Places To See Before It’s Too Late

The only thing permanent in life is change. Many years down the road, things will be different and in terms of travel, there might be destinations that are accessible today and might be gone tomorrow. I guess that’s why MSN Travel featured 11 places that world travelers should go see NOW before they disappear. I picked some of the destinations that really interested me. Here they are. Babylon Babylon, a city of both history and legend, has been seriously damaged by war and development, and those remain the two major threats to the ancient city. The U.S. war in Iraq continues to endanger Babylon and other ancient sites in Iraq, and Iraqi officials’ own plans for post-war Babylon could be just as destructive. It’s sad that the place which is known to be the cradle of civilization is not being conserved. I know there are many factors in play but still…anyway, it is probably not prudent to go there now but if you have a strong heart and sense of adventure, it would be well worth the risk, don’t you think? Gu Gong — The Forbidden City: This vast complex in Beijing is half a millennium old — the emperors lived here from 1420 to 1923, beginning long before Columbus sailed to the Americas and ending right before Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic — and the heavy traffic is taking its toll. I have always wanted to visit this place – some of our friends just came back from a trip to China and their stories and pictures are wonderful. I never thought that this place would be in danger of disappearing though. (to be continued) Photo via jimg944