Youni Nip stands in front of Stonehenge prehistoric monumentYouni Nip
The Stonehenge is a beautiful prehistoric piece of architecture. From a distance, when we saw the site, it was a stunning scene. Large stones were visible at a far distance in the middle of green plains. The site's origins and uses have always been debated. And there are many secrets yet to be discovered about this site.
Standing next to Stonehenge creates a feeling of awe and admiration. You tend to wonder how ancient civilisations managed to erect such massive stones, let alone transport it all the way to its location. The capabilities of human as a species is truly inspiring and this world heritage site is something that mankind should be proud of and work together to protect.
We then visited Salisbury, a cathedral city in Wiltshire. Cathedrals are large and majestic buildings with great religious significance. Walking through the Salisbury Cathedral reminded me of the possible peace in life.
Memorials of different knights and important people can be found there and after many years, these people are still remembered. Perhaps the most remarkable thing is the existing copy of the Magna Carta, an ancient document listing the authorities and rights back from the early years of the 1200s. Reading through the document really gives an insight of the past and how life was back then.
The refreshing weather and warm sunlight made today ideal for sightseeing and making new friends. We are ready for another intensive week of learning!
Godwin Law
My initial impression of the Stonehenge was how it seemed so much less magnificent than it does on the photographs. Those photographers really don’t get paid for nothing do they? The admission was rather pricy, and all the audio commentary machines were unfortunately taken up, so we were left to just circle the Stonehenge once.
Standing at the edge of Stonehenge was, to be described with one word, awe-inspiring. Despite how it was smaller than I had come to expect, the stones still towered way over my head. To stand next to this world heritage made me realise how small I am — a truly humbling experience.
I took some pretty splendid shots of it along the way too, and I’d say I got my money’s worth of photos. Later, we even found a nice place behind the Stonehenge and had a nice little picnic there.
It remains quite a mystery to me how these stones were able to be preserved in nature for almost 5000 years. I wonder if any of what we build today will even survive half that long, or if human civilisation will even still exist.
Photo: Youni Nip
To read more about the London International Youth Science Forum, visit www.liysf.org.uk. This trip is sponsored by British Council.