Livio's Bucket Lists

Bucket Lists

A bucket list is simply a list of things a person wishes to do or see before they 'kick the bucket,' so to speak (meaning, before they die). What we each put into a bucket list is as diverse as the leaves in a forest. I used to call a thing of this nature a 'wish list' until I watched the film Bucket List, staring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. In the film two old guys create a bucket list when they are each diagnosed with terminal cancer. The film got me thinking about my ever changing, expanding, and elusive wish list and ultimately led to this page containing some formal lists and the culmination of lists provided by fellow travelers. It isn't meant to be complete or absolutely for each and everyone of us. It is however a fluid target that can provide rungs as we each climb slowly towards the pearly gates.

Wonders of the World

The Wonders of the World usually refers to the Ancient Wonders, not the UN World Heritage sites (730 in 125 countries in 2003) or the many other modern wonders listed in each countries' tourist brochures. The original list was first mentioned in the History of Herodotus in the 5th century BC and then again by chief librarian Callimacus of Cyrene (305 BC - 240 BC). What should or shouldn't be on that original list is a matter of debate since the ancient Greeks had no idea that the Chinese were busy building the Great Wall or that Angkor Wat was a thriving metropolis at the time. Be that as it may, the list is the list, so let me start by presenting the Ancient list and then a few other standard lists (1), and then finally mine and those derived from fellow travelers.

Been there, done that!

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

Pyramids of Giza
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
Colossus of Rhodes
Lighthouse of Alexandria

Natural Wonders

Angel Falls in Venezuela
Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, Canada
Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Iguacu/Iguazu Falls in Brazil/Argentina
Krakatoa Island in Indonesia
Mount Everest in Nepal/Tibet
Mount Fuji in Japan
Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
Niagara Falls in Ont, Canada or NY, USA
Paricutin Volcano in Mexico
Victoria Falls in Zambia/Zimbabwe

Forgotten Wonders

Abu Simbel Temple in Egypt
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Aztec Temple in Tenochtitlan, Mexico City
Banaue Rice Terraces, Philippines
Borobudur Temple in Java, Indonesia
Colosseum in Rome, Italy
Great Wall of China
Inca city of Machu Picchu, Peru
Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy
Mayan Temples of Tikal in Guatemala
Moai Statues in Rapa Nui, Easter Island
Mont-St-Michel in Normandy, France
Throne Hall of Persepolis in Iran
Parthenon in Athens, Greece
Petra, the rock carved city in Jordan
Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar
Stonehenge in England
Taj Mahal in Agra, India
Temple of Inscriptions in Palenque, Mexico

Modern Wonders

Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
Empire State Buildings in NY, USA
Channel Tunnel under the English Channel
Clock Tower (Big Ben) in London, England
CN Tower in Toronto, Canada
Gateway Arch inSt Louis, USA
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, USA
High Dam in Aswan, Egypt
Hoover Dam in Arizona/Nevada, USA
Itaipu Dam in Brazil/Paraguay
Mount Rushmore National Memorial, S Dakota, USA
Panama Canal in Panama
Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur
Statue of Cristo Redentor in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Statue of Liberty in NY, USA
Sues Cannel in Egypt
Sydney Opera House in NSW, Australia

Livio's List

Travel Canning Stock Route, Australia
Summit Corno Grande, Italy
Walk the entire Pyrenees, coast to coast
Trek a Volcano in SE Asia
Motorcycle Delhi to Leh, India
Sail around Australia
Scuba dive a WW II wreck in the Cook Is.
Put an adventure dot on every country in the world!

Fellow Traveler's Asia List

Vietnam
Angkor Wat
Hanoi , Motorcycle NW
Prison ( Bangkok Hilton)
Boat rides on Mekong Delta
Thailand
Kho Phi Phi or other islands
Sunshine Networks Ashokananda 12-day Massage Class
Rain or tropical Forests
Rock Climbing
Songkran – Water Fight Festival in April
Phang-Nga Bay
Malaysia
Thaipusam – Indian Festival in January
Pulau Ubin – Cycle around the island
Singapore – Little India , Orchard Towers , Geylang
Taman Negara National Park
New Guinea
Papua Sepik River , Kokoda Track
Indonesia
Surabaya
Climb a Volcano
Philippines
White Water Wafting
Myanmar
Boycotted for political reasons. Went anyway.
Laos
Gibbon Experience - skipped...too expensive
India
Golden Triangle
Source of the Ganga
Hampi
Diving Andaman Is.
Motorcycle thru Ladakh & Kashmir
See tigers in the wild
Hong Kong
Chinese New Year

Fellow Traveler's Other Spots List

Russia - Mongolia
Trans Siberia-Mongolia Railway
St Petersburg - Russia
Horse trip thru mountains
Europe etc.
Walk Santiago de Compstella - Spain
Study music in Vienna
Pamukkale - Turkey
Motorcycle through Alps
Breakfast in Café de La Marionnette garden – Fridbourg Switzerland
North America
Climb Mt McKinley - Alaska
White Water Rafting – Grand Canyon
Hike/Camp Havasupai Falls, Az
Camp on Lake Louise
Country Music Festival - Nashville
Gamble and party like a rock star – Las Vegas
Enjoy Jazz and bluegrass – New Orleans
Yosemite National Park
Marti Gras in New Orleans
Visit Niagara Falls
Central & South America
Dive Galapagos
Travel Amazonas
Climb Aconcagua
Machu Pichu
Diving Belize
Explore Aztec ruins
Hike Inca ruins Ciudad Perdida ( Santa Marta ) Columbia
4-day trip San Pedro de Atacama-Salar de Uyuni, Boliva
Rio or San Salvador Carnival, Brazil
Africa
Victoria Falls
Cruise the Nile
Be a volunteer in an African country
Safari in Kenya
Sand Dunes of Namibia
Pyramids and Valley of the Kings , Egypt
Climb Kilimanjaro
Other Spots
South Pole/ Antarctica – Sea Kayak
Climb Mt Everest
Dead Sea & Petra
Seychelles , Bora Bora & Tahiti Islands
Climb Mt Fuji , Japan
Cross Ganja La, Langtang , Nepal
Canoe down Noatak
Hike a summer night on the Lofot Island, Norway
Train Beijing to Lasah , Tibet
Climb Ama Dablam , Nepal
Kakadu , Australia

Been there, done that!