My 40 Favorite International Cities

The last time I did this was in 2015, and since then I've added a few more cities to the list. Not as many as you would think, but enough to warrant another go at it. I didn't have 5 more to add, but a couple and I'm really opposed to dropping anything off, so I'm just going to go to 32.

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The last time I did this was late in 2013, following my Round the Trip world. I don't know why I'm choosing now to update the list, but it is now expanded to 30 cities, and adds four new places that I've visited the last two years, and then an additional forgotten gem from my Round the World Trip.

I’m going to rank my top-32 cities to visit that I have been to. Take this more of a recommendation list, as in I would recommend the cities in the following order to someone who hasn’t visited them based on my experience visiting them. With that, obviously, only cities I have visited make the list, and visited means more than two days. I’m rating them on the following criteria: the places to see in the city, the ease of access of the city (public transport – much more important internationally when renting a car is more of a precarious idea – and the city’s airport or entrance system), their joi de vievre (a fancy way of saying ‘how would this city be to just chill out in), their weather and overall appearance, and some other factors. There’s no formula here, though.

This is heavily weighted by the amount of time I’ve spent in a city, and what age I was when I visited there. These rules hurt London, while help Madrid, because I’ve spent all of three days in London as a person of legal age, while spent more time in Madrid. It really hurts some other European cities, like Frankfurt, Zurich, Rome, Milan, places I’ve been to as a kid of 9-11.

Again, these are ranked as cities I would visit (all of them I have visited), not where I would live. I would live in Geneva, but probably not visit again because there isn’t much to do, it is cold, and some other reasons. There are places that I wish I could rank because from what I’ve heard from family/friends that have been there they seem really good, like Moscow, Berlin and Hamburg, and when I visit them, I will update this list. Also irrelevant is the ease of getting to this city. Singapore isn’t hurt because it is the farthest commonly visited location from NYC than any other place, and London isn’t helped because it is 6 hours away.

A city includes sites and destinations that are a reasonable distance away, so Barcelona won’t get credit for the Playas that are 2-3 hours away (and are closer to Valencia), and Athens won’t get credit for Ephesus which is 3 hours away, but London would get credit for Stratford (or whatever it’s called where Shakespeare is from, or Oxford – and Rome gets credit for the Vatican, which for being a different country, is totally part of Rome) which is reasonably close.

40.) Belgrade (2017)

In 20 years, Belgrade may deserve a spot well up this list, but for now for a city on the rise it gets on. For advantages, Belgrade is cheap, it houses some nice history, really good restaurants, and a great bar and club scene. For negatives, none of these things are marketed well enough. Belgrade should continue to grow, and as it does it will replace dirty streets with cleaner ones, complete the renovation on its main church, and just overall work on the edges. Then again, I kind of like a city that can still have cool ass floating clubs with affordable bottle service.


39.) Da Lat (2013)

The little hamlet high above the Vietnamese hills, Da Lat was probably the most pleasant surprise of any place on my trip. The city itself is modeled after European cities, with parks, downtown circles and even a model Eiffel Tower. The surrounding areas houses more traditional Vietnamese fair, like temples, Buddhas, waterfalls and even roller coasters, all underneath a cool mountain air. Da Lat's hills hide many nice restaurants, bars and clubs. It isn't nearly as loud or as famous as Ho Chi Minh, Nha Trang or Hanoi, but Da Lat may be the most pure mix of Asia and Europe that I have seen. Also, it has an incredibly nice airport given the just six flights that fly there each day.


38.) Penang (2013)

There are positives and negatives to Penang, and depending how important the positives are relative to the negatives to you, Penang could rise or fall on your rankings. Personally, food and culture are really important to me, and Penang has both in spades. It may be a little overrated with food, but the seafood night markets that litter both Georgetown (the main city) and the beaches (all within an hour or so from Georgetown) are wonderful. The Nyonya food in Penang is far better than that in Kuala Lumpur. There is enough to see, including a nice little trek in Georgetown to some interesting historical buildings (the Cheong Fat Tze is a nice highlight). Of course, Penang is also very crowded, slightly dirty and the beaches themselves are quite barren. In the end, I find this fair for what I still consider a great eating spot.


37.) Warsaw (2014)

Warsaw may have gone higher had I spent more time there, but like many other European countries, the capital is often a bit too commercial, a bit too gray, than the smaller pearls of cities (like Krakow, for Poland). Warsaw has some great sites, like its main street and clock tower, the palace, and I'm sure a whole host of others I forgot about or didn't have time to visit, but it is a bit lost in a city a bit too big for its own good. The food is decent, but what I really want to commend is its bar scene. There were some great gastropubs and beer bars that littered across the Warszawa Central district.


36.) Hong Kong (2003)

Hong Kong has little to do in terms of historical sights. With a couple countries claiming ownership of Hong Kong, they have done a nice job removing any ties to any country. Still, it has arguably the best skyline in the world (though after the new WTC complex is finished in all its glory, NYC will have a good claim to that spot), and being situated in front of and on a mountain gives it some excellent views. Their airport in universally hailed as great, and the gambling capital of Asia (Macau) is just a ferry ride away. But still, picking a place to be higher than 15^th given its total lack of history, or its lack of any particular brand of brilliance other than its propensity to build really tall buildings just feels wrong.


35.) Jaipur (2013)

I hated traveling in India in my limited tourist experience in India prior to Rajasthan. First was Agra, where the Taj was nice but completely offset by the filth of Agra. Kerala was a mess. Given those two, was not too excited to be going to Rajasthan, but I have to say it was great. Jaipur is slightly too touristy, with most of the city, at least as far as I could tell, built off Forts, Palaces, strange Astronomical objects, and of course shopping. For pure tourism, it is probably the best city in India, even if it gets a bit too hot at times.


34.) Punta Arenas (2017)

It's odd that none of the Patagonia cities are that close to the sites that surround those areas, so they were hard to judge. Punta Arenas is probably the most substantial town of the three we visited, with an actual down-town, with nice ornate buildings and squares, The best part of the city is an unexplainable sense of being so far away from home, from anywhere, with Punta Arenas being the Southernmost city of more than 50,000 people. There are of course some nice restaurants and bars, and a good mix of locals and tourists, which created a nice atmosphere as well. Of course, with the Tierra del Fuego and Isla Magdalena Penguins within driving distance, the tourism isn't too bad either.


33.) Florence (2003)

I’ll admit that Florence should probably be higher on this list, but it is my list of favorite cities that I would recommend. This is a strange combination, because personal favorites are wholly subjective, while cities that you recommend should be somewhat objective. Anyway, my problem with Florence is I’m not really into art, and if you aren’t than there is little to do in Florence. If you like art, specifically really detailed portraits from the renaissance era, then you will love Florence. If you don’t, then it will be something of a bore to a disappointment.

32.) Munich (2000 & 2009)

I have a strange history with quite a few international cities, and Munich is another one. I had both my 9^th and 18^th Birthday in Munich (in related news, I’m pretty sure where you can find me on April 7^th, 2018). The first during my initial trip to that part of the world, and the 2^nd on the penultimate day of our Orchestra’s tour of Austria (we flew out of Munich). Berlin is supposedly a great, modern city, but out of all the cities I have been to in Germany, Munich is by far the best. It is incredibly modern, and getting increasingly so, with modern architecture abound. It is the only European city with a skyline that can compare to those in the US (not a crucial factor, but still nice). The downside is there is little to see and that German food isn’t that good. Either way, Munich will always be the place to spend any birthday that is a multiple of nine, and for that alone, it gets on the list.


31.) Udaipur (2013)

Our first new city on the list is my 2nd Indian city on the list. As somehow who hated traveling in India, picking a city that is in one of the hottest areas in the country, and a city I visited during their hot dry season, this high might seem surprising. Well, I can't recommend Udaipur, along with Rajasthan as a hole, enough. The city has some beautiful scenery being built on a far more hilly area of the country than you would expect. They have famous lakes that hold famous hotels built on famous castles. They have nice food and street shows that line the corridors of the inner city. THere's the strange love for the movie Octopussy, where screenings are shown nightly. There's a beautiful palace inside the city. And I'll stretch my 'sites withing 1.5 hours count' rule by saying that the Jain Temple at Ranakpur was incredible - and in any modern country it would be within 1.5 hours.


30.) Split (2017)

Both of my two new cities are coastal Croatian outposts, and first comes the bigger of the two cities, in Split. There is so much to like about Split, be it the sprawling old town with enough sites and small alleys lined with shops and restaurant to keep you busy way too long, or the modern clubs and restaurants, or the sites from its hills. I guess in theory I can include the island of Hvar as well as that is within a 1-hour boat ride away, which adds beautiful beaches and mountains to this as well. Split as a whole might be a little too commercialized - they had a lot of stalls selling the normal tourist fares that aren't always appreciated, but the city truly is a beautiful slice of culture deep in Croatia. I do love how varied the drink and food scene is there as well.


29.) Lima (2016)

Lima has a few things going for it. First, its culinary brilliance, with two restaurants ranking in the Top 10 in the World per San Pelligrino's list (the most accepted of that type of list), one being Maido, a Japanese-Peruvian sensation. The sites aren't the best, few major cities are in retrospect, with a few museums and halls. The real sites of Lima are the whisping cliffs, the shops and the eclectic nightlife. The best South American cities combine Andean views with European charms, and few big ones do it better than Lima.


28.) Paris (2006) 

There’s obviously a ton to see in Paris, and the city center around the Eifel Tower, on either side of River Sein, is beautiful. Paris is a probably a city that certain people would love, but I am not one of them. Of course, I liked it enough to put ahead of some damn good cities, mostly on the ridiculous amounts of things to see alone. I actually don’t remember much of my Paris trip, which is strange given its relative recency, but I do remember thinking one day in the Louvre was far from enough, and the city center of Paris containing some of the best architecture of any European city. A lot of these European cities are impacted by my like or dislike of footballers from that region (I know, that sounds stupid, and it is), and Paris gets a boost for being the hometown to Zinedine Zidane.

27.) Mexico City (2014)

I put 2014 there, but I went to Mexico City two different times, staying in two different areas of that expansive, massive, festive city. Far safer than most areas of Mexico, La Cuidad is incredibly impressive. There are tons of historical sites, like the entire Zocalo, the Chapultepec, and La Reforma. Mexico City also has a wealth of food options, with incredibly authentic Mexican fare from around the country, including the incredible Oaxacan food. Really fun night spot as well. Mexico City blew me away also with its strange, mysterious beer culture. The City is a sprawling testament to how secretly, behind the dangerous cartels that line the exterior, the soft interior of Mexico is a gorgeous, cultural attraction that is bettered by so few cities.


26.) El Calafate (2017)

I have a few inexplicable choices on this list, and El Calafate, a more or less one-road town, might be at the top of those odd choices. I mean, literally 95% of the restaurants and shops are either on, or right off of, the main road. Of course, those restaurants and shops are fantastic, a great number of restaurants with fine Argentinean fare (Parilla's, and more earthern restraurants). Of course, the bars are great as well, from chic library-style cocktails, to an American craft beer oasis. However, none of that would place it on this list, but the irreplaceable Perito Moreno does. One of the greatest tourist joys of my life was walking around and then on that amazing, stunning glacier. A perfect mix of blues and whites, cascading chalks of ice, and the hoth-like conditions when traversing its face. All of it special.


25 & 24.) Prague/Budapest (2000)

These two are kind of blended together for me. I visited them essentially right after each other, both 13 years ago so my memory of each is a little hazy. I remember both for mainly positives. They are both beautiful cities, with lovely rivers running through them. They have some stuff to see, but not a whole lot. They are more affordable than the major cities in Western Europe, which is a plus (but also English –at least then – is not very transferrable to there). Budapest has some great food (Goulash!), while Prague is a pilgrimage for Catholics.


23.) Phnom Penh (2013)

I lied when I said that Da Lat was the biggest surprise of the trip. Phnom Penh was. I wasn't expecting too much from Canbodia's capital, but the mix of history, good and bad, food, nightlife and surprising urbanity made Phnom Penh a real highlight for me. I really loved Cambodian food, and it was at its best in Phnom Penh, a perfect mix of Malay and Thai cuisine. Phnom Penh itself embraced its own history, not shying away from the terrible acts of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, maintaining multiple areas in the city to pay tribute to those who died. The rest of the city pays tribute to the rich culture of Cambodia that preceded the destruction, with large pagodas in beautiful parks and nice museums. Phnom Penh also has a nice riverfront area that is really, really lively at night. Add into all of this that the currency of choice in the Dollar, and you get a really nice, underrated city.


22.) Panama City (2012)

My highest ranking Caribbean city probably could be higher, but I’ve been to a lot of great European cities so I don’t want to get crazy. I went to Panama with really low expectations, and I was blown away. It has a really impressive skyline, one that holds its own even if you forget that it is a poor latin country. It has great food of different cuisines. It has a ton to see, with the Panama Canal and the rainforest both falling into its sights. Other than Calgary (which I talked about in the last list) I don’t know if any trip I’ve gone on has been such a surprise as Panama, the Caribbean’s only truly modern city.


21.) Berlin (2014)

Berlin is the only German city I've gone to as an adult, and from what I read it was a good one to pick. The city is sprawling, and has covered it's whole 'we had a giant wall' thing with some really modern buildings and a few nice memorials. But what it also hides is an incredible city. The main squares, or platzes are all incredible, including that entire stretch between the Brandenburg Gate, through the Tiergarten, and ending with the Berlin Island. There are various areas of the city with incredible churches, restaurants, bars (and bars, and bars) and historical buildings. The city houses some fascinating museums that touch on the long, varying history of Germany is a country. Berlin as a city is too big to do in 3 days like I did, but it is definitely alluring enough to go back.



20.) Melbourne (2013)

Melbourne could be a Top-10 city to spend four or five days in. There is not too much to do, but enough to keep you occupied. If you like sports, which I do, then it is even better. Melbourne tries to lay claim to the Sporting Capital of the World, and when you mix together one of Tennis' four main tournaments with the 2nd most famous Cricket Ground (and most famous Aussie Rules ground) in the world right next door, it is hard to argue. Melbourne's riverfront is a beautiful area, with amazing views of the city around it. It's food options are endless, with really good Asian cuisine throughout the city. The nightlife seemed nice enough. It also has some really beautiful scenery around an hour of its boundaries, with beautiful parks, wine regions and the Great Ocean Road. Add into that Philipp Island, which just hits the cutoff to be included with Melbourne, and you get a solid, Top-15 city.


19.) Turin (2015)

I was close to picking Parma, as then I could include the Parma cheese factories, but picking Turin allows me to count the Piedmont wine country, and those little towns that dot it. Turin the city though, is a understated version of how incredible Italy is. It has the requisite churches and squares, but also has the open palacial squares and river-fronts that you normally associate with other countries in Europe. It has some incredible little hamlets of food, with great options for eating throughout the day (some excellent tea joints). My favorite place in Turin actually wasn't one of the two main squares, but Piazza Vittorio Veneto, one that borders the river with an amazing view of the city behind it. It was the last place we went to in Turin, an incredible capper to an unexpected amazing day in a great city.


18.) Tokyo (2013)

As a tourist, I don't care what the work and life culture are of the people in the city, and good thing, because if I did I may hate Tokyo. To see people in full suit in the subway at 11 PM coming home from work is jarring. But this isn't about any of that, it is about Tokyo the city, and it is a really fabulous metropolis. Tokyo is sprawling, in a way that makes New York seem small. There are really bustling regions like Shinjuku, really fun late night spots like Roppongi. There is a ton to see, and great food options. The food may be more corporate than traditional and homestyle in Tokyo, but that isn't all bad. The biggest complaint with Tokyo is just the size. It is so big that it is tiring to navigate at times, getting from one end to the other. Even with the reliability and the local JR Train lines, it takes time to get around. Good thing that most regions have enough to do to spend half a day there anyway. One last point, I thought Times Square was bright, until I went to Ginza.


17.) Vienna (2000 & 2009)

The 2^nd time I went to Vienna was on my high school’s Orchestra’s tour of Austria during my Senior year, and much of my high ranking for Vienna is based on that trip. There is a ton of history in Vienna, with the music scene being located there (Mozart and Beethoven’s houses), with the adjoining arts scene with a bevy of theatres. If you like classical music, then Vienna is heaven. I am including the adorable little town of …… where we performed, which was half an hour outside Vienna. The best part of Vienna is how modern it is. The city center has some of the largest streets and public squares of anywhere in Europe, with grand architecture all around. The food isn’t great, but it is no worse than Germany and Switzerland, and Austria is generally less expensive. It took a second trip to get acclimated with Vienna’s charms, but they are there, and plentiful.


16.) Bangkok (2003 & 2013)

Here’s the gist of what I remember from Bangkok: nice Wats to see, incredible food, up all night, eating all the time. Bangkok is a food-lover’s paradise, especially for those who like Thai food. Bangkok is also close to areas where you can do all those Asia type things like ride elephants and see the jungle. The weather is surprisingly decent for a city in Southeast Asia, and from what I remember it is pretty easy to navigate. My thoughts regarding Bangkok have indeed changed with my one-plus day visit. The city is better than I remembered, with sprawling malls, an advanced metro system, and new urban centers. The weather isn’t quite as good, as it is still hard to get to different parts of the city, but the city center of Bangkok is about as good as any I’ve seen in Asia.

15.) Goa (2011 & 2013)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, my initial ranking of Goa was a little ridiculous. It was built off of an admittedly awesome trip to Goa in 2011, but that was a perfect storm. We were staying in the best part of Goa for a first timer who loves food on beaches at 2 AM. I was fresh off of an alcohol cleanse (which of course came after the opposite of an alcohol cleanse), and was greeted with $0.50 beer. Goa still has all those things, but I quickly realized upon my second visit that the area of Goa you stay in makes a huge difference. Stay too far South and you get isolated beaches, which I am sure are nice to some, but they don't have the same nightlife and food options littering the beach. Instead, they have litter littering the beach. Stay in the right part of Goa and it is amazing, the wrong part and it is merely OK. Still, it is unlike anything else in India, and for that it will always be in my part.


14.) Dubrovnik (2017)

My expectations were raised on Dubrovnik from a number of friends and families had already visited, and oh man was it great - matching everything I would have hoped for. Dubrovnik, like many cities that line my top half of the list, aren't huge sprawling metropolises, instead smaller, untouched little power-packs of culture and beauty. The actual structure of the town reminds me of a European Cape Town, with the old town and fort replacing the V&A Waterfront area, and the hills of the newer part of the city similar to East Cape Town, and the hills in hte background, fixed with their own version of Table Mountain, being, well, Cape Town's Table Mountain. The history in Dubrovnik is amazing, with the old town such a beautiful array of nooks and crannies, with steep stairs on alleys down to the water. Within it contains history, and amazing restaurants, and, of course, Game of Thrones. Dubrovnik is one of the gems of the Adriatic Sea, right there with the other great ports of the Mediterranean.


13.) London (1999, 2000, 2010 & 2017)

I probably should just go to London more, because both my Dad and my Sister, who lived there, swear by London as an incredible city. But again, I’m not ranking this by how livable they are, but how good they are as tourist destinations. London definitely has enough to see, including the nicely compact Royal stuff (palace, parliament, other stuff), and a neatly packed city center (West End, Trafalgar Square, other stuff I’m forgetting), but it is a little too big. It’s subway system is clean, but doesn’t have the expansiveness that it needs (something I give huge credit to the NYC Subway System for, no matter how dirty it is). Of course, it is damn expensive, and the weather is mostly lousy. It may get better with more trips, but I think London is too big for its own good, and a little too confused, as it tries to be both Rome and New York.

**So I went here in 2017, and really have nothing more to add. I think what I wrote back then is more or less accurate**


12.) Cusco (2016)

Full disclosure, I'm cheating by including Machu Picchu as one of the associated sites of Cusco, which is a large part of the reason it places so high. Machu Picchu is a spectacular tourist attraction, from teh never-ending views of Hauranya Picchu's face, to the cascaiding hills on every side, to the great hikes. When you peel back to Cusco proper, it remains a great secondary city, a South American, high altitude version of Krakow (next on the list). The food is great, with so many small, but fine quality, restaurants. It has a vibrant restaurant and bar scene, and quite a bit of tourism locally, including other Incan ruins near the city limits. Finally, the altitude, as Cusco us probably the highest city that is easily and heavily visited. Plus, I owe a lot to the Loki Hostel, a wondrous place of Blood Bombs and fun.


11.) Krakow (2014)

By rule I like smaller cities over sprawling ones. Well, while there are expanses to Krakow that extend in all directions, almost everything worth seeing in the city is in a 10x10 block radius circling the best city square (Rynek Glowny) I have seen in Europe. When you get a city that has (their claim) more bars per capita than any in the world, combine that with amazing open space and roadside/streetside restaurants, and an economy that does not use the Euro and is far cheaper than comparale cities in Western Europe, you get a pretty fantastic city. Also, you want history near its borders, you get Auschwitz about 2 hours away. Krakow is an incredible secondary city, arguably the best secondary city I've ever been to. The beer, food and endless beautiful women makes it Top-25; the sites, easily walkable goegraphy, and amazing history (Copernicus lived there too) makes it Top-10.


10.) Kyoto (2013)

Kyoto is the 3rd biggest City in Japan, but resembles so little of Tokyo (the biggest city) that makes it seem like a different country. Sure, the food options and the bustle is still there, but Kyoto, in some ways, is like a supersized Siem Reap. The real highlight of Kyoto is the ridiculous amounts of Temples and historical Japanese buildings. All of these are encircling the downtown area of Kyoto. Of course, that downtown is quite large, with beautiful malls, tall buildings with summer beer gardens (umlimited beer buffets for $30) and plentiful up-scale food options. Kyoto even has the most expansive Geisha area of Japan. Kyoto is the perfect city to experience what people's idea of Japan is, temples and pagodas and sushi, oh my!


9.) Rome (2003)

Speaking of Rome, history’s most famous city checks in next. I haven’t spent any time in Rome as an adult, but I don’t think Rome is the type of city that would change much from an adult’s perspective. It is good for its history and sites first, and if you like Italian cuisine, the food second. If you include the Vatican, and as a Catholic I do, in Rome, then there is even more to see, as you have two different parts of history, the formation of the Catholic Church in the awe-inspiring Vatican grounds near and inside St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Roman history which is very well kept up. I can’t remember how their public transport was, and we went in December, so the weather was bad, but I don’t think it is a very big city. And then there is that food. I don’t want personal biases like my ambivalence towards Italian food to sway this. Many do like Italian food, and the city is even better for those people. That said, what hurts Rome in my book is I think it is too dependent on the sites, and if you aren’t there on a religious pilgrimage, I can’t imagine the allure of going to Rome more than once.

8.) Athens (2010)

So Athens is very much like its historical partner, Rome, with a few less sites, a lot less crowds, less expensive, and with better weather. So does that whole equation spit out a better city? In my mind, it does. Part of this has to do with visiting Athens at the perfect time (19, during March) and Rome not (13, during December), but Athens has it all. It has a lot to see, but not so much that sightseeing takes over the trip. It has a city that is hard to navigate by car and by walking, but has an adequate subway system. It has excellent food, and a great environment that bursts with fun and enjoyment. Just a grand old time in Athens, as I’m sure it was 2,500 years ago.


7.) Singapore (2012 & 2013)

Singapore is one of those places that has to be seen to be believed. There is no city any cleaner. There is no city as tightly situated while having enough external attractions. There is no city better built for a short stay. What doesn’t Singapore have? It has a theme park for kids. A bird park (highly recommended) and a night safari for kids and adults. It has a brand new casino for adults. It has a centralized bar/pub/club area near the waterfront. It has a preponderance of food from really, really cheap to really expensive. It has livable weather year-round. It also has the most interesting and enjoyable airport I’ve ever been to (there is a pool and gym that everyone can use for free in it!), and the cleanest, best organized subway system I’ve seen. So why is Singapore only #3? Because there isn’t that much to do, and Singapore’s not cheap enough to just sit around and eat/drink/do nothing. The sights have no historical resonance, and are replicated in other cities. Still, for a period less than a week, there is no better city to visit.


6.) Santiago (2018)

Midway through my second day in Santiago, I started debating how high it would go. Honestly, on the initial drive to the airport, through beautiful underground tunnels and well manicured streets, it earned its place on the list. Many great meals, multiple vibrant and differing neighborhoods, enough sites to last you days, and a cleanliness of Europe and culture of the Americas, and Santiago morphed into a truly special city. You have views, like at the top of Santa Lucia Hill. You have museums. You have regal government buildings. The restaurants are amazing, going from good street food to world class tasting menus. The competing Barrio Italia, with its Portland-esque vibe, and Barrio Bellavista, with fun bar after fun bar, add the neighborhood vibe as well. It all mixed to a truly brilliant city.


5.) Sydney (2013) 

Take the weather and leisurely attitude of Australia, combine the waterfront facade of a Chicago, add some pub and club nightlife of any city in Europe and you get Sydney, a city that combines the great aspects of every major city I have been too. It doesn't have a true culture of its own which hurts it in my mind. What I really mean by that is, much like the problems I have with England, there are too many similarities to the US. You don't really feel you are in a foreign city too much. Of course, that all changes when you walk towards the Opera House, or go to the night spots with the Australians out partying, or eat great meats. Sydney is a wonderful city, probably the most livable of any in the Top-10 (of course, it is helped by being English-Speaking), but sometimes I would sacrifice livability for uniqueness, which is why it isn't any higher.


4.) Barcelona (2007)

I really want to go to Barcelona again, because it could easily be #1. All the ingredients are there. Pristine weather. A people who don’t care about life, making the tourist experience more fun. Good beaches within reach. Stuff to see. An airport that is easily reachable and a city that is easily maneuverable. My issues with Barcelona (other than my dislike for the Blaugrana) are simple. There isn’t a lot to see in terms of history, mainly because the Catalans want their own history so they destroyed or shunned any Spanish national history. Barcelona is a nice city in terms of seeing the sights for a day or two and then doing nothing the rest of the time, but I do want more from my cities. 

3.) Istanbul (2007)

Istanbul is kind of a secret still, but there is really nothing to complain about. It has a waterfront, an easily accessible city center, a lot to see (the palaces, the Bosphuros, the Red & Blue Mosques). Istanbul also has a brilliant food scene, with both Muslim and Meditterannean influences but all sorts of bases (including a ton of seafood). There is little to separate any of the cities this high in the list. My only knock on Istanbul would be the public transport is lacking without a proper Subway (this could have changed since my last visit). Overall, Istanbul combines the palate and affordability of Asia, with the energy and cleanliness of Europe, the best of both worlds.


2.) Cape Town (2013)

I've been wondering whether doing Cape Town first helped increase my perceptions of it. I was at my most curious and excited at the start of the trip. Then, I remember everything amazing about Cape Town, like the incredible scenery and breathtaking views, the active harbor and Long Street areas (for the youngsters among us), the great food of every type and the wine region to one side with the Cape of Good Hope below it. Cape Town is a special place on the total other side of the word (laterally speaking). I've really never been any place quite like it, which is why I want to go back there more than any place in the world.


1.) Madrid (2001 & 2010)

I’ll never forget Madrid. It was where I turned 10 years old, in April of 2001. It was where I saw my first naked woman in real life, as I saw two nude woman near the pool in Madrid (given my age and their age, this wasn’t a good thing). It was where I first traveled alone, and where I learned the inherent joy of visiting a place a 2^nd time. Barcelona might be more ‘fun’, but I can’t think of a place that combines everything I want from a city more than Madrid. Madrid has a dependable airport, and a dependable subway system. More than that, the city is small enough in its center that you can easily walk from the Prado side on the East, to the Palace on the West and not break a sweat. It has some of Spain’s best museums. There is more than enough to see. And, of course, you are still very much in Spain. It isn’t as relaxed as Barcelona, but is just as Spanish, with open squares, easy food and drink,  a lot of youngsters (and a lively area for them at night). This wasn’t a criteria, but a lot of people speak English there to boot. Madrid is basically a perfect city. Small enough to walk, with enough sites to not get bored, enough food to not go hungry, and a relaxed, but not too relaxed nature that you won’t ever get tired of doing nothing for an afternoon or two.

The Nostalgia Diaries, Pt 10: 2013 NFC Championship

There was a time when I loved the NFL. I still do, but not nearly as much. I don't know when my NFL interest peaked. It probably had already crested by the time the 2013 NFC Championship Game was played, on a cloudy, but calm night in our Northern NFL outpost in Seattle. But it was still near its apex. I will say it was the last time I truly enjoyed the sport in its entirety, the game before the victor here (Seattle) romped over Peyton in his last great season. The following year, Manning started great and suddenly lost it in Week 12. The next year, his team won the Super Bowl, but he was a shell of himself. Since then he retired, and Brady won another Super Bowl and will win another MVP (and who are we kidding, another Super Bowl). But this was a different time. Manning was the best QB in the NFL. Had a clear line of sight on the GOAT title. Brady hadn't won a Super Bowl in 9 years. I could sit back and enjoy a game. And man did I ever.

That said, I didn't watch the game live. I watched it in its entirety a few hours after it started, if not finished. That's because I didn't watch the Patriots @ Broncos AFC Championship before this. I couldn't. I did not think I could handle it. I watched The Godfather Pt. 2 instead. When that was over, I checked the score on ESPN.com - one of the most nervous few seconds of my life was when that page loaded - and saw the Broncos won. I was overjoyed. And then I watched football.

The 2013 NFC Championship was in a way preordained. The Seahawks and 49ers were the two best teams in the NFC that season (quick shout-out to Carolina, who went 12-4 and lost to the 49ers in the divisional round). They were the two hottest teams in the NFC the previous year. They had two of the next-generation type QBs, two dominant defenses, and played a fun little game of 'Anything you can do I can do better' in the offseason, with the Seahawks answering the niners signing of Anquan Boldin by trading for Percy Harvin a few days later. When the season started it felt like this is how it would end. And it did.

In 2007, 2009 and 2011, the NFC hosted the 2nd Championship Game on Championship Sunday. Each one was a classic, three of the 10 or so best NFL playoff games I've seen period. A consistent throughline in each was the setting adding to the overall quality; the atmosphere helping to build up the moment. The best example was 2007, in a Lambeau Field that was -3 degrees, -27 with wind chill. But even 2009, with the ridiculous atmosphere in the Superdome, and 2011, with the rainy haze in Candlestick, one of the last Cathedrals in the NFL prior to it being torn down, the atmosphere played a role. And while there was no weather, there was noise, and there was isolation, this game being played in some tucked away corner of our country.

What also helped set the tone of the game was its defensive nature. I've always been open for my love of defensive football - one of the reasons that I've enjoyed this season outside of the Patriots continued annoying brilliance is the comeback that defenses made - and even in a year that still holds the record for most points scored, defense mattered in a big way. The 49ers and Seahawks staged a ridiculous battle of defenses, with the Seahawks secondary matching point for point with the 49ers incredible front-7. The scoring was mostly all driven by turnovers, or miraculous plays by Seattle (a patented Wilson scramble 15 yards behind the LOS and 50-yard launch, or a 4th down bomb for a TD, or Kaepernick's general brilliance in those days). Every first down seemed a minor miracle. Every play was an opportunity to be wowed by defense.

There were so many amazing moments in that pulsating contest. The sacks, the incredible play by Navarro Bowman to strip a ball while having his ACL torn (cruelly, the play was called dead and the fumble did not count), or the subsequent 4th down stop. Of course, the capper was the Richard Sherman play, but more on that later.

What struck me most about the game though was how this is the type of football I wanted to see, the type of football that just seems more emblamatic of what the sport should be. I rewatched the game the following day with my parents who were travelling earlier that weekend (it was MLK weekend, I believe), and they had an observation that was fairly astute: this seemed like a different, more serious, more intense game than what the Patriots and Broncos played earlier that day. And of course it was. In that other game, the Patriots hit Peyton one time and he had 400 yards passing. The QBs didn't combine for 400 yards passing in this one, and not for a lack of trying.

The atmosphere was just different. The dark field as night descended in Seattle, mixing with those dark Seattle uniforms and the classic look of the 49ers, mixed together to form a potent cocktail. The energy in the stadium was as well. Seattle cheats in a way, creating a stadium that literally was built to make it sound louder than it really is, but cheating has its benefits. 

The game ended the way it should, with defense ruling the day. That last 49ers drive was so perfectly set-up. They were down 6, 80 yards from stealing the NFC Championship. Immediately they were forced to convert a 4th down, and they did it by having Kaepernick roll left, throw across his body, to Frank Gore, probably the 4th option on the play. It took those sorts of miracles to just get 1st downs. The drive continued with Crabtree catching two passes (ironically, Crabtree had a really good game, making the Sherman - Crabtree banter all the more ironic), and the 49ers found themselves about 20 yards away with 30 seconds to go. And then Kaepernick got greedy, and Sherman made a ridiculous play to tap away the ball on a deep fade, and of course a Seahawk was right there to snatch it, as it always seemed like they had 13 guys out there on defense. And just like that, one of the great playoff games of our lifetimes was over. 

Of course, it wasn't just over. There was a little Sherman-ness left to go, with his memorable interview, but given that I found that whole affair way overblown no need to recount it here. All in all it was a continuation of the game, one with a ridiculous level of intensity throughout, with two teams constructed over a three-year period to play in that game.

This game effectively closed a chapter of the NFL book. The 49ers fell off the next year to 8-8, a year that ended with Jim Harbaugh running off to Michigan, and a number of players retiring. The Seahawks continued to be good, but even for them they were never this good again. The Pacific Northwest has been the site of numerous other great games, including the OT NFC Championship Game the next year, but no game felt as important, as meaningful, as perfect for that city and that stadium.

Year End Trip of 2017-18, Day 12: Santiago

Day 12: The Long Goodbye

We only had a few specific tasks for the final day of our vacation (sad-face), a few touristy, a few more relaxed. We had nine or so hours to play with after checking out of the Radisson Blu in the Dohesa suburb. My only real goal was to re-test my initial love of Santiago from yesterday, see if I was right in my initial opinions. Luckily for us, we did see enough the strengthen that judgement.

Our first destination was the Plaza de Armas; the most famous and serene of the many Plaza de Armas that found their spot at the center of pretty much every Chilean city we visited. We finished parking in another one of Santiago's beautiful underground garages and walked to the Plaza. I had three thoughts that immediately entered my mind. First, was how prominent the Cathedral was. Second was how green it was, with lush trees in the middle of the square. Third, how clean the entire square was. Santiago is classicly Europe in many ways - it is the city that most people think Buenos Aires is.

Many buildings border the Plaza de Armas. A few were intended sites for us; the first being the Correa hotel, which back in the day was the hotel international journalists stayed in during the military takeover conflict of the country. Next door was the old house of Pedro Valdivia, a large mansion now converted into the Museum of National History. It is a free museum (most in Santiago were), and a quick run through, but far better than the two semi-disappointing art ones from the day before. It started from the beginning of European exploration, through Spanish rule & settlement, to the many twists and turns from democracy through to Unionized socialism, to republican rule to finally Pinochets reign. The only downside was the information was all in English, but it was a good chance for me to try out my Spanish - it's gotten quite good over the last two weeks. The best part of the museum is it was a relatively quick stop, in and out in 30 minutes with gaining a better understanding of Chile's varied history.

The final stop at the Plaza de Armas was the Santiago Cathedral, a well ornate house of worship. We had the good fortune of walking in during a mass service, allowing my parents and I to catch the last 40 minutes of the service. Given the mass was in Spanish, and there were a few other tourists walking around the perimeter past all the side altars, I decided to do the same and take pictures while listening to the service. Probably not the most Christian thing to do, but we didn't have enough time to finish mass and then see the church. Had to multi-task a bit.

Our next stop was a block away from Plaza de Armas. It was the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art; basically a museum of old pre-European settlement art for all Central and South America. This museum was unlike the others in that it was more formal, had a price attached (a reasonable ~$3 USD), and English explanations. The basement was a large open hall with black walls explaining the aboriginal history of Chile, which is incredibly varied North to South. The rest of the museum actually forces more on the rest of South and Central America (including Mexico), as a tribute to the heritage of all the indigenous people across Latin America. They had a special exhibit also about the people that inhabit the Atacama desert in Northern Chile, the dryest in the world. The whole museum was extremely well curated.

It was nearing 1:30 and we needed lunch, so we took a quick cab over to Barrio Italia, slightly East of the city center. Barrio Italia is somewhat the city's artsy, hipster district, something of Santiago's mini-Portland. Our restaurant Casaluz was at the edge of this district, but showcased much of the Barrio's flair. The decor was trendy, the restaurant had a beautiful little patio area in the back, and a slew of 20/30-somethings out for their Saturday brunch. We ordered an octupus starter with lavender and pureed potatoe, a merluza with sauce, and braised lamb with diced potatoes. All the dishes were plated excellently, and constructed beautifully. Casaluz was a great final full meal.

To both walk off the meal and experience more of the district, we walked down Barrio Italia's main road (conveniently titled Avenida Italia). The walk was informative in realizing how nice this area of Santiago was. The restaurants were all as trendy and cozy as Casaluz. The coffeeshops the same. The middle had a series of deep buildings that housed dozens of small boutique shops, something I saw a lot of in Portland. The difference is Portland is a fairly rich city in the US. Santiago is a city in Latin America. The fact that they can support this type of area is really impressive. Barrio Italia is not a place that particularly appeals to what I like (despite having a nice coffee and going to a few gourmet food sops), but a sign of Santiago's excellence as a city.

Our last bit of tourism was Santa Lucia Hill. Santiago contains a few hills, with Santa Lucia the one in the heart of the city. The Hill itself is maybe ~150 feet high, with the ascent being fairly easy on the main route (there are about 50 different pathways in all directions). The main trek up passes through Castillo Hidalgo (closed, but looked nice), and then up to a landing area with a fort, a few statues and a few great views. But the real challenge is further up, maybe another ~50 feet or so, mostly by steps, up to the final Mirador look out point. The walk up is totally worth it, as the views show how sprawling a city Santiago is, and how overpowering the mountains are. One view to the North gives you the city's taller hill (San Cristobal - we didn't go because the funicular up was broken), but beyond that was mountains all over the perimeter of the city. And in each direction were further layers of mountains, with snow-capped peaks peeking out in the distance. Santiago is truly settled in a beautiful location.

We ended up having about an hour to kill before needing to head back to the airport, and I proposed we go to Bar Lugiria, one of the last places on my list. It would give us the opportunity to get a bite to eat with dinner on the flight being probably close to 1:00 AM, and it would give us a chance to see the only other notable area within the heart of Santiago we hadn't visted yet: La Providencia. In the end, the restaurant / Bar was nice. We sat outside, because the inside looked a bit small (if still nice), but we didn't realize the "back room" was giant, open aired and packed. Anyway, our food was fine (mussel soup and lamb chops), and the beer was good. Providencia is a quieter neighborhood, if a bit workmanlike, but still far more European in styling than other Latin American city I had been to. For a last piece of tourism, it was great.

We then drove off to the Airport, with the only drama not being able to locate a gas station to fill the tank at - this may be Chile's biggest issue, the complete lack of gas stations. This is a bigger issue in Patagonia where there are 3-4 hour drives with 1-2 gas stations present, but even in Santiago it caused a senseless nervous moment. In the end, we were able to drop-off the car, check in and fly with no issues.

Our time in Santiago was in some ways representative of this whole trip, even if the urban city was so different than the open roads and wondrous terrain of Patagonia. Chile is a 1st world country with a few lasting 3rd world problems. It is a country that has embraced tourism, but one where the world hasn't yet embraced it. A great thing as crowds are still very manageable - I have doubts that will be true in another decade.

I plan to do an A-to-Z type review of this trip, the most substantial bit of tourism I've done since my Round the World Trip nearly five years ago, so I'll save my overall thoughts a bit for that, but like the entire trip, Santiago was clean, stunning and fun. I know judge cities by a few elements that all add up to answering two questions: 1 - how high will it go on my list of favorite cities (Santiago will be very high), and 2 - how much do I want to go back, and I want to go back immediately. And that applies to both Santiago, and Chile at large.

Year End Trip 2017-18, Day 11: Santiago

Day 11: Santiago, a Beautiful City

So far we had spent two nights in Santiago, and even a meal or two, but had really not spent any time in the city. That would change for these last two days, before this vacation comes to its depressing end. From the little I had seen of Santiago by night, it seemed stunning. After spend a day there, I am in many ways blown away by the city as a whole.

Our day started after parking in one of Santiago's numerous truly high quality underground garages, by walking through Parque Forrestal, which goes from Santiago's little museum square down to Plaza Baquedano hugging the river. The green was great as it provided a good amount of shade on a hot day. Each block was also some monument and sculpture, a commonality shared throughout Santiago.

From there we went to Mercado Central for a quick seafood lunch. This was actually the one slight disappointment in the city. Unlike the central market in Panama City that we loved, including for its delightful fresh seafood, the one in Santiago seemed a bit too touristy. The place we ended up picking was omnipresent within the market, getting a soup of 'mariscos' (mussels, shrimp, squid), and a ceviche done Peruvian style. Neither was great, not awful, and it was a quick in and out job giving us a good amount of time to traipse through other parts of the center of the city.

We walked south from the Mercado Central to the Barrio Civic, where many of the city's government and public structures lie. All this area is pristine, with wide open streets, good security presence limiting hawkers and other fares, and just perfect white, ornate buildings showing a hidden might of Chile. We walked first to the large Plaza Constitucion, with ornate buildings on each side, and the Palacio de La Monedo, in white, on the south face, guarded by security, On all sides of teh plaza, which itself is green with large trees and ferns (Santiago is a very green city) are statues of various Chilean leaders. On the other side of the Palacio de La Moneda, is another open plaza, with another statue, but what makes this area really cool is what is underneath.

Chile's president in the Mid-2000s made improving Santiago's cultural centers a key priority, so they created one, a beautiful stone and concrete 3-level open area with museum-quality exhibitions, shops selling fairly high-quality cultural fare, multiple cafes, and just a good vibe. Two blocks East of this was the financial area, with their own version of wall street, and a few other inner roads connecting the main internal thoroughfare (Avenida Alemada) with the plaza, that are pedestrian only. This inner part of the city was unlike anything I've seen in Central and Southern America, and can compare easily with many European cities.

What may need to improve to match the major European cities, however, are the museums. We are going to a few more tomorrow, and to be fair they aren't played up as huge tourist attractions, but they were a bit fallow so far. The one's we mainly checked out today were housed in teh same building on the West end of Parque Forrestal, housing both the Art museums showcasing contemporary and fine arts. Neither were large collections - which is nice given a huge collection with lesser quality would have been grating. The contemporary art museum was forgettable. The fine arts one had some interesting elements. First was a series of Roman sculptures done by Chilean artists at the turn of the 20th Century, as replications of the actual ones. Teh second was a whole collection of interesting photography or textile based artwork. It was a nice break from the sun, and what Santiago lacks in museums it has in spades in other areas.

Nothing may have been a better sell for Santiago than how fun it is to just drive around. The city has tons of major roadways, both multi-lane throughfares and highways, crisscrossing the heart of the city. Most parts of the city are extremely drivable with limited traffic. All of this is extremely good for the views. Santiago is a mixture of posh residential areas with modern looking apartment buildings and palm trees in the medians, with European buildings and urban maw. All of which has sightlines of hills and mountains, layer after layer, in all directions.

After retiring back to the hotel to freshen up, we all headed out for our last full family dinner of the trip (my sister and her boyfriend leave back tomorrow morning), where we had to call an audible after no one realized our reservation at 040 Restaurant was at 8PM and not 9PM. We settled on Barrica 94, a somewhat trendy restobar at the southern edge of Barrio Bellavista.

Santiago has many little 'barrios' or villages throughout the city that have their own life, and Bellavista is one of the more popular restaurant and bar sections, definitely the liveliest at night. Barrica 94 is situated within Patio Bellavista, a nice little block with many restaurants on its border, all with second-floor terraces that empty out over and above the Patio. Barrica was a really nice spot, with all the normal Chilean fare. We got a couple plates of well cooked empanadas, somehow a dish that had eluded us, and them mains of Merluza with grapefruit sauce, braised lamb and a Chilean lamb stew - all Chilean staples. The food was as good as the view, a really nice last group meal.

Being already in the popular night area, I stayed in Bellavista to end my night. There were a few options on my list of places to go to, but most seemed way too crowded to bother (it was a Friday night). The place I ended up was not on my list, nor even in Google. It was a really nice spot that was half full so I'm guessing it was new. It was a beer heaven, however, with about 50 different local Chilean options, of which I tried 4, mostly all stouts. Chile's beer culture is really strong. Despite being more known as a wine country, the beer side of the house has made great strides in recent years from what I gathered. They have variety of options and styles, and all the beers I've tasted were all good.

The night ended around 2:00 with an uber back to the hotel. Bellavista was still swimming with people milling about, each bar full of music and joy. Santiago itself was a bounty of joy the whole day, a really nice city, clean, modern and bright. Add in a food and alcohol culture to match most cities, and you get something quite special. We'll do more tourism work tomorrow, and hit a few more restaurants, and if it keeps up, Santiago may fly up my list of favorite cities.

Year End Trip 2017-18, Day 10: Colchagua Valley

Day 10: Winin' and Dinin'

This day was given to my sister and her boyfriend, to winophiles who took to Chile naturally when planning our day in the wine country. Our destination was a couple of the wineries bordering the town of Santa Cruz, deep inside the Colchagua Wine Valley, one of the main wine regions within Chile.

The drive to the wine country itself was a journey of increasingly pictuaresque sites, manicured rows of vines draped across the plains and the low hills behind them. The drive down to Santa Cruz also gave us another experience with Chile's brilliant highway system. The only complaint is they are largely two lanes at most, but the road quality is perfect and the rest stops well maintained and fancy, truly better than most American highways.

The roads around thee Santa Cruz area were a little more primitive, one load pathways with trucks and tractors slowing down traffic, but hidden behind them were perfect estates of wine nirvana. Our first stop actually was for lunch at the winery restaurant at Viu Manant Winery. The restaurant was named Rayuela, and coupled as the #1 restaurant in the Santa Cruz region per tripadvisor. The setting was perfect, with the five of us seated underneath a large fig tree providing the perfect shade and pathway for wind to make the hot day actually incredible pleasant. The location was excellent, with pots of fresh herbs, figs growing on the trees, the rows of vines in the distance.

The food met its reputation, with us sharing a nice pumpkin soup and fresh Ceviche made peruvian style, this time with the added Peruvian element of large lightly cooked corn kernals. Our mains were hake, strip steak and a lamb shank, all cooked well, accompanied by truly giant side portions of creak corn and spicy mashed potatoes (normal mash with an added mystery chili). The food was great, and the we needed the added sustenance with the wines to come.

Both wineries we went to for tours, Viu Manent (where we had lunch), and Del Monte, mandated a wine tour to accompany the wine tasting. Del Monte, a little more simplistic, had its wine tour consist mostly of a long drive through the vines on a tractor carraige, including up the hill a bit, and then a quick tour of the manufacturing facility, and then straight to tasting - four wines, three red and one white. I'm nowhere near intelligent enough about wine to comment at all on the quality.

Viu Manent was more bulked up. The tour had the same element of carrying us in carraiges through the winery grounds, but instead of a tractor it was horse-drawn. Their tourguide had a natural command of English, including a perfectly metered sense of humor. Their run through the manufacturing facility was more exhaustive. To boot, they also gave us one additional wine (one white + four red). Again, no need to show my ignorance by commenting on the taste or fill.

We then went to the town of Santa Cruz, which is more like what I had in mind for Chile, and in many ways reminded me of Queretaro in Mexico where I was on assignment. Nowhere near low-income for the country, with a decent city center, but signs of poverty and 3rd world littered (no pun intended) as you go away from the center. Our hotel was bordering the Plaza de Armas (every good Chilean city seems to have one of these). Our dinner was not, and the drive over there did give some increasingly nerve-racking moments of "where the hell are we going?". Luckily for us, the destination was as quaint, small-town perfection.

Dinner was at Etiqueta Negra, though after a large lunch and multiple wine tastings, we weren't in the mood for a full dinner. Etiqueta Negra is a true mom-and-pop operation, stationed mostly in the back of an unassuming house. The patio that housed the seating area was under a nice canopy, with the sides built up with flower pots and greenery. In the distance was the receding sun combining with the night sky to produce a type of purple I hadn't remembered seeing before. Even counting our venture through Tierra del Fuego island, I may had not felt more remote previously, but also more at peace.

The trip to Santa Cruz can be a multi-day affair for those wine inclined. I'm sure my sister and boyfriend could have done that. Given the setting, the small-town nature that I have a particular inclination for, and the seamless perfection of the look of a well maintained winery, maybe for me as well. At this point, there has been no part of this trip that I would not want to repeat again at some later date.

Year End Trip 2017-18, Day 9: Valparaiso, Vina del Mar & Santiago

Day 9: A Different Type of Coast

This will likely be a short entry, saying this in advance. It's been four, now five (in calendar terms) years since I've last done a true trip diary like this. There's a few select differences between that and this:

* Back then, I was travelling largely alone, and was able to spend my alone meals writing. Now, I'm with my family and doing this largely late at night out at some bar when my family is asleep

* Back then, the trip was 105 days long. No joke. It started in late February and ended in early June. This will have 11 or 12 entries, but is the longest tourism focused trip I've done since.

Anyway, some days are more action packed than others. The slower days usually made os due to travel. The sheer size of Chile necessitates this as much. This was necessarily that, as the day both started and ended in Santiago, a sparkling city that seems to be the pearl of South America to me. I say that with two caveats, one being my list of major South American cities to compare it to is limited to Lima and five hours in Buenos Aires, and the other being I've spent less time in Santiago than in Buenos Aires at this point. Anyway, in the intermined time between morning and night, we went West towards the coastline, with the final destination being Valparaiso and its northern posh sister city Vina del Mar (at this point, I will also mention I'm nowhere near smart enough to type the names of these cities with their proper Spanish punctuation: the 'i' in Valparaiso is accented, and the 'n' in Vina del Mar has a tilde). Before those was a wine tasting in Casablanca, and a beautiful tasting menu dinner at 99 Restaurante in Santiago. It may not have been the busiest day, but still an extremely valuable one.

The first stop on our journey was the Casablanca wine region, to Emiliano winery right off of Route 68, one of Central Chile's numerous wonderful highways (truly, the road conditions in this part of Chile are startling). The Emiliano winery was well manicured, with a lily pond and beautiful trees creating shade around a nice building housing the wine tasting bar. We sat outside for our wine tasting, enjoying the pristine weather and more than pristine views. The views are just incredible, with rolling high hills of well kept vineyards as far as the eye can see.

The wine itself was good - at least to my admittedly amatuerish knowledge. Contrast that to my sister and her boyfriend, who are at the extremely knowledgeable end of 'amateurs'. We played a fun game where each of us had a sip and tried to guess the notes and/or flavors. I was actually fairly good, ascertaining correctly that one of the wines had a grapefruit citrus flavor and another a raspberry note, but I chalk that up to fairly good palette for flavors from my cooking; I had no ability to describe the strength, aftertaste, tannic levels, etc. The entire wine tasting was accompanied by a great wine and cheese board, which made the whole experience quite enjoyable.

We then continued on our way to Valparaiso, running slightly late for our lunch at Espiritu Santo, which is one of Valparaiso's highest rated restaurants, near the top of one of the city's many hills. Valparaiso is a coastal down due West of Santiago, billed as a hippy paradise and a more low-key hang than the Metropolitan capital. The restaurant, which some blogs my sister and I read called it one of Latin America's best, was amazing, especially given its reasonable pricing. We feasted out with a ceviche, tuna tartare and squid salad appetizer grouping, all so perfectly cooked. The ceviche more in a Peruvian style with Leche del Tigre, and the Tuna accompanied with well cooked vegatbles. The squid may have been the best, with squid ink as the salad dressing.

The mains were about as good, with us all splitting both a seafood stew of tuna steak, langostinos, baby clams and scallops, all cooked well in a Portuguese-style broth, and a perfectly cooked hake. When I mean perfect, that was about as well cooked and seasoned a fish as I had tasted in Chile, and the seasoning was basically just citrus acid. We capped the meal with a lavendar-infused dulce de leche, again made just divine. The whole meal at Espiritu Santo was excellent, making the whole trip to Valparaiso worth it, which was a good thing given the rest of the town wasn't as expected.

Valparaiso is a city of hills, and I think we should have resigned ourselves to that area, instead of venturing down to the area at sea level. The hills were all adorned with beautiful artistry in the grafitti paintings, a true sight. We visited one of Pablo Neruda's houses, which has become a Chilean hipster hang. The views from Parque Bismarck were incredible, showing a sprawling coastline well built up, including multiple ports, one being a naval shipyard. The problem, I guess, was venturing down.

It isn't that central Valparaiso is not a good city, but compared to the idyllic view from above, and our past experiences throughout Chile, it is more of a disappointment. It connected more with what I expected Chile to look like, or rather Latin America. There was a nice square (Plaza Sotomayor) in the heart of the city that was nicely built and had some ornate statues and buildings, but there was a hawker market and a throng of humanity. The entire city seemed more industrial and, openly, poorer. We drove the coastal road (Calle Errazuriz) up through Valparaiso and out to its northern neighbor Vina del Mar, and then got a second surprise.

Vina del Mar is basically an American coastal town, if not a European one. It has beautiful hotels, wide streets lined with palm trees, white, clean buildings. It was a whole different world. We all joked this is where the monied people of Valparaiso moved out to, including the owner of Espiritu Santo that we chatted with at the end of the meal. Vina del Mar was like a whole different universe. I fully plan on coming back to Chile, preferably sometime soon, and Vina del Mar would be on my list.

Our drive back to Santiago was uneventful, the only memorable moment in reality being our bathroom break at a gas station rest stop - but remove all images that that description would conjure. It had a gas station, but the restaurant at the rest stop was ornate and fancy. The adjoining cafe moreso, with a beautiful mural showing a map of the central part of Chile. If anything, this was a restaurant + cafe that happened to have a gas station.

Back in Santiago, we rested up and ventured out to the central part of the city for our dinner at 99 Restaurante. Santiago has a vibrant culinary scene, spearheaded by Borago, a restaurant on the World's Top 50 list published by San Pelligrino. We were unable to get a reservation there, but scored ones at the #2 and #3 Santiago restaurants on the expanded version of that list, Restaurante 99 being one of them.

The dinner was great. The restaurant tasting menu centers around local seafood and local ingredients. Instead of going through this in paragraph form, I'll just go with bullets through the various courses.

1.) The amouze bouche of Chilean soft bread filled with pumpkin sauce and a piece of rare tuna over black-rice creaker, both melt in your moth delicious and a great way to start the evening

2.) First Course of a bowl of baby-neck clams, with the bowl containing about 20 of these cute little buggers, all served under a beautiful oregano-fused broth

3.) Second course of two giant (and I mean truly giant) rock oysters, one prepared with Leche del Tigre (commonly used in Peruvian ceviche), and the other served hot with chili, this was likely my favorite course, for the absurdly large oysters if anything else

4.) Third course of a soup of the 'forgotten ingredients' including a Chilean crisp kale, apple, rock-fish and leek; a perfect palate cleanser

5.) Fourth course of a take on mushrooms featuring four different mushrooms found mostly in Southern Chile - the true treat here being the plating, with a constructed bell mushroom with a crisp, flaky cap fitted over a cylinder of toasted potato skin with creamed mushroom inside, all over a mushroom puree with two other grilled mushrooms - an exquisite dish

6.) Fifth course of a fish 'crabcake on a stick', which is what it says, this was probably the biggest miss of any dish, but the fish was cooked well

7.) Sixth course of a small slider-sized fish burger with black brioche bun and squid ink and potato puree as the two sauces, with a key ingredient of fermented vegetables which was a good companion to finish the dish.

8.) The first dessert was truly special, called 'the red pepper', which came out looking like a medium sized red pepper on its side. When you take a fork into it, it opens up as you realize the skin is really caremilized coating, and inside is lemon sorbet with pieces of real bell pepper and strawberry. Amazing dish.

9.) The second dessert was a dulce de leche meringue which was as delicious as it was sweet.

10.) Final course was a poppy-seed sorbet with cherries, again just divine.

On the whole, the meal at Restaurante 99 was divine, a great way to end our first true day back in Northern Chile.