Locale

I personally love the Olympics. With a battery of drug tests and a flurry of trumpets a sizable amount of pomp is kicked up into all sorts of circumstances. Fun.

However, even if you think “the butterfly” is a type of pastry, Beijing has a lot to offer you. In the last few thousand years it has been able to accumulate a lot more than just the uneven bars. Here are three sights you shouldn’t miss on your next visit to the city formally known as Peking.

The Forbidden City

Creative Commons picture by r_neches.

In the category of “places that display the might of an empire” the forbidden city is arguably cooler than the death star. Visitors are allowed to see about 2/5 ths of this incredible palace complex. You can marvel at the beautiful yellow roofs (the color of the emperor) and vast courtyards secure in the knowledge that Darth Vader never ordered this complex to destroy a planet.
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Check out the reflection in his visor. It is of the astronaut who took this picture.

I can see the desolation, extreme isolation, and unfiltered bombardment of solar radiation…but that reflection. It strikes a cord in me that results in both amazement and a touch of fear.

This elevator could put a certain chocolate factory to shame. Taipei 101’s high speed elevator can climb at 37.7 miles per hour. That is the fastest ascending elevator in the world. It gains altitude a little less than twice as quickly as a human cannonball. It is an elevator that climbs as fast as a Boeing 737. I guess it makes sense that such an elevator is in one of the world’s tallest skyscrapers (the Burj Dubai is taller but incomplete).

A Rate of Climb Comparison

The building of such a tall structure in Taiwan demonstrates a certain amount of moxy on the part of…well…almost everyone involved. Taiwan is a seismically active area that has a history of getting pummeled by typhoons. It has the natural disaster downsides of both Florida and California. This is where they decided to build a huge skyscraper.

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Romeo and Juliet is set in the northern Italian city of Verona. Thanks largely to Shakespeare’s mention of Verona, the town has developed quite a reputation for romance. Lovers flock here to coo at each other, swoon from balconies, and grope statues of Juliet (it is supposed to bring luck, but do you really need a reason?). It’s long history of war is less of a tourist attraction.

Amore Turistico (tourist love)

Most people know that Shakespeare was an excellent English playwright and a sub-par historian. However, sometimes the fictional stories can matter more than the real ones. In an attempt to make Shakespeare’s story appear true, a house in Verona was declared to have been “Juliet’s house.” To make this claim more convincing a balcony was built onto it in 1938. People have flocked there ever since.

The house features a courtyard with a statue of Juliet that is overlooked by a balcony. It is said that if one gropes the right breast of Juliet’s statue, they will receive good luck. Juliet’s statue now has a very shiny right breast.

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Creative Commons picture by Chris Gin.

Rangitoto is Maori for “Bloody Sky.”

Ironically, it was not named “Bloody Sky” because of the way it appears at dawn.

Bathing at the bottom of a small waterfall is amazing. While standing in the rush of water the grime on your skin is replaced by the falls themselves. Afterwards you feel fresh, clean, and strong. Waterfalls are the first and best shower ever invented.

As cool as that experience can be, bathing at the top of HUGE waterfalls is better.

Usually bathing at the top of a waterfall is a recipe for trouble. It can be hard to resist sliding off the cliff like the water around you. However, some waterfalls aren’t as pushy. They have a small sheltered area, a pool of relative tranquility, that will allow you to safely bathe in water that is about to free fall off a mountain. Just be really sure that such a pool exists before jumping in.

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6 – The Catacombs

I saved this one for the end because it is kind of creepy. Luckily it also fits well at the end because…you know…it is related to…endings.

The catacombs are certainly an important part of Rome’s history. They tell us about the logistical problems of burying people in a large ancient city. The catacombs also speak to the persecuted populations of Christians before 380 AD that worked to create secret burial locations. The catacombs even emphasize the volcanic geology of the area that is so suitable for tunneling.

With so much of the art in other parts of the city celebrating life, vitality, and achievement the catacombs have an important role to play in completing the artistic symbolism of the city. The frescoes in the catacombs can show us a more holistic approach to life, a valuable retrospective view.

After all, everything must come to an end.

Here are the other articles in this series:

• The Six Pictures of Rome You Should Definitely Take (Part 1)
• The Six Pictures of Rome You Should Definitely Take (Part 2)
• The Six Pictures of Rome You Should Definitely Take (Part 3)
• The Six Pictures of Rome You Should Definitely Take (Part 4, The Final Photo)

Oh yes, these pictures are quite valuable. So much so that customs agents sometimes check for them.

US customs agents have the authority to go through your computer, PDA, cell phone, and camera without suspicion of a crime. Don’t believe their “we are looking for explosive data” cover story. They don’t actually care if you divide by zero. Instead, there is “a chance” that customs is searching your digital information to make sure you have fully experienced Rome. That’s right, these pictures are indeed that important.

4 – A Food Shot

Creative Commons picture by Romereis 2008.

Roman cuisine is an exercise in simplicity. Simplicity and Tastiness. Roman dishes are often incredibly deliciouses, well rounded, meals made from just a few ingredients. The chefs are experts in clarifying the lamb taste of lamb. Roman dishes can exhibit a wonderful purity of being.

Good food is it’s own reward. For this sight we don’t have to go beyond its very nature to find it’s value. This food its truly itself, and we can enjoy it for just that. Does life always have to be so deep and complicated? Ooops. I guess the “life’s value doesn’t have to be complicated” lesson just kind of snook in there.
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