MINIATURE WONDERS OF THE WORLD

          In this age of nanotechnology, it is a universal fact that the smaller the better - more powerful and more advanced, whether we talk about the pen-drive today or the mini skirt, it applies to everything on a broad spectrum! Imagine my surprise when I discovered that this is also true for the seven man-made wonders of the world!

It was perchance that we stumbled upon “Tivoli Miniature World” enroute to visiting the Niagara Falls – another wonder of the world, though a natural one! Niagara Falls is situated at a distance of 26 km from the American City of Buffalo, NY and is 69 km from the Canadian city of Toronto. Soon after crossing the border from Buffalo, when we entered Canada, we stumbled upon this place where we could see wonderfully detailed and intricate models of the seven wonders along with medieval cities and cathedrals. All this stands in contrast to the 600-foot tall Skylon Tower in the backdrop.

          We saw so many monuments as we made our way in from the entrance - France’s Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe to Russia’s Kremlin and Red Square, England’s famous Big Ben and the London Bridge to our very own wonder – The Taj Mahal! The US of A is not to be left behind either, with Mount Rushmore figuring prominently in the park as well! Wow! A Tour-de-World, right here in front of our eyes! I felt a shiver up my spine when I got myself clicked next to the Eiffel Tower but I have to admit nothing beats the feeling of pride swelling up in my heart when I photographed myself with the Taj Mahal – I felt as if I was home away from home!! It was simply splendid – walking up and down the little aisles and alleys created here in the park, I felt I had been transported back in time. This miniature world also had an area, which looked like the medieval era – small cities, and structures, which reminded me of the Pilgrims, and their way of life, which we had only studied in our History books, all came alive in front of my eyes! Moving along the aisles we came across more of Europe, with The Vatican and Rome’s Colloseum all lined up together and inspiring awe. Little did we fathom that our detour would bear fruit in this way!

          Standing there, right in the middle of all the wonders, miniature or otherwise, made me feel very “small” indeed. More than the monuments themselves, it is a wonder what we as human beings can achieve, if we put our minds to it. Then and there in that moment I realized the virtues of hard work, teamwork and the determination and drive required to achieve your goals. Nothing is impossible, if only you dare to dream BIG!

          This little known place “Tivoli Miniature World” on the American-Canadian border, appropriately built up our ‘appetite’ for visiting the Niagara Falls. After reminiscing over the wonders of human effort, we were only too eager to now take a look at the wonder of Nature itself. When in Niagara the next time, do take the time to visit this non-descript place along with the other attractions, such as the Minolta Tower or Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum. You will get a round trip around the world thrown in for good measure!