00-911 Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico  Was founded by the Mayan Itza tribe between 435-455 AD.  This impressive three-mile area is one of the world's greatest archeological showplaces, from the Sacred Well, The Great Ball Court and its temple groupings.  The largest pyramid is El Castillo.  Ninety-five exterior steps climb to the pyramid's top.  Its construction was planned so that during Vernal Equinox the setting sun would cast a shadow of a serpent writhing down the steps.  Over 40,000 people travel to watch this event yearly.
(correction by friend of ours William Rogers, world traveler,science teacher, - the pyramid has 91 steps on each side totalling 364 with one more step into the temple at the top for a total of 365.)

00-912 Blarney Castle, Blarney, Ireland  Dermot McCarthy, King of Munster, completed this castle's current construction in 1446.  The world famous blarney stone, situated in the battlements of the castle was given to Cormac McCarthy in return for his support in the Battle of Bannockburn.  Kissing the blarney stone is supposed to give one the gift of blarney.  Queen Elizabeth I proclaimed that McCarthy gave her "a lot of blarney," because he dealt with her requests with subtle diplomacy, yet never gave in to her, thus giving rise to the l;egend.

00-913 Tower of Pisa, Pisa, Italy  The construction of the Tower of Pisa went through several phases, because of its worrrisome leaning.  It began August 9, 1173, and was paused after reaching half way through the third floor because the unstable soil was causing it to lean.  The final attempt arose between 1272 adn 1275 feet.  Builders tried to reduce the lean and completed it in 1350.

00-914 Eiffel Tower, Paris, France  Completed in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was the world's tallest building until 1930.  Today, approximately six million people visit the tower annually.

00-915 Neuschwanstein Castle, Southwestern Bavaria, Germany  King Ludwig was called "Mad Ludwig" because many thought he was insane.  He disliked politics and preferred to spend his time attending operas and building many fanciful castles.  He hired a theater set designer to build his magical castle in 1869.  Neuschwanstein castle is so spectacular that the King's government nearly went bankrupt during its 17-year construction.  It later became the model for the castle in Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty and the Magic Kingdom itself.  This masterpiece is one of the greatest tourist attractions in Germany.

00-916 Big Ben, London, England  This 320-foot high clock tower dominates the eastern extremity of Parliament and is famed worldwide as Big Ben.  Big Ben is actually the 13-ton bell housed within the tower.  Each of the four clock faces has a diameter of more than 22 feet.

00-917 Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City, Canada  The Chateau Frontenac Hotel, built in 1892, overlooks the St. Lawrence River and is at the hub of most major activities year round.  Its castle-like structure is more than 100 years old and is a well-known landmark of Quebec City.

00-918 East Great Temple, Nara, Japan  Founded in the mid-8th century, East Great Temple is one of the greatest sights to see in Japan.  Emperor Shomu built this temple for both religious and polital purposes, symbolizing a unified Japan.  This temple, containing the Hall of Great Buddha, is the largest wooden structure in the world, housing the 53-foot tall bronze statue of the Great Buddha.