South Asia

Today we are started off in Ayutthaya Kingdom, Thailand

Site one: The Kingdom of Ayutthaya was once the ancient capital of Thailand and was previously considered one of the most powerful cities in all of Southeast Asia. The ruins of the ancient city are a series of Buddhist and Hindu inspired temples as well as various other religious shrines. The kingdom of Ayutthaya existed between 1350 and 1767 A.D. and was founded by its first ruler King Ramathibodi I. The prior and short-lasting kingdom of Sukhothai to the North was absorbed into Ayutthaya. Theravada Buddhism became the official religion early on and King Ramathibodi I also compiled a legal code.
When we got here there were, what looked like thousands of people. When we walked up we walked past a huge sculpture that was made all by hand. It was very ancient looking, but it was still very interesting to see. Then we walked up some steps and into the actual building. It was kind of falling apart, but it was fun to explore and see how people lived and did things back in the day. This was a good experience.

Site two: Next we are off to visit Wat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang, Laos. The glittering Xieng Thong, built in 1560, sits grandly on a peninsula jutting into the Mekong River. The facades of two of its buildings are covered by glittering glass mosaics; another building contains an ornate chariot with the heads of seven dragons and the remains of a king. About a dozen English-speaking monks roam the premises.
We first got there we could not believe our eyes. The outside of the building had so many little details and add ons that it was just amazing. When we finally got inside, after looking around at the outside for awhile, we were almost as amazed as we were with the outside. The inside was filled with many carvings, paintings, and a variety of different art styles. We took many hours at this place and enjoyed every minute of our experience.

East Asia

Today we are off to East Asia. Our first stop will be in China, China.

Site one: The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China to protect the Chinese states and empires against the raids and invasions of the various nomadic groups of the Eurasian Steppe. Though the beginning of the Great Wall of China can be traced to the third century B.C., many of the fortifications included in the wall date from hundreds of years earlier, when China was divided into a number of individual kingdoms during the so-called Warring States Period. Around 220 B.C., Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China, ordered that earlier fortifications between states be removed and a number of existing walls along the northern border be joined into a single system that would extend for more than 10,000 li (a li is about one-third of a mile) and protect China against attacks from the north.
When we go there we were amazed at how big this actually was. We started to walk through it and it was very quiet in there. The carvings and architecture was a site to see. It was so detailed and so little that you can't believe that someone carved that by hand. We had a great time and it was a great to see and walk through.

Site Two: The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb is the center piece of a 17-hectare complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall. One of the Taj Mahal’s most recognizable features is a large white dome that is often called an ‘onion dome’ due to its shape. It has a height of around 35 meters (115 feet) and is surrounded by 4 smaller domes.
We were speechless when we first got there because it was so beautiful and huge! We were amazed by the globes on the top. When we got inside we were amazed at the artifacts and the art in the inside. We were in there for at least four hours because everything was so interesting. It was a great experience and I work highly suggest to go there to others.

Central Asia

Today we are off to Central Asia. Our first stop will be at the Ayni Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Site one: The Ayni Opera and Ballet Theatre is the center of cultural life of the capital and the country`s leading musical theater. It was founded in 1940, when a dance group mainly performing folk dances in operas and drama plays was formed in Dushanbe. In 1941, at the theater was staged the first Tajik ballet, entitled "Du gul". Since 1954, a new generation of Tajik artists who received vocal and choreographic education in the best Moscow and Leningrad schools bought to the theatre the best ballet and vocal traditions, high culture of classical dance. Ballet troupe put on Soviet and world classics, and opera troupe performs works of Russian and Western classic operas, which are performed in Russian. Since that time, began an intensive work on the creation of new plays of various genres.
When we first got there we found out the time of a show we thought we would  enjoy. The architecture of the outside and inside of the building was amazing. When we got into the performance that we had gotten tickets for, it was packed in there. We were toward the back, but still had a great time. The show was great and we enjoyed it a lot.

Site Two: Next up, we headed to Gissar Fort in Hisor, Tajikistan. Hissar fortress is the ex residence of Bek, a deputy of Bukhara emir. The fortress walls were 1 meter thick and had gun slots for rifles and cannons. Inside of the fort was garden and water pool. Stairs and brick terraces were lead to the main entrance but unfortunately they were lost with time as well as the palace building. The only part that remains till our days is monumental gates built of burnt bricks with two cylinder towers and lancet arch between them.
When we got there we thought it kind of just looked like a rock with a tunnel through it, but we were absolutely wrong. We walked through and saw many wall carving and amazing sculptors. We found it very amazing. This was an awesome experience and I would go there again some day.

Russia

Today we are off to Russia! Our first stop in going to be in St. Petersburg.

Site one: Today we are in St. Petersburg, Russia and we are going to the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood. The Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood is one of St Petersburg’s most impressive churches.Whilst this church is also known as the Church on Spilled Blood, its official name is the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In fact the construction of the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood originally began in 1883 by Emperor Alexander III to commemorate his father, Alexander II. Alexander II was actually assassinated on the site where the church was built in 1881, thus lending the Russian Orthodox cathedral its alternative name referring to spilled blood.
When we first got to the Church of the Saviour we saw beautiful multicolored domes on the top and it was breath taking. We also saw walls that were beautifully decorated all by the hands of people.  We waited in line to get inside and when we did get in it was not what we were expecting. We were expecting all very old things and not expecting it to be very interesting, but we were taken by surprise and way wrong. We were very interested in all the artwork and the architecture that was in there. It was an amazing experience and we enjoyed every minute of it. 

Site two: Our next stop was in Volgograd, Russia. We are off to Mamayev Hill. Mamayev Hill or “Mamayev Kurgan” in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) in Russia is a memorial complex dedicated to the Battle of Stalingrad. This battle was considered to be a defining moment in World War II in which the Russians defeated German forces, turning the tide of the war and starting a chain of events which would lead to the downfall of the Axis powers.It was a vital stronghold during the battle. Today, Mamayev Hill is dominated by a dramatic 300-foot statue entitled “The Motherland Calls”. At the time of its creation, this dramatic depiction of a woman wielding a sword was the tallest statue in the world. Some news reports have now said that this statue is in danger of collapsing.
We got there and from our research that we did, we thought there would only be one really big sculpture, but when we got there we say many sculptures around the big one. We also saw a military cemetery housing the graves of over six-hundred soldiers. This was heartbreaking to see so many graves of men and women who fought for the freedom we have today. The Motherland Calls sculpture  was very cool to see. You cannot imagine how tall it is until you are actually standing up next to it. It was a great time.

Europe Sites

Site one: The next couple of days we spent in Europe. We went to many different places, but the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France really stuck out to us. This is perhaps the most famous structure in the world. This iron tower in located on the Champ de Mars in Paris and is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel who designed it in 1889. It has a height of 324 meters and is the tallest structure in Paris. It was the tallest tower in the world from 1889-1930. It is the most visited paid monument in the world with over 7 million people visiting in 2012.
       When we got here there were tons of people and a couple hour wait to get up on the lift to go up the Eiffel Tower. Another group and us decided that we would take the stairs and walk all the way up. This way we could see everything from every angle. It was a good workout with walking up hundreds of steps. We got to the top and explored up there for awhile and then we would take the lift down because we did not want to go against traffic coming up the stairs. We got back down in about an hour. We were discussing everything with the other group and we all decided that taking the steps was a great idea because we got to see a lot more than we would have gotten to on the lift.

Site two: On our fourth day in Europe we made our way to Pisa, Italy. We went to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. It is known worldwide for its unintended tilt. The Tower is the third oldest building on Pisa's cathedral square, it is in line after the Cathedral and Baptistery. The construction of the Tower of Pisa began on August 9,1173. The tower actually stood upright for a little over five years, but after the completion of the third floor in 1178 it began to lean.
      We drove here and headed straight to the tower. When we got there we were amazed at how much the tower was actually leaning. It was very crowded and touristy, but it was really cool. The leaning of the tower made us all elusive. It looks like it could fall over at any moment. We climbed to the top and it was a very unique and fun experience. You could see the whole town from the top. It was a beautiful view. We then got back down and took a look at the visitor center. We bought a train ticket to get back to our hotel.

SW Asia & North Africa

Today we are off to Southwest Asia. We will be going to the city of Jerusalem.

Site one: The first historical site we went to was the Dome of the Rock. The Dome of the rock is a shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. The building process was from 688-692 CE. The original dome collapsed in 1016 and was then rebuilt in 1021. The Dome of the Rock was built over a sacred stone. This stone is believed to be the place from which Prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven during his Night Journey to Heaven. This building is in its core one of the oldest extant works of Islamic architecture.  This is the most famous Islamic site in Jerusalem.
      When we first got here they had the Dome closed because it was under inspection. The security told us it would be an hour or two, so we just walked around and looked at the wildlife and nature for awhile. We go in line a little while later because the line started to get very long. We stood in line for about forty-five minutes and then we got in. It was very old in there, but very interesting to look at. They were many old artifacts and wall carving that were pretty amazing to look at. You could not talk in there, so it was silent. We only got about an hour in there then we had to leave because of how big the line was outside.

Site Two: The next couple of days we spent in Northern Africa. We went to many different historical sites, but the Great Pyramid of Giza was very interesting to us. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza complex bordering, what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. This pyramid has three chambers. The first is underground carved in the bedrock. The second, above ground chamber was called the queen's chamber by early explorers. The third chamber is the king's chamber, which held red a red granite sarcophagus placed almost in the center of the pyramid. The width of the pyramid is about 755 feet and the height is about 452 feet. It is wider than it is tall.
      We got here and were amazed at the sized of the pyramid. We walked around and looked at all the stuff around the pyramid and looked at all the surroundings. We were amazed that it was kind of out in the middle of nowhere. We spent a few hours here and looked around. We walked through the inside and looked at all the carvings in the walls. We were very interested about all the writings in the dirt and walls. It was a great experience.

Caribbean

Today we will be visiting the Caribbean. Our first place we are going is in Jayuya, Puerto Rico.

Site one: Today we are off to Puerto Rico. We will be going to Cemi Museum. This building was once the site of the short lived Puerto Rican Nationalist movement who claimed independence from the United States on October 30, 1950. The revolutionaries were arrested, but this museum stands in honor of the brief stage in Puerto Rican history. The building that houses the museum is itself in the shape of a cemi. The museum is small, but it is nice. A cemi is a god, spirit or ancestor. It is also the name given to the religious symbol that is the physical representation of a god. This museum has pieces of pottery, some tools and other artifacts from daily Taino life.
          When we first saw the outside we thought it was to small to be anything good, but when we got inside we changed our minds. They recommended we watch their twenty minute video they had which showed us everything they had to offer. Then we started walking around and we saw lots of old documents and lots of pottery. Every pottery sculpture had a learning description by it. We learned a lot of new things about Taino history and how they built things and did daily tasks. It was interesting to learn about these things that we had never known about before.

Site two: We are off to Antigua. We are going to Shirley Heights. Shirley Heights was created as a military post by the British, but today it's known as the best view in Antigua. The military complex is perched high up on the hill overlooking Nelson’s Dockyard.  The overlook is part of the English Harbor historic district, a collection of buildings and historical sites dating back to when the British were supreme. The name Shirley Heights honors the British governor of the Leeward Islands at the same time as the American colonists were breaking ties with the motherland. On the weekends it is one of the most popular visited places.
          We got there and had to wait in a huge line to get up onto the Shirley Heights. There was a fee to go up because you had to have a tour guide to go up. So we paid our fee to the guide and he then took us up there. When we got up there we were amazed at how far you could see. The view was absolutely amazing. We could see all the wildlife, bodies of water, and nature that was around it. The guide explained some of the things we could see and told us what everything was. Our hour was up so we had to go back down. This was an amazing experience and we would definitely do it again. You can't imagine the view until you are actually up there.