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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Niah Caves by Solivagant

Niah Caves (Inscribed)

Niah Caves

With the possible upcoming nomination of Niah Caves by Malaysia in 2024 (having only been added to Malaysia’s T List in Jan 2021) it seems worthwhile posting its first review …

Moravian Church Settlements by Solivagant

Moravian Church Settlements (Inscribed)

Moravian Church Settlements

Well – what a strange site suddenly to appear on the UK T List in Jan 22, despite its decennial overall T List review process starting in Mar 22! WHS …

Neolithic Orkney by Solivagant

Neolithic Orkney (Inscribed)

Neolithic Orkney

N.b the excursion described in the following review did not run during 2024. The ferry business previously doing so was up for sale with no indication as to whether it …

Cold Desert Cultural Landscape of India by Solivagant

Cold Desert Cultural Landscap… (On tentative list)

Cold Desert Cultural Landscape of India

Whilst reviewing the Mughal Gardens in Kashmir I noted that the T List “Cold Desert Cultural Landscape of India” was also un-reviewed and, to date, has only 7 …

Ancient Kingdom of Saba by Solivagant

Ancient Kingdom of Saba (Inscribed)

Ancient Kingdom of Saba

Only time will tell whether Marib, as a recent report suggests, really is a serious contender for inscription in 2023 - or even relatively soon thereafter, in a country riven …

Nyungwe National Park by Solivagant

Nyungwe National Park (Inscribed)

Nyungwe National Park

Now that Rwanda appears to have confirmed that it intends to nominate Nyungwe Forest NP (possibly at the 2024 WHC? A decision is to be made by the Rwandan government …

Canal del Dique - Dike Canal by Solivagant

Canal del Dique - Dike Canal (On tentative list)

Canal del Dique - Dike Canal

If you travel by road between Cartagena and Mompox then, after around 40kms, you will cross the Canal del Dique on a modern bridge at Gambote. By all means stop …

Coffee Cultural Landscape by Solivagant

Coffee Cultural Landscape (Inscribed)

Coffee Cultural Landscape

My previous review for this WHS explained how, in Nov 2019, we determined that we had visited 4 towns in the core area (Zone D) of the “Coffee Cultural Landscape” …

Coffee Cultural Landscape by Solivagant

Coffee Cultural Landscape (Inscribed)

Coffee Cultural Landscape

As of May 2023 a number of the links referred to in my 2 reviews of CCL are broken. Many (but not all) are still available if you enter the …

Santa Cruz de Mompox by Solivagant

Santa Cruz de Mompox (Inscribed)

Santa Cruz de Mompox

A major element in the attraction of Mompox has been its relative remoteness and difficulty of access. It is situated on Colombia’s largest inland “island”, Isla Margerita, and any visit …

Cultural Landscape of Salt Towns by Solivagant

Cultural Landscape of Salt To… (Removed from tentat…)

Cultural Landscape of Salt Towns

Imprisoned in a Salt mine!! We only had 2 experiences in Colombia where we had to join a group tour – visits to Guatavita Lake and to Nemocon mine. BOTH …

San Agustín by Solivagant

San Agustín (Inscribed)

San Agustín

Some points which might be of use to someone planning a visit to San Agustin and deciding how to visit its 3 locations (Based on a visit in Nov 2019)a.

Tierradentro by Solivagant

Tierradentro (Inscribed)

Tierradentro

Some points which might be of use to anyone planning a visit to Tierradentro and deciding how (and whether) to visit its 5 locations (Based on a visit in Nov …

University City of Bogotá by Solivagant

University City of Bogotá (On tentative list)

University City of Bogotá

Ahora, Ciudad Universitaria” we told our taxi driver after a visit to the Virgilio Barco Library. “Cual Entrada?” came the reply. Hmm – I hadn’t planned …

United Fruit Company Infrastructure by Solivagant

United Fruit Company Infrastr… (On tentative list)

United Fruit Company Infrastructure

Now – why might one pass through Colombia’s “Zona Bananera”? It could be that one is

a. in the Banana businessb. simply en route between Mompox and Sta Martac. …

Catholic Doctrine Temples by Solivagant

Catholic Doctrine Temples (On tentative list)

Catholic Doctrine Temples

As we had private transport, we took the opportunity to make a short excursion along the road from San Andres de Pisimbala to nearby Sta Rosa to see its “Catholic …

Peruvian Central Railway by Solivagant

Peruvian Central Railway (On tentative list)

Peruvian Central Railway

The inclusion of the “Ferrocarril Central Andino” on Peru’s T List in Aug 19 has led me to revisit my trip on it from Lima to Huancayo made …

Jacagua, Villa of Santiago by Roman Bruehwiler

Jacagua, Villa of Santiago (On tentative list)

Jacagua, Villa of Santiago

PLEASE NOTE

Anyone planning a visit to this site should be aware that the coordinates given on the map above are known to be "inexact". 

They are based …

Ahmadabad by Solivagant

Ahmadabad (Inscribed)

Ahmadabad

A few points which arose from our visit in Mar 2019 in addition to those made by earlier reviewers

a. The “Heritage Walk”. Ahmadabad is rather proud of this …

Lothal by Solivagant

Lothal (On tentative list)

Lothal

After Partition at Independence in 1947, India found that both of the, then known, great sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC – I am using the phrase to cover …

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