We all worry about the spread of the flu, but often when traveling in the spirit of the moment, people forget to avoid germs. Many popular tourist attractions are filled with bacteria and most tourists don’t even think twice about touching them. The following attractions aren’t only some of the most visited ones in the world, but some of the ones that contain the most germs.
Kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland
There are a couple of theories as to the origins of the Blarney Stone. One popular theory is that an Irish king saved a damsel in distress in Blarney Lake. The women then told this king that he would receive a gift of eloquence if he kissed the stone. This stone has become so popular that nearly half a million people kiss it each year.
Grauman’s Chinese Theatre In Hollywood
Nearly 250 celebrities have had their handprints molded in the concrete at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. This all started back in 1927 when the actress, Norma Talmadge, accidently stepped in wet concrete. The theatre’s owner decided to make a tradition out of it and expanded it to not only the footprints of celebrities, but their handprints as well. Over 4 ½ million people visit these prints each year and place their hands in them to see if they fit. While this attraction is filled with germs, it does get mopped once a day and pressured washed every week.
Gum Wall in Seattle
This attraction is pretty strange and kind of gross. The tradition of sticking gum to this wall started in 1993. People waiting in line for a show would get bored and stick their gum to the wall. Today, there are millions of pieces of gum, all of which have been chewed and stuck to a portion of the wall that spans 50 feet wide by 15 feet high. At one time, theatre workers did try to remove the gum to get people to stop sticking it to the wall, but it didn’t work so they gave up.
Eiffel Tower In Paris
With 674 steps, the Eiffel Tower is quite the hike up to the top. Pretty much everyone has to utilize the stair railings at some point to aid their trek up, or down. This makes the Eiffel tower one of the germiest places in the world. With thousands of hands touching the railings each day, who knows what germs are lurking around.
Oscar Wilde’s Tomb In Paris
Also located in Paris, Oscar Wilde’s Tomb is covered in lipstick prints from mourning fans of the famous playwright and author. There are so many lipstick prints on the tomb at times that it can be difficult to read Wilde’s name. Although, he’s been dead since 1900, he is still very much celebrated for his often racy work including “The Picture of Dorian Gray”.
Red Wine Bath In Hakone
Located in Hakone, this is one of Japan’s most germiest places. At Hakone Kowakien Yunessun, visitors of all ages can take a nice relaxing bath in a large pool of wine, that’s lukewarm. If a wine bath isn’t enough for you, you can also soak in coffee or green tea.
The next time you are at a tourist attraction, remember that there aren’t only a ton of people there, but a lot of germs as well. Always wash your hands after leaving an attraction and never, ever, kiss any statues or tombs, unless you want to get sick and risk ruining your vacation.
