Solivagant

Member since December 2005

#None 0 0

I am now retired but have been "travelling" for a "hobby" since I was 15 (1957!) whilst pursuing otherwise normal mundane career and "home" things in UK - thus being limited by "annual leave" allowances. During that time I have visited 164 "independent countries" - defined by me as the 193 full UN members plus (somewhat illogically, but they are generally accepted as "sovereign") Taiwan and Holy See (but am not pursuing "193"!). Unfortunately quite a few relatively easily accessible current WHS got "missed" along the way. If only I had known they would get chosen - they are not all obvious choices! Despite the weaknesses in the list and the politics involved in the selection and voting mechanism they provide a quick means of grasping the highlights of many countries and sometimes lead down interesting knowledge and research "avenues" which would otherwise have remain unexplored. 
Proposal for a new WHS:- Roca Agostino Neto Cocoa Plantation Sao Tome.
There are just too many European WHS relative to the rest. Little Sao Tome became the world's greatest producer of cocoa under the Portuguese. So poor were the social conditions that Cadbury boycotted Cocoa from there in early 20C. At Roca Agostinho (and other crumbling colonial sites on Sao Tome) you might just get a feeling for the economic system which created it and "fed" Europe with a raw material so often taken for granted - a really atmospheric place. But it isn't even on the "Tentative list"!

My most impressive site: Machu Picchu. I would like to choose somewhere

My proposal for a new site: See under

Recent Visits
  • 11
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    July 28, 2024
    Beijing Central Axis, Funerary and memory sites of the First World War, Gedi , Hegmataneh, …
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    4
    Jan. 1, 2020
    City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Dunhuang Yardangs, The Lijiang River Scenic Zone …
  • 0
    5
    Jan. 1, 2020
    Ancient cities of Upper Myanmar, Bago, Inle Lake, Shwedagon Pagoda, Wooden Monasteries of Konbaung Period
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About Solivagant

First name
Solivagant
Member since
December 2005
Country of Origin
None
Visits
Rank
#None
WHS
0
Tentative Sites
0
Website Participation
Reviews
442
Ratings

Ratings

World Heritage Sites
855 0
Photos
N/A
Locations
N/A
Zones
N/A

Reviews by Solivagant

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Djenné by Solivagant

Djenné (Inscribed)

Djenné

The UNESCO web site is even less informative about the inscribed elements of Djenne than it usually is and I have not even managed to access the “Advisory Body Evaluation”. …

Megalithic Temples of Malta by Solivagant

Megalithic Temples of Malta (Inscribed)

Megalithic Temples of Malta

“Megaliths” are defined as “large mostly undressed stones arranged by man for a religious purpose …(during the period) from the 5th to the 2nd millennium BC (approx Neolithic to Early …

Valletta by Solivagant

Valletta (Inscribed)

Valletta

Like many tourists, we first reached Valetta at its bus terminus just outside the city gate. Maltese buses are (were?) wonderful decorated and lumbering creatures but the diesel fumes, noise …

Gebel Barkal by Solivagant

Gebel Barkal (Inscribed)

Gebel Barkal

For a range of historic and logistical reasons the “Egyptian” ruins of Sudan are considerably less known than those of Egypt proper. Books on Egyptian archaeology rarely give more than …

Ruins of León Viejo by Solivagant

Ruins of León Viejo (Inscribed)

Ruins of León Viejo

Leon Viejo consists of the remains of a colonial town founded in 1524 which had largely declined by 1580 before being finally abandoned in 1609. It then became covered by …

Peking Man Site by Solivagant

Peking Man Site (Inscribed)

Peking Man Site

We all grow up with a vague memory of a “Peking Man” entry in our home or school encyclopaedias. Despite that, in 4 previous visits to Beijing, we had not, …

Koguryo Tombs by Solivagant

Koguryo Tombs (Inscribed)

Koguryo Tombs

Before my agent would transport us to North Korea (DPRK) we had to sign that we would not publish any articles about the visit – I hope this review of …

Matobo Hills by Solivagant

Matobo Hills (Inscribed)

Matobo Hills

The Matabo Hills are inscribed as a “Cultural Landscape” - A somewhat opaque concept which can mean everything or nothing but often seems to mean that no single structure or …

Polonnaruva by Solivagant

Polonnaruva (Inscribed)

Polonnaruva

Polonnaruwa is a very extensive ruined city consisting mainly of palace structures and religious buildings and containing at least 2 “world class” architectural/artisitc sights together with plenty of other atmospheric/memorable …

Diamantina by Solivagant

Diamantina (Inscribed)

Diamantina

Diamantina is a pleasant enough colonial town, but is not in my opinion in the same class as Ouro Preto or even of a number of other non-inscribed colonial towns …

Bauhaus Sites by Solivagant

Bauhaus Sites (Inscribed)

Bauhaus Sites

When one thinks about it there are not too many cultural sites on the list about which one can say that “here emerged ideas which have impacted my daily life”. …

Great Wall by Solivagant

Great Wall (Inscribed)

Great Wall

WHS enthusiasts might be interested in details of the 2 “extremities” of the Great Wall at Shanhaiguan and Jiayagaun - called by the Chinese “First door under the heaven” and …

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras by Solivagant

Rice Terraces of the Philippi… (Inscribed)

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras

I agree with Ivan ManDy’s evaluation of the Philippine Cordilleras. As I write this review I am looking above my monitor at a wonderful piece of handwoven Ifugao cloth hanging …

Mostar by Solivagant

Mostar (Inscribed)

Mostar

The inscription in 2005 of the old city of Mostar and its bridge brought back memories of our trip there in June 1988. We had a pleasant visit and had …

Kunya-Urgench by Solivagant

Kunya-Urgench (Inscribed)

Kunya-Urgench

It is perhaps a bit surprising that Kunya-Urgenche, the ancient capital of the Khorezm state (see my review of the Itchan Kala), has been inscribed when there are several other …

Qal'at al-Bahrain by Solivagant

Qal'at al-Bahrain (Inscribed)

Qal'at al-Bahrain

When we were visiting Bahrain in early 2005 the fort was undergoing the final touches to a refurbishment so it was not totally surprising to see it receiving inscription in …

West Norwegian Fjords by Solivagant

West Norwegian Fjords (Inscribed)

West Norwegian Fjords

In my opinion, of all the new sites inscribed in 2005, possibly only the West Norwegian Fjords are in the “Worth a Journey” category. The 2 fjords chosen – Geiranger …

Osun-Osogbo by Solivagant

Osun-Osogbo (Inscribed)

Osun-Osogbo

The addition of the Osun Shrine to the WHS list in 2005 brought back memories of my visit to it during travels around Nigeria in 1975. Nigeria wasn’t and, from …

Sabratha by Solivagant

Sabratha (Inscribed)

Sabratha

The main glory of Sabratha lies in its well preserved Roman theatre (photo). The site as a whole is not as extensive or fine as that of Leptis Magna and …

Congonhas by Solivagant

Congonhas (Inscribed)

Congonhas

Conghonas is a rather unusual WHS. I think it is true to say that there are no other (?) cultural WHS whose design and “manufacture” can be identified as the …

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