My first ever "Top 50 Cities" List - Finale - No 5 to No. 1

My first ever "Top 50 Cities" List
- Finale - No 5 to No. 1

Updated 25/12/2007

After doing the countdown for the past few months, finally we get to this point: The Final Five. It's like the TV show "American Idol" (though there is actually no American cities in the Top 5...)

Overall, in my Top 50, European cities occupy almost half of the seats. With 24.5 (Istanbul counts as half an European city, mind you) out of top 50 destinations are European, it is definitely my favorite continent in the world. With 8 cities in the final 50, United States is the country occupies more spots than any other single country. But ironically, none of those 8 cities are in Top 5 (Former Top cities like New York and Boston are now out of Top 50 due to "personal deduction"). In the end, there is only one country having more than one city in the final 10, which turns out to be Canada....must be a surprise for many people.

In the final five, actually only two are from Europe; with also two cities in final five, South America is able to claim to be "my second favorite continent" in the world. And the final one Top 5 spot goes to...a Canadian city, another surprise?

The following is my Top 5 favorite destinations in the world...

5. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (including Costa Verde and resort town Paraty): First visited in 2006, so I still have quite fresh memories about this city. Its beautiful setting is on par with Vancouver and San Francisco. However, it is not as overpriced and foggy as San Fran and definitely not as wet and cloudy as Vancouver. With its tropical location, it is beach going weather almost everyday in Rio. It also has some of the most beautiful denizens on earth. Unfortunately, just like many cities I love, it is not a very safe city to wander around by yourself at night. But using precaution, it should be fine. I have survived Baltimore (where now is my yardstick for an unsafe and inconvenient city), so Rio is not really that dangerous!

My recent photo album of Rio de Janeiro



4. Cuzco, Peru (including nearby Sacred Valley, Inca Trail, and yes, Machu Picchu): To be exact, Peru is also my favorite country in the world and I definitely think this region should be the first choice for anybody who plan a visit to South America for the first time (yes, Peru is the first South American country I visited). Compared to Antigua in Guatemala (another Top 10), Cuzco is an even more beautiful and cultural place. Even the nearby sacred valley of Inca offers a lot of activities to choose: white water rafting along Urubamba River (part of Amazonian system); shopping for Incan crafts at Pisac Sunday market; wandering through less famous Incan sites such as Sacsayhuaman and Ollantaytambo. Of course, no experience can rival that of trekking on Inca Trail, passing by Huinay Huayna, to reach Intipunku (Sun Gate) and have the first encounter with Machu Picchu. Yes, even a person as cynic as me would say: "This is the trip of lifetime!"

My writing about Cuzco and Machu Picchu:
Silence of the Andeans (in Chinese)

Photo album:



3. Paris, France : I guess few people would object that I list Paris in my Top 5 (aside from some millions of Bush-supporters). One of the most beloved and romantic cities in the world, it does have numerous great sites of interest and world-class museums. The best of all, you can rarely go wrong to eat in this city (even the Chinese and Indian restaurants are good). Just some advice, learn some French! You cannot blame people being rude while you don't even try to learn a little bit of their language...

Mmm...I cannot believe that I don't have a special page of photo album devoted to Paris. Okay, there is a travelogue I wrote back in 2002 about Paris:
A Place in My Heart II - Je T'aimerai pour Toujous

2. Montreal, Canada: What?! Montreal ranks higher than Paris? Yes, I actually like this "second largest French speaking city in the world" more. It is a North American city with an European heart, while constantly is confused with its own identity and direction (I can very much relate to that personally). Still struggling to define itself as the province of Quebec cannot decide it is "Canadian" or not, the bilingual Montreal has actually turned into a multicultural mosaic like Toronto and Vancouver (thanks to Canada's open-door immigration policy). Will it remain a part of Canada? Let's hope so....

Mmm...just like Paris, I also don't have a special page of photo album devoted to Montreal. But there is a travelogue I wrote back in 2002 about Montreal:
A Place in My Heart - Je me Souvient

So what is the number one among them all....after all? Isn't it appropriate that my favorite continent's main organization celebrated its 50th anniversary this year in this city, because it symbolizes the integration of this continent? With its war-torn legacy, division and reunification, fully looking forward but also never forgetting its ugly past, this is the most fascinating city of our era. Can anyone of you who were older than 12 forget who you saw on TV on November 9th, 1989? A day that practically changed modern history forever?

Yes....My No. 1 city in the world is no other than the one used to be two..


1. Berlin, Germany:
For a history buff like me, Germany's "former" but also "new" capital is the most fascinating city in 20th century. It had morphed 5 times in the past 100 years alone. Even after entering 21st century, Berlin still hasn't stopped its process of metamorphoses. Now the avant-garde art and nightlife center of the new integrated Europe, Berlin still remains a bargain destination. Your Euro (or pounds or CN$, and yes, maybe even US$) can still go further here than many other European cities. For architecture buffs, many interesting modern building can be found here. And after 2009, the Museum Island Complex will become the largest museum complex in the world. I have long been aware Berlin is a fun place to visit while most of the world still did not know. Unfortunately, after last year's World Cup, the secret is out....After visiting this city 6 times in the past 12 years, I also want to say "Ich bin Berliner!" (no "ein" here...).

My most recent BootsNAll.com article: "You Are Still The One"
and
An older article The Lost Past of Berlin (in Chinese)

Photo Album Well...it is Chinese only sorry...

So that is it...Finally I finish it! Right before the end of 2007, the best travel year ever in my life. Have a great travel year for all of you in 2008!....