New 7Wonders - The Easter Island Statues

This is my fifth post listing the twenty one finalists that went to vote to become one of the New 7Wonders.

First was the Acropolis which I have not visited.

Second was the ALHAMBRA Spain which I have blogged about:

ANGKOR WAT in Cambodia was third on the list and my post about this is on my blog  too

Fourth is the COLOSSEUM in Italy which again I have yet to see. My husband went to Rome for his first Honeymoon so it isn't high on his list at the present time.

The fifth on the list which is done alphabetically is the CORCOVADO (CHRIST THE REDEEMER) in Rio, Brazil.

 No 6 which is the Eiffel tower in Paris, France.

So now we come to the Easter Island Statues as number 7

We visited Easter Island only last year 2013 and they are as splendid as you imagine them to be from the photos.

And now we have reached No7 but post number five for me and that is the statues on Easter Island.

We spent four days on Easter Island visiting the various sites with these fabulous heads .Until our visit I hadn't realised that no heads were left standing and that those now standing had been restored to that position in this last century. 

The heads are called Moai while the platform they stand on is known as the Ahu and the hats or hair on some of the Moai are the Pakao. These particular Moai were restored and replaced on their Ahu specifically for the Rapa Nui film and of course for encouraging tourists to visit the island.

Ahu Tongariki is the largest restored Ahu with fifteen Moai and one of them is the largest Moai ever erected on the island. In the quarry behind this Ahu there is an even larger Moai half buried and unfinished. The largest Moai on the Ahu at Tongariki weighs 86 tonnes. 

I struggle to picture how the islanders with their limited lifting equipment moved and erected even the smaller Moai and some were taken quite some distance across the island.

No one is really certain why the islanders began to build the Moai but it began when the resources on the island began to become scarce. The statues are sometimes thought to be representing gods or deceased chiefs. It is thought that when a chief died they carved and erected the Moai and once it was erected the eyes were carved and the coral put in. Once the eyes were in place the Rapa Nui people believed that power and prosperity was sent through the moai’s eyes to the villagers still living there.

These are in the final 21 but didn't make it to the last seven so far only the Colosseum in Rome and the Christ the Redeemer in Rio have made it to the last seven of the list alphabetically. 

Eiffel tower in Paris, France.

This is my fourth post listing the twenty one finalists that went to vote to become one of the New 7Wonders.

First was the Acropolis which I have not visited

Second was the ALHAMBRA Spain which I wrote a post about.

ANGKOR WAT in Cambodia was third on the list and my post about this is on here too.

Fourth is the COLOSSEUM in Italy which again I have yet to see. My husband went to Rome for his first Honeymoon so it isn't high on his list at the present time.

The fifth on the list which is done alphabetically is the CORCOVADO (CHRIST THE REDEEMER) in Rio, Brazil.

Now we come to No 6 which is the Eiffel tower in Paris, France.

I first visited this famous tower when on A french exchange when I was about 14 years old. I remember we took the lift up and walked down. Even then when I was young and a lot fitter my legs had gone to jelly by the time we got to the bottom.

The tower is named after the man Gustave Eiffel whose company designed and built the iron tower.

The tower was built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution in the 1889 Exposition Universell.

These days over 7 million visitors, pay to go up the tower every year. 75% of the visitors are foreigners. The tower is apparently the most visited attraction in the world that you have to pay to visit.

There are 1665 steps to the top of the tower which is 324 metres tall.

It was originally only a temporary building but after twenty years there was a petition to keep it standing. It has become a symbol of Paris recognised the world over and has been seen by over 250 million people since it was first opened.

Famous world wide and one of the twenty one finalists but NOT one of the New 7Wonders.

CORCOVADO - Christ the Redeemer Statue, Rio de Janeiro

This is my third post listing the twenty one finalists that went to vote to become one of the New 7Wonders.

First was the Acropolis which I have not visited

Second was the ALHAMBRA Spain which I wrote a post about

ANGKOR WAT in Cambodia was third on the list and my post about this is on here too.

Fourth is the COLOSSEUM in Italy which again I have yet to see. My husband went to Rome for his first Honeymoon so it isn't high on his list at the present time.

The post here is about no 5 which is as alphabetically listed the CORCOVADO (CHRIST THE REDEEMER)in Rio, Brazil.

The Corcovado is actually the hill the statue stands on. It is one of many in and around Rio, the Sugarloaf mountain is another famous landmark in the city. Corcovado means hunchback in Portuguese.

On top of this 710-metre high hill stands the famous statue of Christ the redeemer. The statue stands a huge 38 metres high and is impressive from both near to and from a distance as well.

We went up to the statue on the railway which takes you through the Tijuca Forest which is a rainforest which is a huge 32 sq km National Park within the city of Rio. This railway was first built in 1884 but was refurbished in 1980 and it is a pretty good ride through the forest upwards.

It was planted in the mid 19th Century as it was believed that the deforestation was affecting the water supply in Rio and the soil erosion as well.

once at the top platform you still have 223 steps to climb or you can if you don't mind queuing wait for the lift. There is also an escalator which is how we went up but we did walk down again using the steps.

The size of the statue can only really be appreciated close up but aside from exploring the statue from this hill top the views you get over Rio are pretty impressive.

This huge statue gets over 300,000 visitors per year and at times it is pretty crowded up around the statue. Luckily we went up early one morning not on a week end so the crowds were minimal.

THIS STATUE IS THE FIRST OF MY TWENTY ONE TO BE A NEW 7 WONDER - This is the first of the final New 7Wonders.

Angkor Wat Cambodia

Continuing my series based on the website The New 7Wonders where I am looking at those of the twenty one shortlisted finalists that I have visited .

The next on the list is Angkor Wat. This is not one Wat or temple but rather a series of temples in

 one area some of which have been partially destroyed by human invaders while others are being taken over by the jungle that surrounds the temple area.

We had the sweetest guide who spent the few days we were here telling us all about his family. As you walk around the temples small children come up to you with bits they are trying to sell and chat to you. they have cleverly learned a few sentences and facts about each country which has tourists coming to Cambodia which they say to you as an opening line. they are so very sweet and I would happily have bought all they had but I knew that would only bring more running to tear at my heart strings.

Angkor Wat was originally a Hindu temple complex then became a Buddhist temple complex and there is evidence of some deliberate scrubbing out of Hindu images in some temples.Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world.

Some temples have tall steps that you can climb up. they are steep and very narrow, some of those climbing with us were not happy and were clinging on to the ropes and edges for assistance. 

You could spend days around the temples, some like to get up before dawn to watch sunrise and again watch the sun setting over the temples. It can get quite crowded at times and it is VERY hot so take lots of bottled water, a hat and sunscreen.

My favourite temple was Ta Prohm which was used in the film 'Tomb Raider. This temple has been left pretty much as it was discovered in recent times. Trees have grown through the temple walls and arches and it looks like a scene from Indiana Jones. It was such fun taking photos and even though there were quite a few other people there we did manage to get some photos with extras in them.

I cannot really do justice to a site like this in a short post but this gives a taste of the magnificence that is Angkor Wat. To me this site richly deserves its place in the 21 finalists but despite getting my vote it was NOT one of the New 7Wonders.

Alhambra - Granada Spain

There is a great site which has voted for and chosen the New7Wonders  and my husband and I decided we would like to visit all twenty one of the shortlisted finalists.
( http://world.new7wonders.com/new7wonders-of-the-world-page/new7wonders-of-the-world/) 

First on the list alphabetically is the Acropolis Athens but  I have only seen this from the air from a plane so that does not count. 

The first for me that I have visited is therefore the Alhambra which is in Granada , Spain. We were staying near Fuengirola with my daughter and her partner and we drove to Granada for the day to visit this Moorish Palace.

This is a beautiful palace in a deep peach coloured brick which gives it a lovely warm look. It can be a bit overwhelming deciding where to go first when you get there as it is pretty big.

If you want to visit the Nasrid Palaces within the complex you need a special timed ticket as only 300 are allowed in every half hour. This can mean that you have to be careful where you go so as not to miss your slot. 

The entire complex is a sight for the senses. Everywhere you look you see little pieces of intricate carvings or lovely still pools, tiles of beautiful patterns and despite the crowds it still has a sense of peace and quiet.

Some parts of the Alhambra can be visited without tickets and these are the colonnaded courtyard of the late 15th-century Palacio de Carlos V, the church, bathhouse and the craft shops and hotels along the calle Real de la Alhambra.

I would say if in doubt book in advance as it is well worth paying for the tickets to see as much as your legs can cope with.

Inside the first area we explored was the the Generalife which was the Sultans' summer retreat and here you will see the water gardens with beautiful fountains. 

These gardens have a number of pavilions and patios with views of the landscapes beyond. I love arches and walkways in the shade when it is hot and there are many to explore as well as the reflecting pools and fountains and my favourite is the staircase where a stream of water comes down the banisters.

You then pass through the Torre del Agua gate into the Alhambra palace. Don't miss the Arab bathhouse with its lovely star-shaped openings in the roof. The oldest part is the Alcazaba citadel which dates back to the 9th century and from here you do get great views.

Finally you visit the Nasrid palaces, these are actually three interconnecting palaces built in the 14th century. The Nasrid kings were the last to rule over Spain. Keep your eyes open for the beautiful decorations, tiling and ceilings to die for. It is truly beautiful and stunning when you think of how old it all is.

It is a really lovely palace and worthy of its place in the final twenty one of the new7Wonders..

It is NOT, however one of the New 7Wonders. I will reveal those as we go along