July 09, 2007

NEW SEVEN WONDERS OF THE MODERN WORLD
























PYRAMID AT CHICHEN ITZA, MEXICO
This step-pyramid surmounted by a temple survives from a sacred site that was part of one of the greatest Mayan centers of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Built according to the solar calendar, it is placed so that shadows cast at the fall and spring equinoxes are said to look like a snake crawling down the steps, similar to the carved serpent at the top.

CHRIST THE REDEEMER STATUE, BRAZIL
The 125-foot-tall statue of Christ the Redeemer with outstretched arms overlooks Rio de Janeiro from atop Mt. Corcovado. The statue, which weighs more than 1,000 tons, was built by Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski in pieces in France starting in 1926, then shipped to Brazil. The pieces were carried by cogwheel railway up the mountain for assembly. The statue was inaugurated in 1931.

COLOSSEUM, ITALY
The giant amphitheater in Rome was inaugurated in A.D. 80 by the Emperor Titus in a ceremony of games lasting 100 days. The 50,000-seat Colosseum, which has influenced the design of modern sports stadiums, was an arena where thousands of gladiators dueled to the death and Christians were fed to the lions.

GREAT WALL OF CHINA
The 4,160-mile barricade running from east to west in northern China is the longest man-made structure in the world. The fortification, which largely dates from the 7th through the 4th century B.C., was built to protect the dynasties from invasion by the Huns, Mongols, Turks and other nomadic tribes.

MACHU PICCHU, PERU
Built by the Incan Empire in the 15th century, the giant walls, palaces, temples and dwellings of the Machu Picchu sanctuary are perched in the clouds at 8,000 feet above sea level in the Andes mountains. It remains a mystery how the huge stones were moved into place for the construction of the remote city.

PETRA, JORDAN
The ancient city of Petra in southwestern Jordan, built on a terrace around the Wadi Musa or Valley of Moses, was the capital of the Arab kingdom of the Nabateans. It also flourished under Roman rule after the Nabateans were defeated in A.D. 106. The city is famous for its water tunnels and numerous stone structures carved in rock, the most impressive of which is probably Ad-Dayr, an uncompleted tomb facade that served as a church during Byzantine times.

TAJ MAHAL, INDIA
The white marble-domed mausoleum in Agra was built by Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan between 1632 and 1654 for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. The complex - an example of Mughal architecture combining Indian, Persian, and Islamic styles - houses the graves of the emperor and his wife, as well as those of lesser royalty.

{I added two for balance. Not sure why the colors went all funky.}

BABIES, EARTH
They just don't get cuter then this.

MARRIED TWO YEARS, AUGUST 27, 2007
Nate and I will celebrate our second anniversary soon. I can't believe it's been two years already. It's kind of sad because I don't think anyone considers you a "newly wed" after two years. We've enjoyed the excuses that come with being "a newly wed".

4 comments:

Deidra said...

We'll celebrate two years on August 18, and I totally consider us newlyweds. We were talking with my husband's cousin's kid, who is probably eight, just a few weeks ago. She was asking us why we didn't have kids yet, and when we gave each other a blank stare she asked, "Is it because you're newlyweds?" She concluded that you're newlyweds until you have kids, and I'll take that answer!

Tonia Conger said...

I like the sounds of that Deidra! From this time forth, Nate and I are newlyweds until we have our first little one!

brandi (and tim) said...

That's exactly what I was going to say... I think you're newlyweds until you have kids, which means as of tomorrow, Tim and I will no longer be newlyweds - and we've only been married for 10 months. Sad. Really though, if you truly loved us you'd hurry up and get pregnant so our kids could play together on our yearly vacations.

~b

CaraDee said...

I don't know...Whenever my husband and I get AWAY from our kids, people always ask us if we're newlyweds. We've been married 7 1/2 years. So the secret is getting AWAY from them. ha
But good luck with that.