Rome

Yes I am in Rome and I have already been here for one night. It is a little hard to get on the internet here for me because there aren't really a whole lot of outlets in the hostel, so I have to take refuge next to one plug to do anything with my computer.

I am having a blast in Rome. It is a really beautiful city, so I am having a lot of fun just walking around discovering what the city has to offer. Today I went to the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, The Pantheon, the Fontana de Trevi, among many sights. I got a map from Tourist Information and it has the routes of one of the big bus tour companies so I just made sure to hit all of the big sights it stopped at.

Rome is a really remarkable city. Thousands of years of history, millions of people, and an energy that never stops. The current population of Rome is estimated at just over 11 million people. It is hard to believe that in the peak of the ancient city the population was just half of that. (14 AD pop. 4,700,000). Walking around today made me think about the current crisis in America right now. People always say, history repeats itself, so there is bound to be a time when the U.S. would fall. I don't think that is what is going to happen when history repeats itself this time.

I am going to play Devil's Advocate for a moment. What do you think is the greatest success of modern technology?

Incredible architecture? I think we can all say the Romans were pretty good at outdoing most of the buildings we see now.

Economic wealth? Romans had that one going for them as well.

Advanced Health Care? Rome had a population of 4.7 million people in 14 AD, so are we really that much healthier than they are, or are we just better at keeping the sick alive longer?

Maybe, Communication? Well the Romans did have a very elaborate communications network, it just wasn't e-mail.

Indoor Plumbing? Nope, they had that one too.

Again, Devil's advocate, I think it is safe to say, that the only thing we have really been able to do in the past 2000 years is make things happen faster. Faster construction of buildings, faster communication, faster transport, ability to spend your money (or money you don't have) faster. So what is it that I think modern technology has really given us? I would say, technology has made patience a societal impossibility. Apparently nothing is fast enough for us, unless it moves at the speed of light.

Imagine what hell would erupt if a contractor told a company that it would take 200 years to finish construction on its new headquarters. Imagine, again, it taking hours to get to the market where you buy your groceries.

Now, I agree modern technology really has given us some wonderful things. Books, instant information, an international network of business economy and culture. But what about the latter? When Rome fell, there were civilizations in Asia, (i.e. the Turks) ready to take over the fledgling society. (Not that it was very nice about doing it). But now, with the complex web of culture, information, and money, will anyone be left when the market crashes? We witness on a daily basis the effect that the weak U.S. economy is having on the rest of the world. What happens when it collapses? You may be saying there are fail safes to keep that from happening, but I remind you that I am pretty sure that the Romans thought the same thing about their economy. Nothing lasts forever? But will there be a market left once the U.S. fails? I point out the scare raised by the bird flu in Eastern Asia. People were so worried that they would somehow contract it even though they were nowhere near East Asia. How will the world be affected by this travesty? Are you prepared to deal with what that would entail, because I certainly am not!

Will the only people unaffected by this be the nomadic tribes in Africa, Central and South America, and Southeast Asia? They already have a taste of what is required to make it without money... not that they are terribly successful at it, but they have a head start.

Again, devil's advocate. This city just startles me how "advanced" they were, and with the economic and climate problems that we are seeing, I just wondered if there really is a distinction between the U.S. and the rest of the world. What would be left?

Even though I sound like I have been getting really deep on this part of my journey, that thought process was about 30 minutes out of a really great day. I highly recommend Rome. Just expect it to be warm. Even in the middle of October, I was wearing shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt, and I was still hot and humid.

Tomorrow I plan on doing the Vatican and the Relics of the Ancient City!!