GO-UNESCO!
If there's one thing I love it's a challenge, throw in a huge travelling opportunity and a diary-writing contest and you've got me hooked, I'm your girl. Me and Ajay Reddy are clearly on the same page here as after being inspired by a travel Tweet this guy organised the GO UNESCO India challenge- a unique opportunity to travel to the most exciting places in India, record your journey and compete with others who are on the same mission.
Image by http://www.altiusdirectory.com/
The Challenge goes as follows, firstly (and most importantly) you will need to visit every UNESCO world heritage site in India, you will need to collect all the heritage tickets given out at these destinations and you will need to prove your whereabouts with photographic evidence of you holding the newspaper of the day (Instagram it if you must- I heard Humayun's Tomb looks great in 'toaster') . Each location has a number of points assigned to it, and the aim is to collect the full 1000 points before midnight on 31st December 2012. Not only this, but in order be in with a chance of being crowned India's own Dora the Explorer (not the official prize) you will have to write all about it, recording the sights, sounds and smells of your surroundings for the rest of us to read (and judge-no pressure).
Image by Ankitha Sista http://gounesco.in/tagged/ankitha
Amongst the UNESCO sites are The Taj Mahal (who'd have thought it?), the fascinating rock shelters of Bhimbetka and the Kalka Shimla Railway. The great variety of heritage sites means that you could be marvelling at awe-inspiring ancient rock paintings, chilling with the one horned rhino's at Kaziranga National Park and running barefooted through valleys of native alpine flowers, surrounded by snow leopards, all before singing Auld Lang Syne with a glass of champagne in hand this coming new year!
Kalka Shimla Railway- image by -
http://hillpost.in/2008/11/09/kalka%E2%80%93shimla-train-a-world-heritage-site/7799/general/ravinder
It has to be said, there is no official prize, but then if you don't consider a year's worth of travel tales an ultimate treasure than there's probably no need to take part. So far it's lovely Ajay at the top of the leader board with 240 points but if you have always dreamed of taking to the rickety road with just your journal and quill for companions and you think you can beat Ajay at his own game than this is the challenge for you!
So if you want 2012 to be your year with a story (produced and written by you!) then why not follow the link- http://gounesco.in/participate to apply? Good luck you travel thirsty lot, you! and don't forget to send me a postcard!
About the Author
Adrian Simpson Adrian Simpson is a writer and TV presenter with a profound love of the outdoors. His family, snow, sea, brewing, vinyl, guitars and VW buses mean the world to him.
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