World Heritage Scorecard
Enhancing the Tour with the most cherished sites of the World
The Scorecard (Part 2)
44.
A Mosque in Old Cairo
Name: Historic Cairo
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 7
Tour-Friendly Factor: 4
Comment: Visited during transfer to Stage 3, no cycling involved.
45.
The Pramids at Giza
Name: Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur
Location: Giza, Egypt
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 8
Tour-Friendly Factor: 4
Comment: I only saw the main Pyramid group at Giza.
46.
A painting depicting the Old Axum Church
Name: Aksum
Location: Northern Ethiopia
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 8
Tour-Friendly Factor: 6
Comment: A fairly extensive site to start off Stage 3.
47.
The Simyen Mountains
Name: Simien National Park
Location: Northern Ethiopia
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 7
Tour-Friendly Factor: 2
Comment: I did not actually cross the park boundary, but was still impressed by the beauty of the Simyen Mountains.
48.
Fasilidas's Castle in Gondar
Name: Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar Region
Location: Gondar, Ethiopia
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 6
Tour-Friendly Factor: 3
Comment: Provided a nice break during a tough section of the Tour.
49.
Interior of Bete Maryam Church, Lalibela
Name: Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela
Location: Lalibela, Ethiopia
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 10
Tour-Friendly Factor: 6
Comment: A excellent site with much to see.
50.
A Colubus Monkey in the Mt. Kenya Forest
Name: Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest
Location: Central Kenya
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: n.a.
Tour-Friendly Factor: 7
Comment: Clouds prevented me from seeing the actual mountain.
51.
Giant Senecio Plant in the alpine zone of Mt. Kilimajaro
Name: Kilimanjaro National Park
Location: Northern Tanzania
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 9
Tour-Friendly Factor: 4
Comment: This time I saw the whole mountain thanks to a costly, but amazing, summit trek.
52.
Wildlife in Ngorongoro Crater
Name: Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Location: Northern Tanzania
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 9
Tour-Friendly Factor: 4
Comment: Bikes are prohibited, must visit on a costly safari.
53.
Elephants on the Serengeti
Name: Serengeti National Park
Location: Northern Tanzania
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 7
Tour-Friendly Factor: 4
Comment: Bikes are prohibited, must visit on a costly safari. I was not present during the famous wildlife migrations.
54.
Lake Malawi National Park
Name: Lake Malawi National Park
Location: Southern Malawi
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 7
Tour-Friendly Factor: 6
Comment: An enjoyable dive presented a multitude of chiclids.
55.
Victoria Falls
Name: Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls
Location: Zambia/Zimbabwe border
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 7
Tour-Friendly Factor: 8
Comment: The dry-season Falls were still very impressive.
56.
The Golden Rhinocerous from Mapungubwe, in the Pretoria Museum
Name: Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape
Location: Northern Province, South Africa
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 4
Tour-Friendly Factor: 2
Comment: Prohibited from proceeding very far into the site by bike.
57.
A small Brooksian Chameleon in Parque Nacional Ranomafana
Name: Rainforests of the Atsinanana
Location: Eastern Madagascar
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 9
Tour-Friendly Factor: 6
Comment: I have seen four sections of this site during two tours. Ease of access varies by specific parcel. Guides required.
58.
Royal residences at Ambohimanga
Name: Royal Hill of Ambohimanga
Location: Near Antananarivo, Madagascar
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 6
Tour-Friendly Factor: 7
Comment: A small, but interesting site. I also visited on my first tour of Madagascar.
59.
A Homonid Skull at Sterkfontein
Name: Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Environs
Location: Gauteng, Limpopo and North-west provinces, South Africa
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 6
Tour-Friendly Factor: 8
Comment: I visited the Sterkfontein section, which has an excellent museum.
60.
Distant Hills of the Vredefort Dome
Name: Vredefort Dome
Location: Northwest and Free State provinces, South Africa
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 3
Tour-Friendly Factor: 5
Comment: Difficult to recognize and appreciate this geologically large site.
61.
Forest Foliage in iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Name: iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Location: KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 6
Tour-Friendly Factor: 7
Comment: Named St. Lucia Wetland Park when I visited; I saw more flora than fauna.
62.
Cathedral Peak Area
Name: uKhahlamba/Drakensberg Park
Location: KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 8
Tour-Friendly Factor: 6
Comment: Located well away from the main routes, and requires a moderate hike.
63.
Yellow Proteas
Name: Cape Floral Region Protected Areas
Location: Cape region, South Africa
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 7
Tour-Friendly Factor: 7
Comment: Spread out over several sections. I primarily saw Table Mountain.
64.
Mandela's Cell at Robben Island
Name: Robben Island
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 7
Tour-Friendly Factor: 6
Comment: A rather depressing site.
65.
Sea lions at Península Valdés
Name: Península Valdés
Location: Eastern Argentina
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 6
Tour-Friendly Factor: 7
Comment: The season that I visited was not ideal for seeing wildlife.
66.
Perito Moreno Glacier
Name: Los Glaciares
Location: Patagonia, Argentina
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 8
Tour-Friendly Factor: 6
Comment: A chore to reach this site by bike.
67.
Pictographs at Cueva de las Manos
Name: Cueva de las Manos, Río Pinturas
Location: Patagonia, Argentina
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 8
Tour-Friendly Factor: 4
Comment: Another difficult site to reach, but worth the effort.
68.
Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Gracias de Nercon
Name: Churches of Chiloé
Location: Isla Chiloe, Chile
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 7
Tour-Friendly Factor: 8
Comment: I saw 3 of the 16 listed churches.
69.
City and Port of Valparaíso
Name: Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso
Location: Valparaiso, Chile
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 5
Tour-Friendly Factor: 5
Comment: A rather haphazard site.
70.
Ischigualasto Provincial Park
Name: Ischigualasto/Talampaya Natural Parks
Location: San Juan and La Rioja provinces, Argentina
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 7
Tour-Friendly Factor: 6
Comment: I saw only the Ischigualasto site.
71.
Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba
Name: Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba
Location: Cordoba, Argentina
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 6
Tour-Friendly Factor: 6
Comment: I did not have time to visit the estancias.
72.
Doorway ornamentation in Colonia
Name: Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento
Location: Uruguay
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 6
Tour-Friendly Factor: 9
Comment: A fairly small site, but an enjoyable visit.
73.
A bromilead in Parque Nacional do Superagui
Name: Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves
Location: Southeastern Brazil
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 7
Tour-Friendly Factor: 5
Comment: The sites I visited were around the Baia de Paranagua.
74.
A prophet statue at Congonhas
Name: Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas
Location: Minas Gerais, Brazil
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 7
Tour-Friendly Factor: 6
Comment: This hilltop basilica took a lot of energy to reach.
75.
Ouro Preto
Name: Historic Town of Ouro Preto
Location: Minas Gerais, Brazil
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 9
Tour-Friendly Factor: 7
Comment: A very nice example of an historic town.
76.
Diamantina
Name: Historic Centre of the Town of Diamantina
Location: Minas Gerais, Brazil
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 8
Tour-Friendly Factor: 9
Comment: Another nice historic town, farther from urban chaos.
77.
The famous legislature building in Brasilia
Name: Brasilia
Location: Brasilia, Brasil
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 5
Tour-Friendly Factor: 2
Comment: Modernist architecture has never been my favorite, but there is some appeal here. However, a very auto-choked city.
78.
Goias
Name: Historic Centre of the Town of Goiás
Location: Goias, Brazil
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 7
Tour-Friendly Factor: 8
Comment: The least touristy of the historic towns I saw in Brazil.
79.
A red-legged seriema and termite mounds in Parque Emas
Name: Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks
Location: Goias, Brazil
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 7
Tour-Friendly Factor: 6
Comment: I visited the Emas section; required a guide.
80.
Parque Nacional do Pantanal
Name: Pantanal Conservation Area
Location: Matto Grosso do Sul, Brazil
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 9
Tour-Friendly Factor: 2
Comment: Difficult to reach the protected area, and saw only a small portion. Though surrounding areas just as good.
81.
Iguazu Falls
Name: Iguazu National Park
Location: Missiones, Argentina
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 10
Tour-Friendly Factor: 8
Comment: A beautiful site deserving a slow visit.
82.
Iguaçu Falls
Name: Iguaçu National Park
Location: Parana, Brazil
Type: Natural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 10
Tour-Friendly Factor: 6
Comment: The Brazilian side is just as impressive.
83.
Jesuit Mission at Trinidad
Name: Jesuit Missions of La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná and Jesús de Tavarangue
Location: Eastern Paraguay
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 6
Tour-Friendly Factor: 9
Comment: Weather dampened my visit slightly.
84.
Santa Ana Mission Ruins
Name: Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis: San Ignacio Mini, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa Maria Mayor (Argentina), Ruins of Sao Miguel das Missoes (Brazil)
Location: Missiones, Argentina
Type: Cultural
Official Site: ~ Go There ~
Amazement Factor: 6
Tour-Friendly Factor: 7
Comment: I saw only the Santa Ana site.
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Why These Places Are Special
Beginning on 01978, the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization has evaluated important places around the globe to determine those with universal values to humanity, and to aid in their understanding and preservation. Since that time 878 (as of 02008) properties have been inscribed on the World Heritage List. In what is surely a process fraught with political intrigue, reams of paperwork, and lengthy discussions, new sites are first proposed by individual nations, and then evaluated for inscription by the Committee. Though my including it here will certainly infuriate teams of lawyers, here are the selection guidelines:
(shamelessly clipped from THIS page)
- to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;
- to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;
- to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;
- to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;
- to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;
- to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria);
- to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;
- to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;
- to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;
- to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.
The protection, management, authenticity and integrity of properties are also important considerations.
Since 1992 significant interactions between people and the natural environment have been recognized as cultural landscapes.
(End of UNESCO text)