The Pantheon
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No way is one of the world’s great buildings right across from some other sacred arches: McDonalds! This is insane. While i have never made it to the fine country where the Pantheon is located, I can say I’ve been to a few burger joints and this one just may have the best view of any of them. I wonder if Zeus and all the gods have tried a Big Mac yet?
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The White House
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The White House is the official residence of the P.O.T.U.S. or President of the United States as he’s more widely known. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, this mansion of power has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. In our minds it seems like a regal property surrounded by open land and security. In reality it’s four square blocks right in the middle of miles of buildings.
The Great Wall of China
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The Great Wall of China was built by the first Emperor of China from 220–206 BC. Not much of that wall remains today. SInce that time The Ming Dynasty(1368–1644) rebuilt, maintained, and enhanced; the majority of the existing wall. What many do not know is that the wall ends in the East and leads into the Bohai Sea.
The Pyramids in Egypt
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What was the worlds tallest man made structure for 3800 years? Yup, the Pyramid of Giza. The pyramid was built as a tomb over a 10 to 20-year period concluding around 2560 BC. While you may want to travel by camel to see these wonders of the world, maybe you should take a look to see how the population has grown since they were built. Today the area is covered with people and buildings all surrounding the tourist destination. Why yes, that is a golf course in the shadows of the pyramids.
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The Hollywood Sign
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Maybe you think you want to move to Hollywood to be famous or maybe you think Hollywood is all tinsel and gold? Guess again. This town is one of the biggest letdowns on earth. The streets are covered in gum, hobos and broken dreams as you gaze towards the Hollywood hills hoping to see that iconic sign through the ever present smog.
The Mona Lisa
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What is the mona Lisa smiling about? I saw that film where Tom Hanks breaks the code but it still never made much sense to me. The next time you think you book that trip to Italy to see the famous painting, maybe think twice. Lines are hours long to get into the Louvre and many times the bottom shot is as close as you will get. Fun Fact: The Mona Lisa was painted in 1503 and has been at the world famous museum since 1797.
Sagrada Familia
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When construction on the beautiful basilica started on March 19, 1882 by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí, there already was a large population in the town of Barcelona. But you would be hard pressed to tell that from the photo above. At the time of his death at age 73 in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete, the basilica is finally scheduled to be done in 2026.
Central Park
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While this park is beautiful and a treasure to the residents of Manhattan, the photos you have seen of this wondrous park might be a little misleading. Imagine how the whole island used to look before the concrete and people chopped everything down except this last bastion of peace in the city that never sleeps.
Stonehenge
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I love the idea of Stonehenge. I always think of the rock n roll movie Spinal Tap when the little Stone Henge is on stage. Seriously, it’s the best scene ever. On the other hand, the real Stonehenge sits far away from everything in farm country. It’s believed that construction started in 3100 BC and only recently have scientists performed studies that reveal the majority of the monument to the sun lays beneath the ground and as of yet unseen.
The Rock of Gibraltar
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Yes it’s a big rock. The Rock is Crown property of the United Kingdom, and borders Spain. Most of the Rock’s upper area is covered by a nature reserve, which is home to around 300 Barbary macaques. These macaques, as well as a labyrinthine network of tunnels, attract a large number of tourists each year. The Rock of Gibraltar was one of the Pillars of Hercules and in ancient times, the point marked the limit to the known world.
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The Acropolis
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The Acropolis is located on a flat-topped rock in the city of Athens. There is evidence that the location has been inhabited since the fourth millennium BC. In fifth century BC, Pericles coordinated the construction of the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike. Today it is surrounded on all sides by residents, hotels and food chains, something the ancients would have never believed.
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Arc De Triomphe
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The Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile was built in 1806 and is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle, at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. This gorgeous monument has seen much in modern history but today it mostly sees massive amounts of traffic as it sits dead center in Paris.
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Taj Mahal
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While this gorgeous building has had many famous photos taken, many do not show the absolute disgusting filth that surrounds the iconic structure. Construction on the Taj Mahal was essentially completed in 1643 and in todays dollar would have cost $850 million to complete.Fun Fact: The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
Santorini
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Have you ever wanted to swim in the clear, warm waters of Greece and dreamed of staying in one of the hillside homes that are so colorful and vibrant? Me too! Then I saw this photo below and had to rethink my desire to travel to an unstable country who is falling apart in a financial crisis. I could get past that but look at that little town and how far up it is above the sea! What?! That doesn’t look that fun after all.
Mont Saint Michel
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This castle looks amazing right? Well don’t be fooled. Its built in the middle of an estuary that smells like low-tide and gets inundated with bugs of all sorts! Located in France, Mont Saint Michel this fortress has seen it all and has been one of France’s finest tourist attractions. The tides can fluctuate up to 46 feet, so at high tide invades must fight current and being exposed. Low tides turn the silt into a near quicksand making it impossible for enemies to attack.
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The Little Mermaid
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The beautiful mermaid statue in Copenhagen Denmark has been a tourist favorite since it was built in 1913. Artist Edvard Eriksen created the masterpiece on a rock by the waterside at the Langelinie promenade, much to the enjoyment of visitors and residents alike. But have you ever seen a photo of it from a different perspective? I will say that Copenhagen is one of my favorite cities. Go check it out.
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The Alamo
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The Alamo is something else. This American icon was built in 1836 and The Battle of the Alamo was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Today this important monument is easy to miss in the hustle and bustle of San Antonio Texas.
The Kaaba
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The Kaaba is Islam’s most sacred mosque in fact, it is the most sacred Muslim site in the world. This is ground zero for the Muslim faith and has been since Muhammad hung out there around 570–632. today it’s surrounded by urban sprawl and would be hardly recognizable if you didn’t know what you were looking for.
Mt Rushmore
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Faces on a rock. That’s what you were looking for and that’s what you’ll find, except it looks different than you may think. Without a telephoto lens you may have a hard time picturing it as you have seen it for so many years on TV and in books. Why did people choose to put the faces of white men on a mountain that is sacred to Native Americans? There’s no accounting for poor taste.
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Niagara Falls
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This giant waterfall has been seen by everyone at one time or another but have you ever see it from the sky? From the perspective below it doesn’t look all that great now does it? I think the canadian side got the better part of that deal.
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The Forbidden City
One of the wonders of the world is the Forbidden City but from the view below it doesn’t look all that forbidden any more. One thing all these images remind me of is our world’s great crisis: Overpopulation. What will the world look like in just 100 years from now? Pollution, urban sprawl and declining food sources should have us all taking action.
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