Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's fond memories of Great Wall, Machu Picchu

Former Miss World Aishwarya Rai is now 45, but still has a legion of fans. Aishwarya is no longer active on the acting front, but still is an influential celebrity as well as superstar.

The first priority of the actress is her family and she often finds time to travel with husband Abhishek Bachchan. In a recent interview to ‘Outlook Traveller’ magazine, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan listed her favourite destinations.

According to the beauty queen, all the places where significant events related to her life. “These spots include South Africa, where the first round competitions of Miss World were held; London, the venue of the finals; the Great Wall of China, where I danced for Sankar’s film ‘Jeans’; and Machu Picchu, which was a location of ‘Enthiran’,” remembered Aishwarya.

She also loved the visits to Tunisia and Slovakia for the shooting of the film ‘The Last Legion’. “The scenery of both countries left me spellbound,” said the actress.

If Aishwarya is asked to choose from among these spots, she would mention the Great Wall of China and Machu Picchu.

The Great Wall

The biggest manmade structure and one among the wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China is 6,325 km long. It was built by thousands of workers over a period of over a hundred years. The main construction materials of the wall are rock and brick. Starting from Shanhaiguan in China, the wall crosses several territories in the country to end in the Gobi desert. The main structure is 3,460 km long.

Many areas of the wall are crumbling as the years pass, but it is China’s biggest tourist attraction. Numerous visitors rush to enjoy the sight of the wall. Evoking wonder as well as curiosity among travellers, the wall is the prime symbol of extreme human endeavour.

Machu Picchu

It is an amazing destination nestled among the high mountains. Built of smoothed rock, Machu Picchu is designed in several levels. No cement or lime is utilized to fit the various rock pieces together. A drainage system to avoid water-logging and around 600 terraces to prevent a collapse of the structure can also be seen.

Archaeologists and historians are yet to unravel the mystery behind Machu Picchu. They have neither learnt how this place was constructed nor what purpose it served.

However, the architectural expertise on display and the beauty of the place attract a steady stream of visitors. In fact, hundreds of thousands of travellers reach Machu Picchu every year. Incidentally, this strange place is another Wonder of the World.

In the interview, Aishwarya also spoke about her first foreign trip as well as the places she wishes to visit. “It was at the age of eight that I made my first foreign trip. The destination was Japan,” she said.

Travels were part of Aishwarya’s life since childhood as her father was a marine engineer. “Bags were kept ready for trips at home all the time,” she recalled.

After travelling around the world, Aishwarya’s dream now is a voyage to the polar region. However, the trip will be planned only after Aaradhaya is a little older, according to her gorgeous mother.