Guide to UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Location: Guanajuato, Mexico
Visited: December 26th, 2010
Site Type: Cultural
Inscribed: 1988
Background and Opinion:
Guanajuato’s history starts in the 1540s when huge deposits of silver were found in the region. Mines were quickly built and thousands came to collect the precious metal. Both the mines and the colonial era buildings still remain.
Location: (Mostly) Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand
Visited: July 15-19, 2014
Site Type: Natural
Inscribed: 2005
Background and Opinion:
The ranges of Dong Phayayen and Khao Yai National Park make up one of the largest expanses of protected natural land in all of Thailand. They are home to hundreds of different species, including the endangered asian elephant, Vogel’s pit viper, and the pig-tailed macaque. While there are many places in Thailand where you can see these animals performing for the amusement of tourists, this is the eco-friendly way to go about it. Read more
Location: Nara Prefacture, Kansai, Japan
Visited: Sept, 2012
Site Type: Cultural
Inscribed: 1993
Location: Wyoming, USA
Visited: July, 2009
Site Type: Natural
Inscribed: 1978
Background and Opinion:
In 1871, the famous American geologist Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden made a successful survey of the Yellowstone area and pleaded his case to congress. For his time, the proposal was pretty ludicrous, but he managed to convince our lawmakers. He argued that there was more to gain by leaving the land aside than to auction it off to developers. In March 1st, 1872, Yellowstone National Park became the first National Park in the world. Read more
Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia
Visited: Sept 16, 2014
Site Type: Cultural
Inscribed: 2010
Background and Opinion:
Before passing by Sydney on a long layover from Malaysia to New Zealand, my knowledge of Australian history was limited. To my understanding, thousands and thousands of prisoners were pretty much dropped off in this new British territory to fend for themselves. A century or two later, they somehow escaped, became advanced, and had the will to fight in WW2 all the while becoming a first world country. Read more
