Column Chronicles: Ancient cities I love to visit

Ancient cities I love to visit

Frank Cotolo
August 2, 2018

What gives some cities the tag of "ancient" is their age. Some ancient cities are as old as "the hills," to coin a phrase. Still, in the new millennium, ancient cities are great places to visit. I know because I visit ancient cities more than modern cities. Here are some I love.

TIKAL, GUATEMALA

If you like jungles you will love Tikal. There are thousands of plants, some swarming with strange bugs (not all of them bite or sting). It's so colorful taking walks through Mayan ruins that date to 600 B.C. at last count. If you love animals, you are sure to have fun frolicking with jaguars and pumas. They love the ruins, too, and often playfully jump through holes in the walls of crumbled temples. Not all of them are vicious, either. They have become accustomed to ancient city lovers, especially when the tourists have raw meat they can feast upon.

PERSOPOLIS, IRAN

Even though Iran has not known to be friendly to Westerners and sometimes even its own population, cultural attractions abound in this city. It was founded in 518 B.C.

The Mountain of Mercy has a terrace that runs 125,000 square feet, carved right into the mountain. It is a romantic spot that is great to stroll over, especially with someone you love; just don't get caught with illegal drugs, automatic weapons or fake Visa cards or you will be visiting the ancient prisons.

TIMBUKTU, MALI

Aside from the name of this city becoming a colloquialism for places too distant to reach, Timbuktu was a destination for the learned. The ancient libraries once housed thousands of manuscripts; you can touch the dusty shelves where once they were kept and haggle with librarians older than dirt to be able to take some dust home for a price.

MADURI, INDIA

There are many ancient places to visit in India and Maduri is one of them. This popular trade center was a great marketplace before the British ruled and introduced strange breakfasts to the natives. Everyone visiting wants to go to the Meenakshi Amman Temple, especially when there is a festival held there every April. People roam and wallow through 14 gateway towers filled with color and odors never imagined by people from the west (not even people living in New Jersey, U.S.A.

Those are just a few ancient cities I love. I will tell you about more sooner or later.

Frank Cotolo can be found hosting the talk and interview programme Cotolo Chronicles. You can send him an e-mail at this address: frank@148.ca.