Good news first...

The GL is built some turns after I start to build it. I manage to complete Colossus in 1060 AD, though!

First wonder in the 6th millennium of the game. Talking about a hard start... I meet the last opponent in 1190 AD, and it's Mao. Not much of a builder... At least not as much as Lizzy. He's the founder of confucianism, and annoyed towards me. I don't care, he's not dangerous, too far from Greece. In the meanwhile, my GP production has started. I've got three scientists, one engineer (useless since I'm too backward!), and a merchant. I should get more artists... I'm going to Caste system to never switch back. Pacifism too, of course. Things start to go up: the great artists start to pop, I'm beelining to constitution, then I'll grab education and stop the research. I rush the Taj Mahal with the engineer I had saved much time ago.

Finally, my second wonder! It's built in Sparta, and it's a very good wonder, for the artist points as well as the GA! I beeline Liberalism, but one turn before researching it, I realize that I have quite a tech lead versus all other opponents, so I decide to grab Printing Press first. Five turns later, I discover PP, then Liberalism and pick Democracy as free tech! Nice, now I can start the Statue. It starts in Corinth, and will take 42 turns to complete. Like if I had a chance to get it... Construction-Engineering for castles, then Corporation, then as much culture as we can get . My culture is still shrinking, but now I hope it will grow a bit...

... but Mansa declares on me. And lands one single knight at the gates of Corinth. Problem is, I only have one Phalanx in there!!! It could resist one charge, but maybe it will lose, and if it does, I'm screwed for ever. So I must hire 1 engineer and 7 (!) citizens to be able to build one chariot in 1 turn. I'm not changing civics, as I need that chariot. I hope I can make peace soon! In the meanwhile, I build some maces, so to be sure to survive... . The knights avoids combat for a while, pillaging here and there, until I bring a couple Phalanxes from Delphi. The knight then attacks and loses. Some longbows slaughter my two Phalanxes in the field, however. I pop silver in Athens! Not that I needed it... but some extra commerce could be nice.
And those odd maces? Here comes the Battle of Gao!

Quite easy, actually. Delphi, my NE city, is now my best production center, and had easily built three maces and a couple cats. They went to Gao, bombed it down, and razed it. Not much of a contest, Mansa still has longbows. After I have burned one of his cities, Mansa offers peace for 124g and 11gpt. Never mind... I guess I'll keep waiting until he's bored to run along my coast with his caravels. Speaking about phony war... The caravels are parked on my clams, don't move, and don't pillage . A couple turns later, I get the Statue of Liberty!

The long-term project has paid off. Then... I realize my mistake: It's not on the home continent!!! Noooooo how can I be so stupid! God I don't believe it. I guess I'll have to push harder. The win is assured only if nobody sends an attack to me. If that happens, I'm doomed.