Niagara Falls Blog – Travel and Tourism News

Printed by the Review

A contest the falls cannot lose; Time to choose world’s 7 new natural wonders
Posted By Law, John

April will mark 18 years since I moved to Niagara Falls, and while we haven’t always seen eye to eye I’ve never loved the actual falls more.

I’m convinced everyone who moves here has a relationship with our namesake in three stages.

First is infatuation: You can’t believe you can see the falls whenever you want. Your parents had to drive hundreds of kilometres to bring you here as a kid, now it’s practically in your backyard! Like newlyweds, you can’t get enough of each other.

Then comes resentment: You start hating tourist season. You can’t get any ‘alone’ time with your waterfalls any more. You avoid the whole tacky, tawdry scene. You even gripe about turning your wipers on while driving through the mist. The thrill is gone, baby.

Then comes acceptance: You look past the casinos, museums and attractions and come to appreciate the falls for what they are – one of the most beautiful things nature ever produced. You feel protective of them. They’ve become a part of your life, and that connection can’t be described in a cheesy tourist pamphlet. Now you understand why people have written books about them.

They are, despite all the naysayers, a true natural wonder. And now it’s time to make it official.

You might recall something last year called the New 7 Wonders.

A Swiss-based panel of deep thinkers compiled 77 sites, whittled it down to 21, then let the public decide the top seven. The final list can be seen at www.new7wonders.com.

Niagara Falls didn’t make it. It was never in the running, actually. One thing the website didn’t make clear is that the ‘new’ seven wonders were actually man-made structures. The criteria was “landmarks” built or “discovered” before 2000.

Folks figured Niagara Falls was a lock. After all, we’re one of the original Seven Wonders of the World, right?

Nope. The original list, compiled closee to 500 years ago by a Dutch architect, consisted of the pyramids of Egypt, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the mausoleum at Harlicarnassus, the Tower of Pharos in Alexandria, and the Colossus of Rhodes.

The problem? Only one of them is still around. As far as tourism goes, if you can’t see it what’s the point?

The new list is fine – can’t argue with the Great Wall of China or Taj Mahal – but a natural wonders list was more in order. Anyone can build a bridge or a building. No one can make a Grand Canyon. Or a Mount Everest. Or a Niagara Falls. If they could, they’d be everywhere. So now the same group is doing the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

The good news? The falls has made the cut for the Top 77.

The not-so-good news: After placing as high as second in January, we were down to 16th as of Thursday.

You know what that means. Time to rip some of the competition:

- The Platano Forest in Honduras, currently No. 15. Its greatest claim to fame appears to be that it hasn’t been bulldozed yet. There’s nothing here you can’t see in the Rainforest Cafe;

- Lake Titicaca near the Peru/Bolivia border is No. 14. That’s right … snicker … it’s a lake called … snort … Titicaca! The Cartman in me applauds this choice, but I fear for our self-esteem if we lose to a lake named by second graders;

- Victoria Falls in Africa is No. 13. I hate to admit it, but they’re darn impressive … maybe better than ours. But I don’t recall anyone wanting to walk over Victoria Falls on a wire;

- Mount Fuji in Japan (No. 11) should be disqualified because I’ve seen it and it looks nothing like a camera;

- The top three sites are all located in Vietnam: Fansipan Mountain, Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, and Ha Long Bay. What are the odds Vietnam has the world’s three greatest natural wonders? Methinks those crafty Vietnamese have discovered the wonders of ballot-stuffing.

The rankings don’t mean much right now – next year, a panel will choose 21 finalists that will then be put to a worldwide vote through 2009 and 2010.

The 7 Wonders of Nature will then be announced in the summer of 2010.

Do we have what it takes?

History has already decided we do – we’ve been referred to as “one of the Seven Wonders of the World” for so long, we started to believe it. In three years, maybe we can say it without crossing our fingers.

Let’s see if we’re still the most famous address in the world.
Article ID# 922328

© 2008 , Osprey Media. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Niagara Falls Review acticles reprinted with permission by the authority of Joe Wallace, City Editor of the Niagara Falls Review.

No related posts.