Rome Colosseum

#Rome_Colosseum

The Rome Colosseum is a structure made of limestone, volcanic rock (tuff), timber & concrete which stands four stories tall & took 60,000 to 100,000 Jewish slaves (after their defeat during the Jewish-Roman War) eight years to complete its construction
 It is still the largest amphitheater (Greek word amphi...both sides or all around) on earth

During those times of neglect & abandonment the Roman Catholic Church used the Colosseum like a quarry for its stone & built the Basilicas of St Peter, St John & Palazzo Venezia
Times have changed as now the arena welcomes millions of tourists per year

KeyTip: Tickets will range from $100 up to $400 depending on if its a private tour, to where you visit inside the Colosseum from the underground or arena floor

There were eighty entrances to the amphitheater as the arches were numbered with Roman Numerals to serve as guides for sitting
 There were seventy-six entry points for the audience, two for the participants of the events which one was called The Gate of Life for the gladiators who entered & The Gate of Death (located on the western side) for the gladiators who did not fair so well in the contest & were carried out 
 Finally two archways was used exclusively by the Emperor

When the Colosseum first opened the Emperor Titus celebrated with a hundred days of gladiatorial games.
Beside the contests the venue was used to host dramas, reenactments & even public executions

After the fall of the Roman Empire the Colosseum began to deteriorate
Add in earthquakes, passage of time & human neglect......which meant by the 20th century nearly two-thirds of the original building had been destroyed

A restoration project began in the 1990s to repair the Colosseum & so today it plays host to millions of visitors each year plus has musical concerts & events inside the arena 

We think of the Colosseum as old (1952 years) but compared to the Pyramids of Giza (4000 years) & Stonehenge which dates back 5000 years, it is young in historical terms

Fun fact; the original name of the Colosseum was the Flavian Amphitheater which was the name of the dynasty that ruled the empire at this time
Historians believe the current name came from The Colossus of Nero statue that stood outside the amphitheater

Being a huge follower of history, i couldn't wait to visit the Colosseum located in the middle of Rome. It was awe inspiring to see this amphitheatre  

  Now once inside the arena you can envision when it could hold around 50,000 spectators who would view gladiatorial contests, executions                                                                                                           & even mock sea battles, how you ask? 

      Through a series of underground tunnels the Romans would flood the arena floor for Emperor Titus. Then they used special flat bottomed boats (because of the shallow water) to replicate naval battles &                              even built an artificial island so sailors could land to fight 

The floor was around 83 by 48 meters (272 x 157 feet) but since it was made from wood & covered with sand its long gone So because of this the top is open to view & you can now see how the hypogeum (underground) worked with its two level subterranean network of tunnels, hidden maze of rooms & cages 

 There were also 80 vertical shafts to access the hypogeum plus an extensive network of trap doors through which scenery elements could be deployed during the spectacles.

 

        If you were Roman your entry fee was free as Emperors used the arena to promote their political                 policies, if a foreigner you were of no use to the agenda being spoken so had to pay to watch.

          Speaking of no more use 😄 the site that the Colosseum sits on was once the location of an              artificial lake from the Golden House of Nero. Following his demise, much of his luxurious palace                               was destroyed or put to public use including his private lake

Fun Facts;
 A) The movie Gladiator was not filmed inside the Colosseum even though the director had permission. He decided it needed to look newer so built a stand-in Colosseum in Malta plus many of the location shots were computer generated
B) You think of the Roman Empire & the name of Julius Caesar comes into your thoughts
 But he was never inside the Colosseum as the two never existed simultaneously where he was assassinated 125 years before the gladiator games even started 

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The Colosseum was built with approximately 100,000 cubic meters / 3.5 million cubic feet of travertine limestone that was used for the main pillars, ground floor, external walls, the seats (they no longer exists) plus slabs of travertine were paved into the area to support the outer realm of the building
The remaining areas were constructed with a mixture of concrete & held together by 300 tons of iron clamps

The Romans built a special road designed to transport the limestone from the quarries of Tivoli ( 32 kms / 20 miles away) to the arena 

                                              

Running Diamond Head Volcano

#Running_Diamond_Head_Hawaii

Hours are 6.00am to 6.00pm with a $10.00 per vehicle or $5.00 per person if you walk in or arrive via bus, taxi, trolley or in my case.......running 😅

Thank You Google Maps in explaining my trek for this latest adventure

Diamond Head was a site of reverence & worship for the early Native Hawaiians with religious ceremonies plus sometimes (unfortunately) animal or human sacrifices,
 which was the norm for those times
Moving forward; thanks to many local activists who stopped the development of this area into residential buildings, hotels & even a tramway to the top of the crater with the preservation & establishment of Diamond Head as a historic site 

In 1904 Diamond Head was bought by the US Government (for $3,300) then turned into a military base (Fort Ruger) with areas of the volcano being carved out for bunkers & batteries
Then the trail & tunnels were built to allow the soldiers to reach the various lookouts & outposts which was all part of the islands coastal defense system
Finally the US Military transferred control to (then territory) Hawaii in 1955 which became a US State four years later 

Some of the 560 vertical feet to the top but certainly feels like a whole lot more, so do i need to say this
Proper Footwear & Hydrate

As you can see there is not a lot of natural cover from the sun, so wear a hat plus lather up on the sunscreen as they say its a 90 minute roundtrip journey, but with crowds that timeline maybe optimistic

As i sit on Waikiki Beach relaxing, you cannot help but notice Diamond Head
Volcano (named after British Sailors in the 1800s who thought the calcite crystals in the lava rocks were diamonds) overlooking the island of Oahu & on the Pacific Ocean

Now I've been told by the locals that the trail (1.1km /0.6 miles) to the rim is manageable for the average person, but when i said  i was going to run it they rolled their eyes

Being me, upped the ante to say i was tacking on the 4kms (2.4 miles) from the hotel to the trail just to make things a bit more interesting 😃

As i do not consider myself the average person jajajaja

I leave the next morning early to avoid the heat & tourists with the run to the trail as a non-event.

But then as you start on the trek to the top your footing consists on everything from volcanic dust, some concrete steps (70+ & 90+) few tunnels then finally a spiral staircase to an old military bunker at the summit (with great views of Waikiki and Pearl Harbor......yes i brought my camera 😁)

 I must admit it was tough & i wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't fit, but the next day back at my favorite watering hole i raised my glass towards one of natures marvels & gave her a toast 👍 in presenting me with a another challenge to overcome.

Good to go early to avoid the crowds as its the most popular hiking trail in Hawaii plus you get to do a slow walk into history & get a glimpse from its geological & military past

The route starts in the parking lot (crater floor) which most of the walkway is paved concrete, but sections of the trail do include uneven & steep areas plus as you seen long stairways

Some of the trail to the summit from Fort Ruger was through these underground passages nicknamed the Mule Tunnel
 It was because of those animals which provided the transportation of some of the materials while other heavier goods where hoisted by winch & cable

One of the many fortifications you will encounter plus amazing views along your hike plus please note;

A) No mountain bikes are allowed
 B) Stay on the marked trails
 C) No dogs allowed in Diamond Head Park
D) No open fires 
E) Over 25 people in a group a hiking permit is required