Richard and Pat Field fulfilled an ambition to visit all seven of

the newly-named Wonders of the Modern World when they

travelled to visit the last on the list, Chichén Itzá in Mexico

 

It's a world full of wonders

 

 

History does not relate who chose the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - probably one of the gods!

 

The method of selecting the modern-day equivalent, the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, was far more democratic and involved 100 million people in voting in a global poll on the world wide net.

 

However achieved and however debatable, the list provides a handy wish list for the lucky modern day traveller with the time and inclination to see such exotic sights.

 

For Pat and me, our recent travels round central America enabled us to tick off the last of the wonders – the magnificent and mysterious Mayan city of  Chichén Itzá .

 

The visit came as a fitting climax to our journey ‘In Search of the Mayas’ which should have taken in seven countries (but Guatemala was dropped at the last minute on the advice of the Foreign Office after four tourists were kidnapped there a couple of days before our planned arrival).

 

The Mayan civilisation, like the Egyptian, is remarkable for evidence of its advanced thinking on things architectural, scientific,

 

 

The seven wonders

of the

modern world

 

 

The statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

 

The Colosseum

in Rome

The Taj Mahal

at Agra, India

 

The Great Wall of China

Jordan 's ancient city

of Petra

   

The Inca ruins of

Machu Picchu in Peru .

 

 

 

 

One of dozens of stone statues around the site.

 

 

technical, astronomical and in many areas of plain everyday living.

 

The Mayas, who dated from around 1000 BC until their mysterious and unexplained disappearance about 1500 AD, have left us a wonderful legacy - cities and sacred sites dotted over much of Mexico but also extending into parts of Guatemala , Honduras and Belize .

 

The sites are numerous, many remote and lost in jungle for hundreds of years before rediscovery and restoration in the 20th century (like Machu Picchu of the Inca civilisation in Peru ).

 

It was our privilege on this latest trip to visit many of these Mayan sites, and to marvel at the pyramids, temples and other structures which they left behind. 

 

Many included ball parks because the Mayans enjoyed a primitive (and barbaric) game which involved two teams striving to propel a ball through a sort of stone basketball ‘hoop’ high up on one of the walls.

 

 

VIEW FROM THE TOP: Looking

down on a Mayan site.

The seven wonders

of the

ancient world

 

Great Pyramid of Giza

 

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

 

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

 

 Temple of Artemis at Ephesus Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus

 

Colossus of Rhodes

 

 Lighthouse of Alexandria

 

click on any one for

more details

 

DODGY GAME: Richard checks out the ball game court. Not unlike the croquet lawns!

 

Winning was not always a good idea because often the winning captain was sacrificed to the gods (Ernest Wilson, John Hague, Phil Evans etc. better look out!). This was one time when it might have been prudent to lose!

 

 

WALL OF SKULLS: A memorial to those winning captains!

 

Well, now we're seen the Seven Wonders of the Modern World,

we''ll need to seek out some

other  fascinating places to visit.

 

No shortage of these!

 

 

 and a look at some of Central America's wonders of the natural world ..........

 

TOUCAN dazzle more than

one can with its rainbow striped beak.

 

ANTS don't only get into your pants - they have right of way

in Costa Rica!

CANOPY TOUR:  Seeing the

forest canopy 100ft above the jungle floor.

 

BASKING CROC  in Belize

waits for a chance of a bit of human for its lunch.

PRETTY POLLY;  Costa Rica is

home to 16 species of parrots

and two of macaws.

 

SICK BABY MONKEY

gets a comforting cuddle.

 

LET'S HEAR ABOUT YOUR HOLIDAY:  We are always pleased to receive reports with photos OR just photos with captions about your recent holiday experience for inclusion in this serIes. Send them to: EditorBMToday@aol.com

 

 

 
Powered by Recipero Working together with BT