*Chartes Cathedral

*Inca ruins

*Venice

*Egyptian pyramids

*The Great Wall of China

"Initially, prehistoric graves were simple burials covered with a mound of sand or stones and wind blew the sand away, creating a need for a more secure burials (CD-ROM Egyptian Pyramids)." Imagine the "what ifs?" What if there were no scavengers capable of digging through sand and stone? What if the people who buried their dead accepted the scavenging as a part of nature, a part of life? Would the great pyramids of Egypt be envisioned, much less built? The pyramids amaze me. I know this sounds like I'm sucking up to get a good grade, but just looking at the pyramids and spynhx, not to mention the fortresses and buildings gives me a funny feeling. I've only seen pictures, but the ones that really take my breath away are the ones that show by comparison just how massive these structures are. I have a hard enough time building a sandcastle, and that's with "modern technology." It is scary

Whether it's Indiana Jones hacking through dense jungle foliage, or Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner seeking the 'Jewel of the Nile,' movies have long romanticized treasure hunters. I'm not sure where the settings of these movies actually took place, but the premise is the same. Rumors of temples that had walls covered in sheets of gold, idols 100 ft. in the air adorned with precious jewels. That alone is worth trekking through the hazardous jungle, although those things are long gone, there's still much more to marvel at the Inca ruins.

Those things are gone, but the most amazing things are still there. I found the fact that the Inca's used not only one type of building material, but also three, interesting. Another thing that I marveled at was the way that they placed the stones so that mortar was not needed. Cutting a stone equally in half is almost impossible without breaking it on a fault, but how about cutting the stone with as many as 10 facets? Without mechanical saws and levelers, I cannot imagine cutting something as unpredictable as solid rock.

If my realtor told me that the house I was interested in was sinking at the rate of one inch every five years, the pilings holding up the hose were rotten and there was a dire threat of flooding due to the rising of the Adriatic sea, I'd say "no problem-o pal." We are after all talking about Venice! I can imagine my self sitting in my palazzo, waving at the passing gondolas while reflecting on the mirror image of my house on the water. No noisy cars with their horns blaring and brakes screeching. I can't see from movies, t.v and magazine layouts, how anybody could not love Venice? From the CD-ROM, I gathered that some people had been disappointed after touring there. I don't care about all the minor things; it's not the superficial things that I would fuss over.

I like the way the setting of Chartres Cathedral is described as "a small active place, which feels both industrious and yet serene. Modern life goes on in the shell of a much older past (CD-ROM Chartres Cathedral)."

Some common words found in the essay are:
Pyramids Imagine, Kathleen Turner, Wall China, Front Street, Genghis Khan, Chartres Cathedral, Wall Musubi, Venice Sistine, Venice CD-ROM, Pyramids Initially, chartres cathedral, wall china, it's self, cutting stone, front street, genghis khan, i'd love, pyramids i'd, egyptian pyramids, inca ruins,
Approximate Word count = 1971
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)