9 Pretty Cool Famous Landmarks

When traveling, people sometimes collect postcards, t-shirts, maps, and all kinds of other souvenirs. What I like to collect are landmarks - well, in video and picture form anyway. Although landmarks, especially the famous ones, are cliched (and touristy) - they are the most easily recognizable features of places that serve as identifiers to others who have not yet been. Some people might feel that these landmarks are overhyped and overappreciated. However, this also means that this group of critics are underappreciating the "overappreciated" stuff. Seasoned travelers tend to forget about the basics.

Therefore, I present to you a list of some (not all) of my favorite famous landmarks around the world. Note that this is NOT a list of the best places, but simply a list of the first few that came across my mind:

~ all photos & videos are unedited, and were taken by me ~

1. Eiffel Tower, Paris (France)

Of course, when you say 'landmark' - the Eiffel Tower tends to pop up. Paris is the standard cliche for romance and honeymoons, and the Eiffel Tower is the epitome of that.

Little do honeymooners know though, is that as they are rushing toward the tower to have their photos taken or to live out that romance fantasy, they'll be greeted by lines upon lines upon lines of tourists, equally eager to get up there. There's a minimum wait of 30 mins on average, and can go up to 2 hrs (unless you'd like to wake up in the wee hours of the morning and risk zombie eyes in your photos). Though the lines are long, they aren't as long as those at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. Couples can use this waiting time to spend some quality talking time together. 

Massively long lines

There are 2 ways to get up the tower, by stairs or by elevator. The lines are usually for the elevator. If you're fancying a hike, you can always bypass the longer lines to go up the stairs, but you'll be facing the fatigue of fighting against gravity, which might end up in sweaty looking photos. By using the stairs, you can always go up to the first floor (which isn't as low as it sounds, think 300 steps), and take the elevator from there to the next levels. The queues are usually shorter here. This way, you can also get the best of both worlds - stairs and elevator. Another way to bypass the lines would be to get an attraction pass like the Paris City Pass, but these are costlier and usually require you to book a specific date and time which restricts you (what if it rains at that time?) - although being stuck in a line for 2 hrs might be a little restricting too.

Recently, they also built a new glass floor on the first level not too long ago, where you can get better views of Paris as well as to see the long lines below that you just conquered.

Once you reach level 2 and level 3, you'll be treated to a wonderful view of Paris:

Just for comparison, here's the height of the Eiffel Tower compared to its surrounding buildings:

I took this picture from the Arc de Triomphe

Paris is also known as the "City of Lights", and rightly so. The Eiffel Tower, the city's main landmark, lights up at night and shines 'bright like a diamond'. The tower, that's already glowing a dull yellow color in the evening, will begin to sparkle - they are actually bright light bulbs blinking on and off, like camera flashes. This usually starts around 7pm, and is often accompanied by tourists' gasps of wonder. It goes on for a couple of minutes before it stops:

Landmarks also make good places for protests and sending messages out (at least in protesters' minds). For example, protests are usually held at the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. Even now, the Eric Garner (poor guy) protests (both peaceful and violent) are taking place in New York's Times Square and Berkeley near San Francisco, USA. The Eiffel Tower is no exception, as you can see from the video I took at the Trocadéro, where the Palais de Chaillot stands just across the Eiffel Tower:

If you have any clue what they are saying, please let me know.

The Trocadéro is one of 2 best spots to take a picture of the Eiffel Tower. The other being directly opposite at the Champ de Mars, a park which stretches from the Eiffel Tower to the Ecole Militaire. Watch out though, these places are swarmed with tourists.

A photo from the Trocadéro, though not a very good one

They say replication is the highest form of flattery, and it is a sign that something has reached a certain level of fame. The Eiffel Tower is no stranger to being replicated. An example of Eiffel Tower duplicates is the one in China's fake Paris town in Tianducheng, which isn't only a replica of the Eiffel Tower, but a replica of the entire Paris. This kind of replication is China's speciality, with European towns and cities already having full fledged copies in the mainland. For example, the Austrian town of Hallstatt has been replicated in Huizhou, and London, complete with the iconic red telephone booths, near Shanghai - it's called "Thames Town". Even now, Manhattan of New York is being replicated in Tianjin, China.

However, as good as China is, the most famous replica of the Eiffel Tower would be the one in Las Vegas, USA:

Las Vegas at night with the Eiffel Tower replica

2. Terracotta Warriors, Xi'an (China)

Located in the "Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Site Museum", not too far away from Xi'an city in China, the Terracotta Warriors (also known as the Terracotta Army) stand tall and proud, exactly as they were built during China's first emperor's (Qin Shi Huang) reign. However, although they had originally been painted bright colors, the colors faded away over time after the warriors were dug out, exposed to air and subsequently oxidized by it.

The warriors were originally colored when they were first discovered (notice the tinges of color)

Emperor Qin was known as a cruel and fearless ruler, however secretly he feared death. Imagine spending your entire life building up so much power, unifying an entire nation, as well as all the Chinese dialects under a common writing system, and lose it all upon death. That was not a pretty thought for the emperor, so he thought of various ways to retain his life and his life's work. Hitler tried the same thing by getting his scientists to research on ways to make him immortal so that he could rule the world forever after Germany took over Europe (and perhaps the world). 

While trying to find a cure to death, Qin also thought he could work his way around death by bringing an army and riches with him into his next life - therefore he commissioned the construction of a life-sized army to be buried with him in his tomb, giving us the Terracotta Warriors. Many people died building the Terracotta Warriors, and this gives us an idea of how Emperor Qin utilized his men like any other resource. He had also indirectly caused the deaths of thousands by commissioning the building of the Great Wall of China (which wasn't exactly built from scratch, but rather formed by joining already existing pieces of the wall from previous rulers before China was unified under Qin).

However, in Emperor Qin's quest for immortality, he ironically killed himself by taking mercury pills, which was one of the experiments to cure himself of his mortality. You can learn more about the interesting history by hiring a guide that's available at the museum. There are English guides available as well. The disadvantage of the guide is that it's a little rushed and you can't stop to appreciate the warriors fully.

Throughout the museum, there are specimens of the warriors and horses all round, albeit behind barriers or glass so you can't touch them. Unfortunately, when you actually get to the excavation sites, you can't get too close to the warriors either. It's a cross between the Stonehenge in England - where there is a barrier around the stones and you can't get close to it, and the Colosseum in Rome - where you can see the gladiator pits from above, but can't go down to see it up close.

There are 3 excavation pits in total, the largest one being Pit 1:

Pit 1, the largest pit

It's really majestic, but it's crowded as hell. The lighting also isn't great for photos. So I guess it's good to just stay and admire the warriors with your own eyes.

Look at the hoards of people

Alot of the soldiers were unearthed whole, but many were also found in fragments, and had to be slowly pieced back together by archaeologists. No two warriors are the same, each has a unique face and body, just like our fingerprints. The weapons are not permanently attached to the warriors, but rather are separate entities on their own. A total of about 40,000 bronze weapons have been unearthed so far. It's more amazing to look at it up close than hear about it from me.

Archaeologists have to piece these fragments together

If you're wanting a picture with the warriors, the best one you'll probably get is this:

Doesn't look too bad right? Yep. Only that it's fake. The backdrop is actually a wallpaper, with a couple of FAKE statues in the front for you to touch (as I did). It's located in a room which is set up exclusively for tourist photo ops. 

I've noticed many famous tourist places have set up such fake photo opportunities to 'trick' tourists in an effort to 1) satisfy the typical tourist need for photographs, 2) to earn tourist dollars, and 3) to reduce wear and tear on the actual monuments/structures from touchy tourists. For example, on Easter Island they've set up a row of fake Moai just for tourists. Another example would be the Queen's Head in Yeliu, Taiwan - a fake Queen's Head is set up to reduce mainland Chinese tourist interaction with the actual Queen's Head.

Famous tourist destinations, although usually significant, often have been set up as tourist money milking machines - which kinda takes away some of the authenticity of it. In the case of the Terracotta Warriors, I was really interested in its history. It was first discovered by a group of farmers 1974, and I was told that the main discoverer farmer, Yang Yen Pei, MIGHT be there by my guide. I had both my fingers and even my hair crossed. And, as fate would have it, he was, so I took a picture with him (hair still crossed):

So excited to meet the farmer, who was much less excited to see me

Seems pretty cool eh? Well, it's much rosier on the outside. I had my doubts after meeting the farmer. First of all, I've heard the same thing from friends that have been there - that they were lucky because the farmer happened to be there. Either we're all blessed with good fortune, or it's because the farmer is actually there all (or at least most) of the time. Second, I've seen pictures all around the internet, and 'the farmer' seems to be constantly changing persons. Of course, knowing that it was a group of farmers who made the discovery would explain how they could simply rotate the main farmer role. They would simply switch out the sign behind him, and replace it with a picture of the other guy whose 'shift' it was. The tour guides should really stop implying that the farmer was only one guy, and that his appearance was a special occasion because really, he's (or they're) there all the time. But oh well, they've gotta make a living one way or another.

I also suspected that the farmers were MADE to sit there. Why? Well the guy doesn't even look remotely happy to meet his 'fans'. Then there's also the fact that when I asked to take a photo of him, he asked for money, just like those costumed characters that ask for tips from you when you take their pictures. The worst part is that he had to ask for money under the table, literally. He did the money gesture hand symbol below the table so that his 'minder', who was collecting money from tourists who wanted his autograph after purchasing his book, wouldn't notice.

At first I thought he was a local celebrity, coming here to meet some fans and sign some autographs, which was pretty cool. Then when I realized how dodgy it was, I felt kind of sorry for him/them, being victims of their own discovery. 'Kind of', because he still took my money.

Anyways, when you're done with the warriors, there's a room where you can look at and purchase art masterpieces such as the following:

I call this: "The cycle of excrement"

Just another note, if you're in Xi'an you might also want to check out the Han Yang Ling Museum:

The Tang Dynasty's version of the Terracotta Warriors

It's basically another terracotta army, except that it was during the Tang Dynasty, and that the army is not life-sized, but much smaller. However, the Tang Dynasty used paint that could last under air exposure and so they remain colored (somewhat anyway) - unlike the Terracotta Warriors. Also, they portray fatter and rounder people, because during the Tang Dynasty, fat was perceived as beautiful - it was a symbol of wealth and good living. They were all about that bass, no treble:

This must have been a rich lady

3. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco (USA)

The Golden Gate Bridge from the San Francisco Bay Trail

Ahh, the famous Golden Gate Bridge. Recently, I've been seeing this in a lot of movies. Rise (and Dawn) of the Planet of the Apes, X-Men 3: The Last Stand, and the upcoming Terminator Genisys, just to name a few. 

The bridge isn't actually golden in color, it's actually red (or international orange to be precise). Why not call it the Red Gate Bridge then? Well, I suppose it's because Red Gate Bridge doesn't sound as good, and because Red is associated with communism, which the USA has clearly stated that it is the opposite of. However, officially it's called Golden Gate Bridge because it's named after the Golden Gate Strait, the water mass that is between San Francisco and Marin County. It's called the Golden Gate Strait because it was a 'gateway' to the gold that was discovered in California during the California Gold Rush, because a large number of people came in via sea.

The best way to get a photo is here:

The postcard photo of the Golden Gate Bridge from Battery Spencer

This is the best location, in my opinion, to take a photo of the Golden Gate Bridge. This place strikes a great balance between being close enough, and yet being able to capture the entirety of the bridge, with downtown San Francisco in the background.

First, rent a car if you can, cabs are hard to come by, and there's no public transportation that goes there). Then, drive across the Golden Gate Bridge from downtown San Francisco to Marin County (another island), and reach Battery Spencer. You'll have to park your car on the little carpark on the outside (it's free), and then walk in. The lots are extremely limited though, so come early. If you don't, you'll find crowds of cars waiting. I tried my luck and got a lot after a couple of minutes of waiting, when a someone returned to his car and left. Might've used up too much of my luck tank because my Vegas winnings later on weren't looking all that pretty.

Like a vulture waiting for a parking lot, that's a smile of desperation

If you do manage to secure a lot - when you walk back to the car, you'll feel like a celebrity, with everyone else's eye on you and your movements, waiting to take your lot to second you move out. I also realize that Americans, like Malaysians, love to park their cars head in. This is an indicator of a present-oriented culture. A future-oriented culture tends to reverse in, because they want to secure an easier exit. Little things you notice. You can probably guess my car now:

Walk toward the bridge, there's a pathway to conquer first. There's a bench on the way, so if you're old and tired like me, just sit back and enjoy look at things that are far away:

No country for old men, just benches

That's the path you need to conquer, it's nothing actually

The end of the bridge, this is what you can look at if you sit on the bench

Anyway, when you've reached the end of the pathway, you'll see a pretty good view of the bridge. However, there might be people in the way, and the land tends to hide some of the bridge's beauty. So look out for a fence to the left, climb over the barrier and climb down. Just be careful not to trip off the narrow path and fall to your doom, because it is very likely that you will die or at least be critically injured and hate the Golden Gate Bridge forever.

A video posted by Ee Thai (@tet54) on Mar 3, 2014 at 11:41pm PST

You might wonder why such a great spot is restricted to the public. Well, it might have to do with the fact that the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the top suicide locations in the world. Its suicide numbers are second only to the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge. Surprising, no? Perhaps it's because San Francisco is one of the world's premier nests for entrepreneurs, and the failure rate for entrepreneurs is extraordinarily high. It might also be because the bridge is a scenic landmark and people who want to die at least want to do so in style.

Perhaps the government or some private organisation should consider something creative to prevent future suicides, like lighting the bridge with anti-suicide messages that follow potential bridge jumpers, just as the Koreans did with Mapo Bridge in Seoul, South Korea.

4. Colosseum, Rome (Italy)

An aerial view of the Colosseum's arena floor, with the underground tunnels revealed beneath half of it

Situated next to the Roman Forum. The locals call it Colosseo. Upon reaching it, you'll see massive hoards of tourists from all round. A long line usually extends all the way out from the entrance. Get there early and you should have no problems.

The early bird catches the worm

Situated beside the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine stands next to the Roman Forum

The Colosseum used to be called the "Flavian Amphitheatre" because it was a gift from the Flavian dynasty emperors to the Roman Empire. Back in the day, gladiators used to thrive here. They would fight each other, and/or wild animals such as lions, to the death, while spectators watched. Half a million people, and even more animals, lost their lives in the Colosseum while fighting for entertainment. Most were slaves who were forced to fight, while some were volunteers who were just bloodthirsty or wanted fame. There was no television or video recording back in the day, so all their fights were only seen by the 50,000 or less spectators in the Colosseum itself - what if someone blinked during a critical moment? Hmm..

The bad thing about traveling alone is that it's hard to get good pictures with you in it

A huge chunk of ancient Rome was destroyed by a Great Fire that wiped out a large part of the city, and it took 6 days before it could be contained (they hadn't invented fire stations or fire fighting technology back then). However, most of the damage to the Colosseum was due to 2 earthquakes 847 AD and 1231 AD. These were way after gladiatorial fights were phased out after Christianity became more commonplace in Rome.

An illustration of Ancient Rome, before the Great Fire

The reason why the Colosseum is so famous is because the structure has existed and survived since Ancient Roman times, and it's seen to be a symbol for it. Tourists want to get up close and personal with it to try to relive those times. Mostly however, it's because gladiators are pretty cool, and the Colosseum was also featured in famous Hollywood movies such as 'Gladiator' and 'Jumper'.

Gladiators fought in the center of the area, which was a wooden floor covered by sand. The wood itself covered an underground system of tunnels, called the 'hypogeum' - where gladiators and animals were held before fights.

A closer view of the underground tunnels of the hypogeum

An illustration of what went on in the Colosseum's prime

If you were standing on the arena floor in the Colosseum, this would be how it would look like:

The modern day Colosseum is often filled with tour groups - guides carrying flags and talking to tourists through microphones. If you want to save money but are also interested to learn something, you can simply jump in, follow a random group and listen in. There are various languages available, so take your pick. This applies to other famous and overcrowded tourist destinations as well (like the Terracotta Warriors).

If you are interested in Roman history, you would be able to spend hours here. There are mini exhibitions all over the Colosseum that provides a glimpse into its history.

5. Stonehenge, England

The Stonehenge is located in a desolate part of England, in the countryside at a place called Salisbury Plain. It's famous for the mystery that surrounds it. Who put the stones there? How were the stones arranged in a perfect circle without modern technology? What was the purpose for the circle? Archaeologists are still trying to answer these questions, but thus far most believe that it was either a place used for rituals such as human sacrifices, or for astronomical purposes.

One of the stones used in building Stonehenge was a volcanic rock called "Bluestone". The nearest of such rocks from Stonehenge is almost 400km away, and the Stonehenge was built hundreds of years before the Egyptian pyramids. How did they do it? Maybe it was aliens?

Some of the stones were of different heights, and this could have been so for some purpose, but it is not yet known. Many of the stones are missing today, fallen down and/or eroded partially - probably because of natural causes.

What the original Stonehenge looked like

The only way to get to the Stonehenge is to drive or take a tour bus that stops there. I'd recommend driving because you get to explore the surrounding areas such as the White Horses and the Avebury Stone Circles which are less famous but are well-known amongst locals.

One of the White Horses, the Cherhill White Horse

For the Stonehenge itself, it is enclosed within a fenced up area, and you'll have to buy a ticket to enter. Even then, there's a low line barrier surrounding the actual Stonehenge, you can't go touch the stones (unless you get onto the special tour, where you can get up close and personal - but these are restricted and have to be booked way in advance). There are guards around the perimeter that enforce this. Of course, you can always jump in quickly to take some photos before the guards notice and they'll simply tell you off for a bit, before you apologize and be on your way. Worst thing that could happen is you get thrown out. But you can't get anywhere near the stones themselves - it would be like jumping the fence at the White House.

Traveled all that distance, only to be separated from the stones by a line

Even the birds get to touch the stones

If you really want to touch some mystical stones, go to the Avebury Stone Circles, not too far away. There's FREE access to walk inside the circles, and you can even touch the stones. The circles are also much larger, and there are far fewer tourists.

The Avebury Stone Circle

..Or you could also go to the Woodhenge, a timber circle that's not too far from the Stonehenge either:

The Woodhenge

All these other henges and circles are all around the area. Stonehenge just happens to be the most famous of them. In fact, there are about 900 circles in total.

Like the Eiffel Tower, there have been replicas of the Stonehenge all around the world. One of the more accurate ones is the "Foamhenge", located in Virginia, USA (as though stone and wood weren't enough):

Stonehenge vs Foamhenge

It's free to enter, unlike the actual Stonehenge. You are also free to get up close and personal with the stones (or foam). However, over the years tourists have been chipping off bits of the Foamhenge till it's been reduced to its current state - a testament to why monuments like the Stonehenge need to be protected from the curious tourist touch. You can read my post on Foamhenge here.

6. Machu Picchu, Peru

The class postcard shot

Contrary to popular belief, the city wasn't actually "lost" as popularized by its Western discoverer, Hiram Bingham. Farmers were already aware of the ruins and there were roads leading up to it. The actual lost Inca city is "Vilcabamba".

During the Age of Discovery, the Spanish conquerers (or Conquistadors) were exploring and expanding their territories out of Europe and into Asia and South America. They invaded Peru to overthrow local Inca leaders and take over their extractive economic institutions for the rich natural resources, similar to how they had successfully done so throughout other parts of the Americas like overthrowing the Mayan leaders in Central America.

Machu Picchu is unique in that it was an Inca city built up in the peaks of the Andean mountains, at about 2,430 m above sea level. Because of this, it survived the Spanish invasion because the Spaniards were unaware of its existence while they were busy conquering other Inca cities like Lima and Cuzco - which also contributes to its nickname of 'the lost city'.

The Incas were great builders of their time and it's a wonder how they got all that material up there to build the city. Their engineering is also evident in the design of the buildings, which are impervious to earthquakes. The stones are designed in such a way that when there's an earthquake, the stones move along with it, and lodge back into place when it's over. That's one reason why the Machu Picchu ruins still stand today, despite the area being highly prone to earthquakes.

Testing out the earthquake engineering, those rocks are solid stuff

Again, as you would expect from a famous tourist destination, it's crowded with people from all over the world. However, it's not as crowded as say Terracotta Warriors or the Colosseum, which is great.

You'll also see llamas and alpacas walking around freely, ignoring tourists and feeding on the grass of the ancient Inca. It's like India, where the cows are treated like humans, and cars stop for them as they casually cross roads. I went on the pet one, and it completely ignored me. Then I fed it a banana, and it sneezed on me. Beware of the llama sneeze, it's not pretty.

Just moments before the llama's banana sneeze

Nobody knows why the Incas eventually abandoned Machu Picchu. My theory is that maybe they didn't, maybe they were all turned into llamas but some mysterious force, and they are the ones we now see roaming around Peru. Murphy's Theory - "anything that can happen will happen", right?

The care free life of a llama (or Inca turned llama), just scratching his stuff, minding his own business

This also reminds me of a cartoon I used to watch, "The Emperor's New Groove". Even without reading about it, I know that the show was inspired by the Incas. The dressing, the emperor turning into a llama, and even the emperor is named, "Kuzco" - a direct reference to the city of Cuzco.

Lots of other American (USA) shows have also been inspired by Latin American history. For example, the movie, 'The Road to El Dorado", was based on the fabled El Dorado - which was actually a term coined to describe one of the leaders of the ancient Muisca people who was covered in gold dust in a ritual in Colombia, and eventually turned into a city/kingdom of gold in myth (there is no actual place). Lots of gold artifacts based around this legend can be found in the world's most important gold museum (Museo del Oro) in Bogota, Colombia.

Also, note that South Americans don't like the term 'American' when referring to people from the USA, because that would implicitly mean that they are not American, when they are in fact living in one of the two Americas. It's like saying that Chinese are Asians and Indians are not, even though India is part of a South Asia. Instead, refer to the country as "USA", and not "America" - and its people "US citizens" - at least while traveling in South and Central America (and Mexico). Canadians are generally more accepting.

You can get to Machu Picchu by taking a bus from Aguas Calientes, which goes up the zig zag route of the Hiram Bingham Highway to Machu Picchu - if you're staying a night there you can usually get a hostel or inn to get he tickets for you, or you could just line up at the bus station. Although people say you can't get tickets, it's fairly easy to just buy one without making any advanced bookings. You could also hike up to save some money. To get to Aguas Calientes, you can take a train from Cuzco, though it's difficult to get a ticket from there. Warning: the trains are not as cheap as a backpacker would like, and it can be dangerous - as I found out when the train in front of mine derailed and left mine stranded in the middle of the night, which resulted in me jumping into a car and speeding in incredible China/India driver-like speeds to Cuzco to catch a bus. All this will be covered in my Machu Picchu post.

To get the classic postcard shot, once you enter Machu Picchu, climb the zigzagging staircase to the Hut of the Caretaker of the Funerary Rock. There's lots to explore in the ruins, just to name a few: the Temple of the Sun (fine stonework), Royal Tomb, ceremonial baths, Sacred Plaza (where you have a spectacular view of the Rio Urubamba Valley and across to the snow-capped Cordillera Vilcabamba in the distance), Temple of the Three Windows, Sacristy, Intithuatana etc.

Enjoy the views and breeze, but don't fall and die, because that would suck

7. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

The most beautiful sunset in the world

Have you ever seen those 'places to go before you die' lists? This place is definitely no stranger to those things. It's the largest (salt flat) mirror in the world - it's like walking in heaven, you feel like you're walking on the sky. It's so large and flat that satellites are calibrated here.

They say to go during the wet months, where the entire salt flat is covered in water and there are reflections everywhere. That's true. But what about the dry months? Dry months are better if you want to ride a motorcycle through the salt flat, and not get salt water splashing up on you.

A well kept secret about the dry months is that you actually get to experience the good stuff from the wet seasons too. There are certain wet areas that remain wet throughout the year, and you could simply go to those places to experience heaven before leaving. This is so well kept, that when I went to the wet area during the dry seasons, only one other jeep was around. Aww yea.

There are a few portions of the salt flat. There's the train cemetary on the outskirts, where trains go to die - old trains that have been abandoned and have become some sort of an adult playground. I definitely utilized it by climbing all around it and using the makeshift swing. Finally, I had a chance to fulfill my fantasy of running on top of a train's deck. Previously, I fulfilled another train fantasy of hanging out (literally) of a moving train to enjoy the sights and breeze in India.

An abandoned train in the Train Cemetary on the outskirts of the Uyuni Salt Flat

Playing on the broken train tracks, shortly after fulfilling my running-on-top-of-trains fantasy

Then there's also parts where the locals gather salt to be harvested, since well it IS a salt flat after all. You'll see piles of salt in the collection areas:

Salt ready for harvesting

These salt piles may seem like little sand piles you see in playgrounds, but let me give you a size comparison: They're not that small (okay, but they're not that big either):

The salt flat is exactly what its name suggests it is - it's a FLAT that's made of salt:

This is an extreme close up, so it looks less white than usual because we're looking at the dirt and salt up close

These piles of salt exist on the outskirts, and the salt is more dirty on the outskirts because there is greater human activity. I did this, and ended up with a little cut, because the ground looked like snow so I thought it was as soft as snow but turns out it wasn't and it was as hard and sharp and ouch:

Deeper within the salt flat, the grounds gets much smoother and a lot of ground is untouched (except when we came along and crushed the beautiful patterns with our wheels). It looks like a desert, but it's not, it's so cool I can't even. Oh, and yes, the best way to get around the flat is to get a jeep. There is NO public transportation (unless I missed a bus stand somewhere in the white vastness), and you should definitely get a GPS because there are no road signs and every direction looks the same. You should only save money on a GPS if 1) you can read the stars, or 2) you hire a local guide.

There are also random things within the flat:

For example, there is a hotel made entirely out of salt - The Salt Hotel (for lack of a better name). Outside the Salt Hotel there are a bunch of flags representing different countries:

Reminds me of the South Pole, which also has a series of flags similar to this, surrounded by snow and ice instead of salt

There is also a random island in the middle of nowhere filled with cacti, but called Fish Island instead of Cactus island or something like that (because it's in the shape of a fish).

Look at me ma! I'm king of the cacti

The cacti are not small either

Note to self: do not hug a cactus

Of course, there's always fun pictures like these:

Balancing on a giant finger

The most random dinosaurs in the middle of nowhere

You should also bring something to eat, because there are no restaurants or cafes anywhere either:

Need to replenish that energy

Of course, there's the wet areas. Perfect for watching the sunset. You need to get boots and stuff for this part otherwise you'll end up with wet shoes. I'll let the pictures do the talking:

Here's a short video:

Pretty cool, right?

8. Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Christ the Redeemer lights up just as the sun is about to set

The Christ the Redeemer statue is one of the New Wonders of the World, along with Machu Picchu and the Colosseum above, and is located atop the Corcovado Hill in Rio de Janeiro. The statue is located on a small platform where tourists go to take in the views of Rio and the statue. 

The usual ways to get up there is via the funicular at the foot of the hill - much like the one to get to Victoria Peak in Hong Kong and the one to get to Filopappos Hill in Athens (Greece), or to take a van. The first van usually arrives earlier than the first funicular tram. After you get off the funicular, you have to climb 220 steps to get to the viewing platform, there are escalators available as well if you're lazy.

People arriving with the vans

A good position for a selfie, I find would be from standing on the ledge of the platform. This gives you a nice way to avoid the crowds who might unintentionally (or intentionally) photobomb you, and also allow you to capture some parts of the view of Rio as well as the statue within the same picture, like:

If you get on the railings/ledges, you get an amazing view and selfie. But if you trip and fall, you will die.

I wasn't kidding about the dying part, it's a long way down

Because the statue is positioned facing the city, it is facing East. The sun rises from the East and sets in the West, so if you want a good picture with the statue, you need good light, which means go in the morning. If you really want a good photo, take the first bus up, then you'll have a couple minutes of alone time and empty space before the tourist hoards come in. The platform is so small you can't not get other people in the shot. It's horrible. I tried taking the first funicular tram up in the morning, and ran up the escalators to be first - I got about a minute or two of alone time before I was surrounded by the tourist swarm.

Just to give you an idea of how that looked like:

There are many potential photobombers like these Mexican Lucha Libre masked wrestlers

The view though, is incredible. You might get to spot some paragliders in the day, then do it yourself after. Paragliding is a must in Rio de Janeiro. I would suggest coming in both the morning, and again at sunset. This is what it Rio looks like before and after sunset:

Rio in the morning

Rio in the evening

The statue also lights up, and glows (because spotlights are shone on it, which makes it easy to change color), and you can take exposure shots like so:

The coolest thing about this glow though, is that on a foggy night, when you look at the redeemer statue from far away (I saw it from Copacabana beach, it was glorious), it seems like there is a Christ figure floating and shining in the darkness, watching over the city - an amazing symbol for Rio. It's something that has to be seen in real life to truly be appreciated.

Being high up in the mountains, the statue was once struck by lightning, and damaged - just as how the Merlion statue in Singapore was in 2009. There are lightning rods on the head, hands and arms, so if you watch it during lightning storms, it looks pretty cool, like a reverse force lightning (Star Wars) kind of thing - but those rods have limits and the lightning that caused the damage was particularly powerful.

9. Sagrada Família, Barcelona (Spain)

La Sagrada Família in the background

The Sagrada Família (translated to Holy Family, short for Church of the Holy Family) is a cathedral in Barcelona, Spain. "Another cathedral? In Europe? There's plenty already" - well, yes that's true. BUT, this cathedral is unique - it was another one of Barcelona's most famous architect, Antoni Gaudi. He was responsible for much of the city's design, being most famous for masterpieces such as Park Güell and Casa Mila. What's common among his works is his unique style of architecture, which blends nature and religion, his two loves aside from architecture, into one entity. He was a perfectionist and got details down to the nitty gritty. The results are very organic-feeling structures.

Construction of the Sagrada Família only began in 1882. He never lived to see it complete. In fact, nobody has seen it complete - because, well, it's still not complete! Construction has been taking place for over a century and it's still ongoing. At the site, you'll see construction cranes and workers continually building. Key reasons why it's taking so long are 1) lack of funding - the Sagrada Família has only two sources of funding: from donations and from admission tickets, and 2) the complexity in Gaudi's design. Part of the design specifies having to hold up a structure about 170 m in the air without steel - a real architectural challenge.

You can still see the construction cranes around the cathedral

Fun fact: Gaudi is actually buried in the Sagrada Família, in the lower level crypt. His death was tragic and was caused by a tram accident.

Currently, they've set a deadline to complete construction by 2026 - the 100th year anniversary of Gaudi's death. That's the first time I've heard construction trying to meet a completion deadline of its creator's 100th death anniversary, damn. Anyway, I don't know if it will meet the deadline, it looks like there's still a lot to do. But if it does manage to complete construction in my lifetime, I'll be sure to visit it again.

Watch out though, as beautiful as the Sagrada Família is, don't be too distracted by it. The surrounding areas are ridden with petty thieves. I was unfortunate and had my DSLR stolen from me (luckily I managed to get it back in the end). Read more about it in my Barcelona post.

Inside, I'll let the pictures do the talking:

You can also explore the towers. You take the elevator up, and climb down the spiral stairs:

One of the spiral towers

On the inside

Going up the towers means you get to see the architecture up close, which is pretty cool:

 You also get a great view of Barcelona and its 'block' design:

When climbing down the spiral stairs, it might get a little dizzy, and the space is a little squeezy:

"My worst enemy - Stairs"

It's a long way down

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END.

Well, that's 9 places. Let's keep it to the single digits.

This list is definitely not comprehensive, I've got so much more to share. Stay tuned!

If you have any requests for future posts (about places, food, technology, money, school, movies, games, music or life in general), let me know in the comments!