Wonders of the world (Wonder where they all went? Try these)

Part I

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon...The Colossus of Rhodes......man, the ancients had the best tourist destinations. Or did they? Lately, the press (impatient tourists if I ever knew any) has been buzzing about naming new world wonders. For a real thrill (and stories to make your descendants jealous after global warming does God-knows-what), try these lesser-known contenders:

Kumbhalgarh Fort,  India

China, schmina. While your friends are making kooky faces atop the Great Wall of You-Know-Where, you can be high in the north of India, in a place I dubbed "The top of the world." Precipitous, twisting hills rich with green foliage hide wild leopards, lazing buffalo in still pools, and vine-covered stone steps to somewhere.

A rumbling 250-kilometer bus ride from Jodhpur, this is a land where the sun burns through cool winds and the hazy air turns faraway mountains blue. In the midst of almost nothing man made, discover the entrance to the Jainist fort Kumbhalgarh--home of the second-longest wall in the world.

Twenty feet thick and 36 kilometers long, The Great Wall of Kumbalgarh is a stone snake that invites you to follow it--if your 'what-it-takes' measures up. Bring excellent walking shoes, sun screen and stamina, and start hiking like you mean it. Bathrooms? Prepare for the stone holes in the ground that open to the level below (consider yourself warned). It is worth the hour climb. Gaze down from the top, and the rolling green earth lays down at your feet. (Admission: About 50 cents.)

Powder Tower, Prague, Czech Republic

Like a shadowy cut-out against the sky, this soot-dark Gothic remnant of 1475 crouches on the edge of Stare Mesto (Old Town), seeming to crook a beckoning finger at passing tourists. Dare you climb the 186 steps within?

Claustrophobes, take a breath of sky before attempting.

A tightly spiraling, crumble-edged stone staircase offers a shredding rope "railing" to assist your ascent. I was wiping cold perspiration from my palms by the time I reached halfway, trying not to focus on the ever-deepening funnel drop below me. At last, breathless, I reached to top--where a stout, old woman sat in a ticket booth. Perhaps she takes a helicopter to work? Or maybe she is the true wonder here. (Admission: Under $3.)

Stay tuned for Part II. Got more wonders in mind? Leave me a comment--I love suggestions.

Gift-buying bargains in Italy (When in Rome...sometimes it's better to shop elsewhere)

Dreaming of holiday shopping in the Mediterranean? Read on.

I was 15 years old and severely jet-lagged on the morning my tour bus bounced into Rome. "Leather! Thirty minutes for shopping, best you're gonna find--let's go," called our skinny, bug-eyed tour guide as he hustled our foreign bodies off the bus and into the streets. I remember a tiny store on a corner, and being told to rush.

I also remember the distinct feeling of being shafted.

(That was years before the Internet. Today, I'd be stealing Wi-Fi in the street and mapping a direct route to the cattle farm.)

Here's your best Italian shopping plan, no tour guide necessary:

Leather.
There's a reason this country is shaped like a boot. Florence's leather is rich red-brown with a special treatment that "makes it last seemingly forever," says one enthusiast. Stroll in and out of competing shops (and don't be afraid to try bargaining). Look for the characteristic smooth, hard finish on shoes, wallets, handbags and belts.

Gold. Your target: Florence's Ponte Vecchio, the bridge that crosses the Arno River.  This is a special bridge--you can shop on it. (Brilliant construction!) Look for windows beaconing forth bright gold light, reflected from rapper-worthy profusions of chains. Sold by weight, this gold is 18-karat, meaning it's 75% pure as compared to the 58.5% pure American variety.  Try the shop called Viaggi.

Cameos. In Naples, tour guides will likely crowd you into a cameo-making "factory." This is more like a cameo store. They really do carve tiny ladies from shells there, and they really do know how to charge for them. If you want a deal on a cameo, most seasoned travelers point to Sorrento. Check the goods in a few shops, and be sure the carvings are genuine (look for telltale scratch marks and irregularities).

After a good shop, don't forget to pause for a Limoncello: It's always best when the drinks are sour and the deals are sweet.

Weekend destinations for holiday shopping like a golddigger (without a sugardaddy's budget)

For me, holiday shopping time is open season where I know all the best hunting grounds. While the rest of America lines up to pay retail plus 10%, I'll be rubbing my mittens together and gloating here:

Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, Central Valley, NY
Nestled in a ring of mountains about an hour north of NYC, this place is among the royalty of discount shopping.

The jewels in the crown: Neiman Marcus Last Call is a gold mine filled with hidden delights like jackets marked down from $720 to $50--but you must be willing to flip through a lot of $2000 gowns and $1,200 sweaters to get there. (What, me mind?) Woodbury also features outlets unheard of anywhere else, such as Juicy Couture, Betsey Johnson, Prada (Miu Miu) and Theory.

Food fit for a king: Grab a meal at cute cafe Thyme to Eat (the apple crumb cake is delicious while the coffee makes a better enemy deterrent than beverage), or enjoy all-natural, low-cal Tex-Mex fare from Desert Moon Cafe, located in the food pavilion.

Last-minute essentials: Before your trip, visit the website and sign up for the VIP club to get loads of printable coupons, a pass for a free coupon book, and a priceless smirk.

Freeport, ME
While Kittery is the Maine name for back-to-back outlet stores, if you want to feel like an upscale such-and-such while you do your bargain-hunting, head for Freeport. In this fancy little town, the outlets are inconspicuously tucked into a charming street with cobblestones and lobster roll sellers ($11 apiece at the outdoor rolling cart, in case you wondered just how upscale this is).

Choice picks: Abercrombie & Fitch ($5 skirts and tees seem to pop up a lot); Banana Republic; Cole Haan. Of course, the king of outlets here is L.L. Bean--great for sturdiness, but if you're looking for fashion, keep looking.

VF Outlet, Reading, PA
If 'designer' brands make you want to run for modest cover, head to Vanity Fair (VF) for sturdy heartland names (Wrangler, Lee, HealthTex, Jansport, Nautica, Lily of France) at prices so low, you'll blush (i.e. $10 jeans; $4 bras; $7 sweatshirts), especially when you find yourself madly rooting through piles of $1 underpants (uh, not that I've ever done that). Hit the website first for online-exclusive coupons.

Where to stay: Neighboring Lancaster (half an hour away), also known as "Amish Country," where you'll still see horses and buggies, small-batch jam makers and genuine country dry goods stores with Penn Dutch specialties like hoot-n-holler-sweet Whoopie Pies (ask the locals about Zimmerman's). And for a real treat, set up camp at Willow Valley Farms resort, home of the world's greatest smorgasbord and death-defying donuts (as in, you'll be willing to defy imminent artery-clogging death when you smell these. They taste like heaven, and might take you there, as well).