East of flagstaff, Arizona there is a giant hole in the ground that is totally worth a visit. It was created by either a meteor impact 50,000 years ago or a really big gopher. Whatever future studies conclude actually caused it, it is quite impressive.

If you are struggling get your mind around the idea that really big rocks sometimes crash into the earth at over 28,000 miles per hour, this is a good crater to visit. The dry climate of the region allows one to see the whole crater. Erosion hasn’t changed all that much since those heady days when giant ground sloths roamed the area. This crater also doesn’t have a forest to block your view of the destruction fast moving rocks can wreak.

Here, there is just a 4,000 foot wide hole.

Creative Commons picture by Marcin Wichary.

Creative Commons picture by Beige Alert.

You would never have guessed.

If you were some ancient explorer who happened across peppercorn, you would never guess that it could have such a profound impact on the world. Who would? Standing in the jungle next to your newly discovered plant it would be crazy to think that this small spice, with no noticeable pharmaceutical properties, could drive whole empires to war. But, it did.

Among the forces that have shaped the world, the desire for a certain type of pain is surely a strange one. Yet, the desire for the tang of peppercorn caused the Romans to send a fleet of 120 ships to the Malbar Coast of India…annually. Ramesses II was buried with some of it. Wars were fought, countries were conquered.

It was like the oil of ancient times. Something of such value that by producing it you ran the risk of having your country conquered to control it. the Indian town of Goa was once conquered by the Portuguese for the pepper trade. However, unlike many of the extreme sources of oil, Goa has palm trees, warm beaches, and magnificent ocean sunsets.

Today this has created one of the best vacation spots in the world. Not only is Goa a tropical paradise with sparkling beaches, it also has magnificent cuisine. Cuisine that combines Portuguese cooking, incredible access to a huge variety of spices, and a very long tradition of seafaring. Goa’s vindaloos, fish curries, and perfectly spiced potatoes alone are almost worth the trip.

Creative Commons picture by jmsuarez.

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.

The Temple of Heaven

Creative Commons picture by [Satbir].

Since the emperor, who was regarded as the son of heaven, gets such a cool palace it only makes sense that there should be an incredible building dedicated to heaven itself. This is that building.

As you climb the three levels of engraved marble that make up the alter of heaven you can reflect on the fact that you stand where emperors of imperial china once went to pray.

If you show up early enough, you will also be able to see locals doing their morning tai chi in the parks surrounding the temple.

Rent a Bike and Wander The More Traditional Areas

Creative Commons picture by j.fisher.

Aside from the grandeur of monuments like the temple of heaven and the forbidden city the homes of the grassroots citizens of Beijing are also worthy of a look. Built around central courtyards, many of these siheyuan houses are still in use today.

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.

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.

War

While Verona may have some really good stories about love they have a history full of war. Even in ancient roman times the city had an important strategic location (the junction of four major roman roads) that many generals were willing to have their soldiers die to control. Napoleon controlled it a few times. In world war two it was one of the most bombed cities in the region. [warning: cheesy sentence follows] Much like love itself, many have risked their lives to have Verona. [told you]

Creative Commons picture by luiginter.

The Modern City

Luckily many historic attractions have been able to weather the centuries of conflict. In ancient roman times the city had the third largest amphitheater in Italy. This amphitheater’s inner structure still stands and is quite an impressive site. It is said that much of the ancient roman city, with it’s roads paved in basalt, is quite well preserved about 6m underneath the present city.

Not to mention that the modern city hosts cool castles and excellent gelato. Even without stories of rival families and true love, this city would surely be a worthwhile place to visit.

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)

But, no matter how much the art of the pantheon may touch your soul, the Italians will try to prevent you from taking it home. To save you the trouble of having to pull a “National Treasure: Really Cool Roman Building” style heist, here is a list of four photographic archetypes that can help you easily bring the feeling of Rome with you.

1 – The Roman Colosseum

Creative Commons picture by Sebastian Bergmann.

This building is a monument to love. Not the normal “you should feel guilty for not building something this cool for your spouse” sort of thing. Instead this shows that around 70 AD people liked their sports THAT much. Instead of a giant temple or statue of a god or leader they built a humongous monument to their sports.

Just shy of 2000 years ago people loved getting together and watching various types of fights almost as much as people do today. Luckily some of our fights have become more ceremonial in nature. However, it does show that unfortunately, and luckily, humanity doesn’t change much.

The same forces that brought us from then to now still drive us. The many triumphs and noble decisions we have made may be repeated. Yet, all the mistakes that people have made since the time of Nero, we are also at risk of making again.

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)

Here are four fictional “stranded” stories and their analogous real events.

Wall-E & Charles Barnard

Fiction – Wall-E

Wall-E is a little robot who is marooned on earth by the humans he is cleaning up after.

Real – Charles Barnard

OK, so this one isn’t a perfect analog. Charles Barnard isn’t an adorable robot. Everyone didn’t leave the planet without him.

However, Charles Barnard was marooned by people he was in the process of helping.

What happened?

Charles Barnard was the captain of a ship sailing in the Falkland Islands. He came across some shipwrecked sailors with whom he was technically at war (they were British, he was American, it was 1812). However, ol’ Charlie thought it cruel to leave them behind so he offered to take them to safety. However, adding extra people to the crew meant his ship didn’t have enough supplies to make the voyage. To solve the problem, he set out on a nearby island with some of his crew members to find some more provisions. While he was out, the shipwrecked sailors overpowered his crew and left. Thus beginning Charles Barnard’s 18 month stay on the uninhabited eagle island.

Jack Sparrow & Edward England

Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

Fiction – Jack Sparrow

The pirate Captain Jack Sparrow is marooned on a deserted island when the crew of his ship (the Black Pearl) mutinies against him.

Real – Edward England

The pirate Captain Edward England is marooned on a deserted island after his crew mutinies against him. For a little while Eddie E even captained a ship called the “pearl” (but he changed it’s name to “The Royal James” shortly after taking command).

What happened?

The part that really makes this story for me is the reason they mutinied: England decided not to kill the crew of a captured ship.

Jack’s and Edward’s stories diverge after the abandonment bit. This is probably partially due to the very un-disney-like ending of Edward’s story. He and the few crew members that were marooned were able to make it the 500 some odd miles to Madagascar on a crude raft. However, once he got there England was destitute and only able to survive for a short time by begging for food. He died before the end of the year.

Lost & Amelia Earhart

Fiction – Lost

A plane en route to Los Angeles from Sydney crashes on some southern pacific island.

Real – Amelia Earhart

Most people-in-the-know believe that Earhart’s plane crashed in the south pacific while she was trying to circumnavigate the globe.

What happened?

No one really knows what happened to Amelia Earhart. However, one of the best supported theories for how she crashed argues that she made it to a nearby island.

According to the “she made it to an island” theory there was some trouble with finding their intended destination. The plane overshot it’s goal by quite a bit and eventually crashed near Gardner island. If this is the case, the search efforts sadly concentrated in the wrong place. Even though she may have been able to survive for a little while on the island, she was not found in time.

Robinson Crusoe & Alexander Selkirk

Fiction – Robinson Crusoe

The famous book Robinson Crusoe tells the story of an English castaway stuck on an island for 28 years. (I’ll give you two guesses what his name was….)

Real – Alexander Selkirk

Alexander was a Scottish castaway who was stuck on a deserted island for four years and four months.

What happened?

Alexander decided mid-voyage that the ship he was a crew member of was in such bad condition that it was bound to sink in the near future. After a few “we are going to sink” fights with the captain Alexander got off at the next island. He figured another ship would come by soon.

Turns out, ships didn’t come by that often. However, Alexander was right on his primary claim. While he was alone and forgotten on the island, the ship he left in protest sank and most of it’s crew died. Score one for the Alex-meister.

This castaway story ends rather touchingly. When he was finally rescued he was so happy that he was completely incoherent. Because, his rescuers were rather hungry when they came across him, Alexander caught 2-3 goats a day (a skill he acquired on the island) until they were all healthy.