I have now visited three of my iconic places on this planet: Everest Base Camp, Machu Picchu and Patagonia!! I have been to Iguazu Falls and China’s Great Wall as well and they are spectacular. Here is an up to date map of places I visited so far. lots of gaps remain in Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica so I will keep moving for the foreseeable future. Though Europe and the US show lots of pins, there are still many places I need to visit there as well. Canada remains wide open too....
A common observation to all the iconic places I visited is that they are under siege and rapidly deteriorating because of GREED! I was shocked by the number of tourists trekking to EBC, it was a constant stream of people from Lukla to EBC! The same is true for Machu Picchu and Patagonia... UNESCO has set 2500 as the number of visitors per day to the Machu Picchu site, however the actual number is far greater than that and for obvious reasons: MONEY! Governments around the world, especially third world, are using these man made and natural wonders as their cash cow! The large number of tourists is having negative effects on all the sites, some not built to withstand high foot traffic like Machu Picchu .. Patagonia and EBC are very fragile too! Trash collection is one big problem at all sites. I am in favor of tourists visiting these sites but in an orderly and controlled way! The current chaotic system allowing everyone who can pay to visit will lead to the destruction of these sites. Government organizations around the world need to protect these sites for future generations to enjoy and stop using them to fill their coffers! We should learn from the indigenous populations who lived around these sites in harmony and who handed them to us in an excellent shape.
Tourists need to be responsible for their actions as well. Collecting the trash we generate should be the duty of all of us. Accidental or careless fires have devastated thousands of national park acres in Patagonia in 2011. According to some estimates, it will take up to 200 years for the park to fully recover! Only responsible tourism can save these amazing sites from destruction!
As I move to the next natural wonder around the world, I will forever remember the beauty and majesty of the ones I visited and continue to speak out for their protection.
TRIP BY THE NUMBERS
————————————
FitBit Numbers:
Steps Made: 260,000
Miles Walked: 112
Floors Climbed: 540
————————————-
Airlines Used: United, Aerolineas, SKY
Number of flights: 6
Number of airports: 7
Number of tours: 7
Miles flown: 14,000
Furthest Distance from Huntsville: 6,300 miles
———————————————————
Here are some pictures from my Patagonia trip...
Japanese Gardens in Buenos Aires
My travel map showing all the places I visited so far
(The hearts are my favorite places)
A common observation to all the iconic places I visited is that they are under siege and rapidly deteriorating because of GREED! I was shocked by the number of tourists trekking to EBC, it was a constant stream of people from Lukla to EBC! The same is true for Machu Picchu and Patagonia... UNESCO has set 2500 as the number of visitors per day to the Machu Picchu site, however the actual number is far greater than that and for obvious reasons: MONEY! Governments around the world, especially third world, are using these man made and natural wonders as their cash cow! The large number of tourists is having negative effects on all the sites, some not built to withstand high foot traffic like Machu Picchu .. Patagonia and EBC are very fragile too! Trash collection is one big problem at all sites. I am in favor of tourists visiting these sites but in an orderly and controlled way! The current chaotic system allowing everyone who can pay to visit will lead to the destruction of these sites. Government organizations around the world need to protect these sites for future generations to enjoy and stop using them to fill their coffers! We should learn from the indigenous populations who lived around these sites in harmony and who handed them to us in an excellent shape.
Tourists need to be responsible for their actions as well. Collecting the trash we generate should be the duty of all of us. Accidental or careless fires have devastated thousands of national park acres in Patagonia in 2011. According to some estimates, it will take up to 200 years for the park to fully recover! Only responsible tourism can save these amazing sites from destruction!
As I move to the next natural wonder around the world, I will forever remember the beauty and majesty of the ones I visited and continue to speak out for their protection.
TRIP BY THE NUMBERS
————————————
FitBit Numbers:
Steps Made: 260,000
Miles Walked: 112
Floors Climbed: 540
————————————-
Airlines Used: United, Aerolineas, SKY
Number of flights: 6
Number of airports: 7
Number of tours: 7
Miles flown: 14,000
Furthest Distance from Huntsville: 6,300 miles
———————————————————
Here are some pictures from my Patagonia trip...
