64 FOCUS - OCTOBER 2018 HERE WE GO! Flights from Peterborough Airport for 2019 with Stewart Tours! s t e w a r t t o u r s • Deposit for all tours is cad $150 per person (non-refundable) • Peterborough schedules sell out quickly, call us today to reserve your trip. Travel brilliantly! Virginia, Colleen, Leanne and Jean Nashville, Tennessee: May 30 - June 2 Halifax Nova Scotia: June 20-23 New York City: September 12-15 MC TICO #4577532 158 Casimir St., Port Perry virginia.frew@marlintravel.ca 905-985-2268 The statues at Easter Island have strange origins. TRAVEL TIP: Visitors to Rome can now purchase a S.U.P.E.R. (Seven Unique Places to Experience in Rome) ticket that allows entry to seven sites around the Col- osseum. The ticket costs €18 ($27). (In comparison, booking a ticket only for the Colosseum costs €12.) For advance pur- chase, visit www.coopculture. it/en/events.cfm?id=854. 100 Countries (continued from page 63) I love to experience the vibrant life of cities, and Istanbul is one I would never tire of. Visiting the Blue Mosque is an ex- perience in culture as well as education, and the history of stepping into Hagia Sophia is breathtaking. The structure, now a museum, was built as a Greek Orthodox cathedral in 537 CE, but was converted to a mosque during the Otto- man times. Another memorable visit was the Chinese city of Xian and the Terra Cotta warriors. The historic significance of the more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses is amazing. The entire tomb, part of a massive underground city was built by Emperor Chin, the first person to unite the tribes of the area into one unified region. China gets its name from him. China as a whole is a fantastic coun- try to visit. The skyscrapers of Shanghai are a stark contrast to the rural villages, which have been overlooked by time. Very little however, competes with the thrill of walking on the Great Wall, about two hours north of Beijing. To think, the structure dates back 2,800 years, was 21,000 km. long, and is visible from space (not the moon, as many people think). The Ming section, the one we are more familiar with, is just less than 9,000 km., slightly longer than the trans- Canada highway. The last two places, which complete my top five list, are Easter Island and the Galapagos Islands. Both are in the Pacific Ocean, but that is the only simi- larity they share. Easter Island, with its mysterious statues, is a rugged island, settled by Polynesians and is situated exactly half way between South America and Tahiti. The story behind the statues is in- credible and is based on a simple tribute to the Chiefs of the island. The engineer- ing feats are astounding, and my Focus article: The Story Behind The Statues (Focus on Scugog, June 2012) explains in detail how this marvel was conceived and executed. The Galapagos Islands, directly north of Easter Island, are a six-hour flight from here. Discovered by Charles Darwin, these volcanic faults are a result of a shift in the earth’s tectonic plates. The wildlife was the basis for Darwin’s con- troversial study on the origin of species, which challenged prior beliefs. For tour- ists, the unbelievable tameness of birds, iguanas, sea lions and sea creatures is amazing. As I mentioned earlier, I do not have one particular favourite country, and have enjoyed every place I have visited. I have written over 120 articles for Focus magazine, many of which are available on their website (focusonscugog.com), as well as my own (photosNtravel.com). If ever you have questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me at jon@photosNtravel.com. The wildlife is very tame in the Galapagos Islands. Jonathan van Bilsen is a photographer, author, columnist, keynote speaker and can be followed at photosNtravel.com