Red Square, Moscow - St Basil's Cathedral

St. Basil's Cathedral was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in the mid-16th century and constructed to commemorate a Russian victory over the Tartar Mongols in 1552. “The cathedral has nine chapels, each topped with an iconic onion dome.”

Despite what seems to me to be an initial gaudiness, with the colorful domes and spires, transforms itself into a unique study. Mainly because the design of the cathedral is steeped in so much deep religious symbolism, representing the “New Jerusalem - the Heavenly Kingdom described in the Book of Revelation of St. John the Divine,” that it radiates a beauty.

I feel I must experience the grandeur of this architecture first hand, not just in pictures. I want to walk through the narrow interiors, gaze heavenward through it's narrow columns and marvel at the intricate decorative work on the walls & cielings as well as the famous Chapel of the Intercession's iconostasis. Then complete the experience by being able to walk Red Sqaure at night to see this impressive cathedral lit.

From Russia with love all roads will lead to Rome and the ancient Colosseum otherwise known as the Flavius Amphitheatre.

My sojourn will compelte its 7 wonders of the world tour in Central and South America, first stop will be Mexico and the mysterious Mayan Chichen Itza ruins.

Lastly, will be the Corcorado Mountains Brazil and the awe inspiring Christ the Redeemer Statute. So stay tuned for future bolgs from the sojourner...

Angkor Wat Temple

While in the far East the next stop on my sojourn would be The Angkor Wat Temple in Cambodia. Ok, so this site didn’t make the final cut of the new wonders of the world but it was one of the 21 nominees and is named on the UNESCO world heritage sites. In my opinion it should have been a finalist. It’s certainly on my list of 7 wonders.

"The Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia is the world’s largest religious monument.

The temples at Angkor were built 879 - 1191AD and used for 400 years during the kings of the Khmer empire. The Khmers left the city in 1432, and after that the temples were lost in the jungle until a French explorer, Henri Mouhot, found it in 1860. "

The Ta Prohm temple ruins fascinate me because of the way that nature has melded into the architecture. Or my question is was this phenomenal temple intentionally built to be harmonious with the natural surrounding environment? My desire has nothing to do with the fact that this location was used in the 2001 Lara Croft Tomb Raiders movie starring Angelina Jolie.

Next stop: St. Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square, Moscow…

Segway to Kiyomiza Temple, Kyoto Japan

Next on the list would be the Kiyomizu Temple in the ancient city of Kyoto.

Yes another ancient wonder. The way I see it is that I need to begin at the beginning, appreciate the foundations of ancient civilizations and cultures before moving forward to the more modern and contemporary wonders.

"Kiyomizudera ("Pure Water Temple") is one of the most celebrated temples of Japan. It was founded in 780 and remains associated with the Hosso sect, one of the oldest sects within Japanese Buddhism. In 1994, the temple was added to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites."

The magnificence of the Kiyomiza Temple is beyond description. To see it illuminated at night would be an almost spiritual experience. Or to view closely the architectural detail and design finishings would be inspiring to me as an artist an designer.

Plus, I’ve always been fascinated by the simplicity and quite discipline of the East Asian world, particularly Japan. Their social conventions are so different to Western culture. For instance bowing is the customary greeting as opposed to a handshake or close embrace commonly seen in the my culture. When addressing men or women san is used, for example, Nicole-san. So polite and respectful, something long lost in so many other cultures in the name of modernity.

While in Japan I would love to learn the art of The Japanese Tea Ceremony and to find an exquisite Kimono like those described in Memoirs of Geisha by Arthur Golden.

Sojourn destination -- Pyramids of Giza

One of the first stops on my sojourn will be the Pyramids of Giza. Giza is located in Cairo, Egypt on the continent of Africa, and was built circa 2500 B.C. It’s mind blowing when you think that these pyramids are 4500 years old. My visiting the pyramids will be the closest thing to travelling through time and living ancient history. Although, in reality they’re enormous tombs because they were built as burial places for Egyptian Pharaohs these awesome structures represent something more. Someone described the pyramids as representing " immortality and eternity" and I agree completely.

It’s said that the best time to see the pyramids is either early morning or at sunset when there is an amazing red glow off the limestone faces of these awesome structures.

I want to experience "Khufu's Horizon",

(this is a likeness of Pharaoh Khufu),

"Khafre is Great", (this is a statue of King Khafre),

and "Menkaure is Divine" (this is a detail of his statue) -- these are all the names of the pyramids -- at both times to see the beauty of them in all lights. The recommended way to see the pyramids is on camel. That alone will be an experience by itself because I've never even ridden a horse, far less a CAMEL! Let the adventure begin, I say!

The journey begins...

Who hasn’t dreamed of being a sojourner? Who hasn’t imagined visiting some exotic location or monumental site? Well at I have. How can I say that I have lived unless I personally experience (if not all) as much of what this vast planet has to offer. I think I would only have existed within a sheltered, myopic box if I never see beyond the borders of my home shores. I strongly believe that to truly LIVE life I have to experience as much as I can of the world: the essence of its peoples; cultures; traditions; and history; the unique beauty of the other lands and everything it harbors: flora, fauna and of course foods.

How, you ask? By becoming a sojourner. I want to sojourn to as many different places as I possibly can. But where do I begin? The World Atlas lists approximately 194 independent countries. So even if I visited two places per year it would take me 97 years to see the entire world. It’s obvious that within my lifetime it may be extremely difficult for me to accomplish the grandiose goal of seeing every country in the world. So again, where do I begin? My solution to this is to begin with the Seven Wonders of the World.

Of the 7 ancient wonders only the Pyramids of Giza still exist,
so that will be the first stop on the sojourn.



On July 7, 2007 seven new modern wonders were chosen from a list of 21 nominees.

This is where I begin making choices based on personal preference. It was a definitely a hard decision, whittling it down to just seven, but these will be the six other places to discover on my sojourn:

Kiyomizu Temple, Kyto, Japan

St. Basil's Cathedral, Red Square, Moscow

Chichen Itza, Valadolid, Mexcio / Machu Picchu, Peru

The Angkor Wat Temple, Cambodia

Colosseum, Rome

Christ the Redeemer Statue, Corcovado Mountain, Brazil.