Wonders of the World [antikvár]

A Spanish writer and philosopher wrote that To be surprised, to wonder, is to begin to understand'. I think that travellers, be they international jet-setters or those who prefer their armchairs, should always pack in their knapsacks those two essential items - 'wonder' and 'surprise'. They are always 'Wanted on Voyage'. Apart from anything else they always provide adequate compensation for that most unwelcome and miserable of travelling companions, 'disappointment'. If a place fails to live up to expectations or reputation, our luggage seems to get heavier. So the delight of experiencing surprise and wonder withenthusiasm is absolutely necessary for any successful, enlightening trip. Those of us who travel for a living, taking in the sights of the world as we go, are constantly envied by those who are forced to stay at home. The annual foray on holiday is not the same thing. They seem to imagine that our lives are one long voyage of discovery like somé latter-day Marco Polo or Captain Cook. It is no use explaining that whilst we are being carried off to far-away places with strange sounding names we are working, that there is nothing glamorous about the actual travelling and that there are times when we end up in far-fromromantic destinations. Experience teaches you not to dwell on the fact that the words 'travel' and 'travail' come from the same etymological root, but to remember that you are lucky to be there and that you have brought with you the ability to be surprised. I wonder if those travellers of old were envied as they struck out from their home shores motivated, as most weré, either by acquisitiveness or religious zeal? As they crusaded, campaigned and conquered were they fiiled with surprise when they first set eyes upon myth-laden temples, historic buildings and the great riches of the Orient? I do not doubt that they were as intrigued as we are to this day at the glories of nature and the wonders of the ancient world. They were the first to bring back incontrovertible accounts of their discoveries, the first eye-witness reports of new lands, people and hitherto unseen masterpieces of man and nature. There is no doubt that, like the painters and writers, the travellers and merchants who have followed their tread, they often exaggerated what they saw or experienced. Ali of us travel for our own reasons with our own motivations. We are all on our own voyage of reconnaisance or exploration, whether we do the actual travelling or let our imaginations fly by leafing through a book such as this most attractive and informative one - The Wonders of the World. In it you will I hope find wonders - both man-made and natural - that will surprise you and help your understanding. Television, magazines, films and books all open up this wonderful world of ours for us. Once travellers were carried across the Alps by elephants or into Samarkand in sedan chairs; others took the Grand Tour or went on voyages philosophiques. Today jet aircraft, international telephones, satellites and computers which talk to each other may have reduced our time scales. What none has done is to reduce the beauty and glory of the Taj Mahal, the Valley of the Kings at Luxor or the sight of the setting sun in the Grand Canyon. There are many extraordinary wonders in this world, ancient and modern. I hope that you enjoy the fine selection within this book.