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This is a wonderful trip from anywhere on the island of Sicilia. In the summer it is usually very hot, especially with the sun beating down on the protective roofs that cover the mosaic floors. The entire site is worth a half-day visit, especially the room of the dodieci fatiche d'Ercole (the 12 labors of Hercules) and the long main corridor that shows the many daily chores (hunting, fishing, etc) that were performed daily. Excavations continue through today, with only 1/3 of the site being excavated thusfar. The craftsmanship of the slaves (presumably from nearby Africa) in this Villa is not to be missed.

medina of marrakesh is for me one the most peaceful on in all morocco. full of berber people imigrated from the after atlas villages south morocco. main square j'ma el fna sure is the staring point of the imense labirinth of the huge medina of marrakesh. from tapestry, food, local clothes and shoes, islamic items,books (theres even a astore called "FNAC BERBER" funny!!) jewely, handicraft of all sorts. everything can actually be found over there. the old medina helds the museum of marrakesh. be careful during sunset time. take enough time to see some stores, get lost, talk to people and get out of medina before full dark night comes. may be hard, maybe not...never been there to check, but somefriends born in marrakesh told me they don't go there.

near the old medina and the market square: cutubia mosque. huge mesquita with astonishing calling tower. in the square restaurantes may have dangerous food. it's normal to et some stomach sixkness after some dinner in j'ma el fna. personally i never was sick. i always go to restaurant number one called aicha, named after the cooks name, fat lady, bossy and very very nice always smiling. in the morning instead of drinking orange juice in the hotel, try to go to the ones on the main sqaure also.number 6 is my favorite.

hope you have great time in marakesh.

I tried to visit the Flint Mines at Spiennes this 6th October 2002, but there was no possibility to visit, nor any indication whatsoever of Time when this was possible etc.

Needless to say I was very disappointed.....

The mines are probably very interesting but the visiting organisation is a disaster.....

Paramaribo is one of the most beautiful and excited cities in south america. It has a great history. Which can be seen by the streets and houses. Its a small city, but with great people from different origines (hindi, creool, javaans, chinees, indiaan, bosneger, europeanen). Further more it has wonderfull jungle areas and sightseeing places, like new nickerie. The food/drinks are great.

I think everybody should have visit Suriname for one time it his/hers life. The climate is warm with a cool breeze. The people are great and welcomes everybody who visits the country. The history of Suriname and Paramaribo is nice and colorfull. It tells about the dutch, britisch, spanisch and portugeese influens during the past centuries. Wonderfull and nice houses, churches, buildings, etc. Go and see for your self. Greetings,

Travelled to Shark Bay on a 4WD backpackers tour up the west coast of Western Australia from Perth to Coral Bay in April 2002.

The most publicised aspect of Shark Bay is the Dolphin feeding at Monkey Mia however I found it personally dissapointing. The half hour "show" involves three rather domesticated dolphins. Much rather see dolphins in the wild.

Some of the coastline contrasts dry red and ochre cliffs with turquoise blue waters.

A good place to stay is at the camping ground at Nanga on the freycinet Peninsula.

I spent 2 weeks in Rapa Nui last year. the plan was to bring a tent and sleepingbag, to keep the costs down on accommodation, but amazingly it turned out cheeper to rent a room in a lady's house than to pitch my tent up on one of the camingsites.

The island is truly beautiful. The atmosphere and the hospitality amazing. The family I stayed with did their very best to look after me, show me their island and include me in their everyday activities. I couldn't have wished for anything better.

Now, the only thing that spoiled this little paradise, was the way it has been exploited to the American tourists. There is this massive hotel which has been built, where the prices are sky-high of course, and designed to cater for the "rich and comfortable". It is such a shame. Thelocals, of course, are happy for the money they can make, but it makes you wonder what the travelagents who exploit places like this think of?! The whole charm, the exotic feeling this island gives you will disappear if they try and change Rapa Nui to yet another tourist-trap.

None the less, I will definetely return to this little paradise. Just as much for the amazing scenery and magic nature as for the kind people and their culture.

i am a 54 year old man i was born in choirokoitia i left to go to england i was a 16 year old boy.

choirokoitia is a beautiful place i know the archeialogical side very well as a small boy and no money i used to go up the very steep hill where the side is and pick the wild daffodills and go down to the main road to sell the daffodills to the tourist for few pennis. i urge anyone who goes to cyprus to pay a visit to this historic and beautifl place.

i

Monastery of Rila it's the first reason why i gone in Bulgaria the first time. i really love it and be happy to see it eache time i can. it's a beautiful monastery "lost" in the Mount Rila, in the south west of Bulgaria. It was founded in the X century by the monk-hermit St John of Rila and it played an important role in the intellectual and political life of Bulgaria during the Middle Ages After the etablishment of the ottoman rule the cloister quickly falls into decay, but in the XV century it is again restored and inhabited and becomes a stronghold of the Bulgarian national spirit and culture. In the epoch of the Bulgarian national revival the Rila cloister is enlarged an renovated withe the help of the whle nation and participation of the most priminent Bulgarian craftsmen -builders and painters. In its present appearance it is the most impresive monument of the Bulgarian revival- a unique architectural ensemble, in wich are preseved artistic welths an rich museum collections.

Cahokia Mounds is located just east of St. Louis, MO. This was the last of the USA world heritage sites that I visited. The natural site was very interesting. Some of the mounds are more than 100 ft. tall. The site contains at least 70 mounds that are between 800 and 1000 years old. The entire site (a large residential city of the Mississippean Native Americans) was almost completely surrounded by a very impressive fortress.

The museum at the mound site is quite good. It has actual artifacts unearthed at the site as well as representations of the city. Several grave sites have been excavated here. One, a high ranking man, was wrapped in a cloak covered with more than 10,000 round shells sewn into the shape of an eagle.

The site is all the more interesting since it presents a fascinating contrast between present day Mississippi river life and that of a millenium ago. (You can see downtown St. Louis and the Gateway Arch from the top of the Monk's Arch)

I am originally from Spisska Nova Ves. Its a city very close to Spissky Hrad.

We used to go there almost every months just to walk around this beautiful castle and pretend we were princesses and kings...

The view from Spissky Hrad is amazing and unforgotabe.

If you ever get to visit Slovakia dont miss this magnificent part of it.

Its worth it.

I visited Carcassonne during the summer of 2000 when I was on tour with a youth international

jazz band from the USA. We were only in the city for a few short hours, but I was enchanted. I

I recommend wandering the city yourself; I think that a tour would destroy the magic of the

city. The shops in the city do not at all take away from the historical aspect of the city.

The walls made me feel very small and insignificant. Carcassonne is truly a beautiful place; any

person visiting France should truly make an effort to visit!

Some time ago I visisted the more than 80 years old pumping station in mid-winter.

The machines looked magnificent, eager to be started up again. My companions also

enjoyed the trip very much.

Since then there have been significant changes:

- the site was added to the World Heritage List in 1998

- since July 2001 there is an enthousiastic group of volunteers giving a guided tour

- in the tour included is a 11 minutes video

- when in autumn or winter the pumps are needed, there is daily service of guided tours

from 10 am - 18 pm

- since Feb 2002 there is a website operational: www.woudagemaal.nl

I visited Spissky Hrad on a grey drisly day at the end of April of 1999. The museum wasn't open yet for the season, but they allowed us to walk around the castle. It was amazing to see. I have never been more excited to tour a building in my life. Just walking up to this huge ruin was impressive. My mother and I walked up a long muddy trail through a farmer's field, almost straight uphill through the mud to get from the town to the castle. It really made it feel like you were back in time. Not to mention you got a really great workout :) Once in the castle, you were able to wander through the various rooms and courtyards and imagine what they were like before the fire. This was my favorite part of the two months I spent in Slovakia.

The winding cobblestoned streets in the old town are just waiting to be explored. you truly experience the magic at dusk, when the busloads of daytrippers with flag-bearing guides who clog up the narrow pathways during the day depart for their comfortable hotels in the new town. then, it is truly a pleasure to sit and watch the world passing by, next to the gurgling streams and shady walkways. i went there during summer, at the height of tourist season and could not get a single hotel accommodation. then a family asked me if i wanted to stay in their home for the night. it was very spartan, just a room in a noisy household, with the entire family sharing a squat toilet, but that was the place i really remembered from all the places i stayed in yunnan.

My three favorite European cities are Tallinn, Krakow, and Vilnius. Like the other two, Vilnius has a picturesque old town that's not too commercial and touristy like Prague, yet isn't sleepy like Toledo. These three are just right--bustling little city-towns that haven't sold out their cultural identities. All three beg you to simply wander the cobblestone streets in an attempt to get lost. Though choosing one is a toss-up in terms of UNESCO criteria and prices, I give a slight edge to Vilnius for its nightlife and its location. In one direction, the insular castle of Trakai is 20 km away, as is the geographic center of Europe in another. Within an overnight train-trip or less, you can reach numerous World Heritage Sites in Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Latvia, and Estonia. Another advantage Vilnius holds: it has a strong sense of its various historical periods. The hilltop castle has watched over the city for centuries; the genocide museum remembers the decades watched over by the KGB. Visit the church Napolean wanted to take home with him, or touch the cement blocks that protected democracy-minded Parliamentarians from Soviet tanks on the night thirteen citizens were massacred in 1991. The longer you stay, the more you'll discover.

I have visited the site on many occassions and each time the experience has been very moving for me.

Some forty years ago, as a young child, I visited the site with my school from the modern village above the settlement. We were allowed to walk around the site, touch and imagine life there. The wild flowers growing only served to make the hill a part of our heritage. Many years later, I spoke to elderly residents of the present-day village who told of the digging and interest in the site. They state that a number of uttensils had been found by the locals, who finding them in their fields, used them in their evryday life. When the French archaelogists turned up at the village in the 1930's these items were identified and taken away. Most of the villagers were employed in the dig and the old men told of the fun and excitement they had as youngsters, when new pieces of broken utensils were found. Sadly today, the site has been barrakaded and a fee is needed to enter it. It was part of our life, growing up in the village, but now it is another monument for the tourists. What has this taught us? The villagers always knew that people, possibly their ancesters had lived there. The river running next to the hill obviously gives the clue to the settlement. This 'modernisation' of the site has actually taken it away from the local community and basically, has allowed …

Fantastisch mooi Nederland. Een plek waar oud en nieuw elkaar ontmoeten, desolaat leven moet het hier geweest zijn. Je merkt bij een wandeling van noord naar zuid goed hoe het moet zijn geweest, hoe hopeloos het vechten voor het bestaan was op dit kleine eiland. Een eiland dat nu omringd is door de NO-polder, drooggelegd met tecnieken die alleen op grote schaal , en niet voor iets nietigs als Schokland, toegepast kunnen worden. Industriele revolutie pur sang

I was born on Schokland and lived there for many years.It is a beautiful and still quiet part of the Netherlands.You can still good see how the former island has formed. You can make nice walkings and bicycle tour round the former island.In the museum the history is exposed.Have a look !!

I really enjoyed my visit to Durham Castle and Cathedral. I took a tour of the Castle and i found the history fascinating. The Cathedral was really impressive and i climbed to the top of the tower to get a good view of Durham city. Everywhere I went in Durham, i never lost sight of the castle and cathedral. they dominate the city and are a really historical background.

I visited Yellowstone National Park in Summer 2001, It is one of the most remarkable natural wonders I have ever seen. The surraounding cliffs of upper Yellowstone Water Fall is actually

Yellow, and emerald color bubbling hot water pools were scary but gushing Old Faithfull is really astonishing.The freely wondering Buffalo and other park animals and evergreen trees brings the nature so close to our hearts. Yellowstone is simply great. Glad I went there.