82. Visit the Colosseum
Did you see the movie Gladiator? How about Ben Herr? Great movies, no doubt—but let’s be honest: You ain’t seen nothing until you’ve actually visited the Colosseum (Rome, Italy), an ancient amphitheater and modern museum, in person. See where ancient Romans—up to 50,000 of them at a time—were entertained with mock sea battles (where the lower Colosseum was actually flooded to make the show even more real), bloody contests between gladiators, dramas (plays), animal (and even human) hunts and slayings, and other public spectacles.
83. Walk on the Great Wall of China
Stretching more than (an almost unfathomable) 3,800 miles (6,200 meters) from Shanhaiguan to Lop Lake, The Great Wall of China lives up to its name in spades. It’s hard to even imagine how so many millions-of-tons of bricks, stones, packed-earth, and wood were painstakingly assembled along an area greater than the length of the U.S. itself! That said, no worthy Bucket List is complete without walking on (at least seeing) a portion of the Great Wall.
84. Drink a Piña Colada in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ahh, Puerto Rico—one of the first priority stops of many a cruise passenger (most from, you guessed it, the U.S.)! Besides experiencing the lavish, clear beaches, endless string of hotels and bars along the coast, and Ricky Martin (grin), NO trip to the little island is complete without consumption of the country’s national drink. What goes into a genuine pina colada? Coconut cream, pineapple juice, ice, and the all-important rum. After you get your initial dose of the requisite pina colada, go ahead and get your buzz on with one of the drink’s freaking delicious cousins—like the Iguana Colada, Chi Chi (uses vodka in place of rum), and/or Kahlua Colada (orgasmic Kahlua in rum’s place).
85. Fast for Three Days
It’s simple: Drink nothing but water. After the third day of this all-water diet, chow down, but don’t make yourself sick at the same time. If you’re anything like me, you love to eat and couldn’t even fathom going a single day without some red meat and steamed veggies. However consider the often overlooked benefits:
- After three days of being deprived of yummy substinence, foods that once tasted just “okay” will suddenly taste heavenly.
- Fasting, in tandem with moderate water intake, helps cleanse the human body of all sorts of toxins.
- Give the digestive system a (likely) much-needed reprieve.
- Promote mental clarity and well-being.
- Fasting gives you time to reflect on your eating habits and then, to reflect on them. Were they ‘good’ or ‘bad’ in hindsight?
- Your energy level is very likely to surge as well, as you’ll feel lighter (even if no actual weight loss occurs) and more nimble.
86. Visit the Taj Mahal
Located in Agra, India and built from 1632-1653 as a tomb and memorial for some emperor’s deceased wife, the Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum and, essentially, the crown jewel of Persian architecture (see ‘Mughal’) and design. To get an idea of the grandiosity of the Taj, consider that its solid marble onion-dome alone stands 115ft high! And the Persian wonder of the world has been around for quite a while—-since 1653. Around three million people (excluding you, so far!) visit the awe-inspiring monument annually.