Five Famous Landmarks – And Why They’re a Disappointment

There are plenty of landmarks around the world that will impress or amaze you.  The Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, and Mount Everest come to mind.  But there are a few that aren’t quite all they’re billed to be, and the more money you spend going to see them, the less you’re likely to be impressed.  Consider yourself warned.

The Eiffel Tower - a proper landmark

1. Manneken Pis in Brussels, Belgium.  Literally, this means “Little Man Pee” in Dutch, and that’s exactly what it is – a tiny little statue of a boy peeing.  Um, okay.  I’m still trying to figure out the draw of this attraction.  Anyone with a son, nephew, grandson, or other young male relative has seen a boy pee.  Perhaps it was shocking when it was first erected – no pun or double entendre intended. But in today’s world, seeing a little boy pee holds no shock value at all, let alone interest.  Brussels has plenty of other things to see and do.  If you’re already in town for something else and you’re curious, then go ahead and walk out to see this.  But certainly don’t spend money on a trip solely for the purpose of viewing this little statuette.  The other thing you’ll notice if you’re there is all the shops hawking copies of Manneken Pis.  Just what you need for that space next to the fireplace!

We travelled for that?

2. The forts at Portobelo-San Lorenzo, Panama.  Built atop an abutment jutting out into the Caribbean, this massive defence system has been guarding the country ever since King Phillip II ordered it built in 1595.  The buildings were placed at the mouth of the Chagres River (fresh water didn’t come out of the tap in those days), and high enough to see miles out into the Caribbean, this fortress kept pirates away and kept the King’s gold safe.  While the site itself is still beautiful, the drive up is on horrible roads, and there’s little in the way of historical information once you do arrive.  The Panamanian government seems to be letting Nature have her way with this wonderful piece of the past; moss and grass are growing everywhere, even on the stone roof.  There is a rusty collection of cannon but little else; no descriptions of battles, no drawings of what it might have been like when in use, and no stories of the life and death of this place.  This landmark is a disappointment mostly because it holds the potential to be a fascinating place that could make history come alive, and you can see that potential with every step you take.  Within a few years what’s left should be crumbling, and eventually, if left untended, it will revert to being just another grassy spot overlooking the ocean, with cast-off stones here and there that were clearly made by man, leaving the voyager to wonder what might have gone on here.

The fort, in high season

3. The Millennium Dome (now the O2), Greenwich, United Kingdom. A large tent, basically, that qualifies as a landmark because its location straddles the Eastern and Western Hemispheres on the Prime Meridian.  It houses concerts, movies, sporting events, and a dizzying array of cheesy merchandise.  Currently the space is under development for various things, including housing the basketball events for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.  The building itself looks rather like the metal cap from old-time movies that was used to electrocute people; a half-round dome with 12 electrode-looking poles projecting from the top.  From the start, this landmark was plagued with issues.  Constructed in an industrial area along the Thames, the soil was already contaminated from pre-existing waste and special remediation was required before the first piling could be installed.  It has never really decided what it is or on a marketing plan.  With both indoor and outdoor events spaces, an arena, and a shopping area that wants to model itself on Covent Garden, it has a variety of “feels” to it.  Plans have been intermittently underway for a Super Casino.  Work was started and then stopped, and political controversy erupted regarding allegations of undue influence exerted over the casino license bid.  Only time will tell if this will develop into a true landmark.

Not a white elephant, a white dome

4. Lenin’s Tomb, Moscow, Russia.  Lenin had his moment in the sun, but this alleged landmark is attempting to stretch his status out much longer than necessary.  A large, blockish pyramid built of marble, granite, labradorite, and other stones, it stands in front of the Kremlin wall, with the former Soviet Parliament building rising behind the wall.  For some reason, there is usually a line, and it does not move fast.  You’ll probably wait, and wait, and wait.  Tour groups and locals willing to pay extra will get to cut in front of you.  Foreigners are on the bottom rung of the tourist totem pole, and you’ll probably get pushed back several times – but don’t complain, or the tour guide/police wannabe will pull you out of line to check your passport.  Bags are not allowed, let alone cameras.  Remember that Lenin is still a hero to a lot of the former Soviet Union, and they don’t take kindly to people who think less of him than they do.  Once inside, it’s dark, cool, and a little creepy.  Lenin looks like, well, a guy who died a long time ago.  1923, to be specific.  Once outside, consider spending time in Red Square or St. Basil’s Cathedral, two landmarks that will probably be a better use of your time.

Lenin’s Tomb. Exceptionally exciting

5.  Three Sisters rock formation, New South Wales, Australia.  Three Sisters consists of three tall, skinny rocks.  The modern tourist industry has created all kinds of “legends” around this “landmark” to drum up business, but it’s basically three tall sandstone rocks, side by side, up at the edge of a ridge, overlooking a valley.  Yes, they’re pretty.  Landmark?  Not so sure.  Situated in the Blue Mountains, you may want to consider seeing them as part of a trip into the Blue Mountains, which are certainly worth a day’s trek for the hills, valleys, caves, and greenery in this area of New South Wales.

I can see rocks at home