Payneful Top 10 - Coolest Places I have Been

Like the old Johnny Cash song says; "I've been everywhere man." My job has taken me to places I had only read about or perhaps saw on TV and since I couldn't think of anything better to write about I thought I'd do my Top 10 in honour of the coolest places I've been. Some may be familiar and others you might not have heard of but maybe this list will spur your interest.

10) Albuquerque, NM, USA - Due to it's proximity to the Mexican border it has quite a latin feel to it which I found charming. The heat is fairly intense but the nights are surprisingly chilly. The mountains surrounding the town make for some excellent sunsets and at 1 mall there was a kiosk similar to a hot dog cart called the Road Kill Cafe. The slogan was 'You kill it, we grill it!' Now I don't think it was true but very entertaining.

9) Los Angeles/Hollywood, CA, USA - I took a road trip to this place and I gotta tell you it's better than I thought it would be. I spent time driving around Burbank and Beverly Hills and saw the Hollywood sign which was neat. I went for drinks at the world famous Whisky a go go bar where some of the biggest names in music have played. The walk of fame was alright and the handprints in cement at Grummans Chinese Theatre were awe inspiring. John Wayne had very small hands and Arnold Schwarzenegger had freakishly large palms. I wish I had more time to check it out.

8) Seoul, South Korea - When I found out I was headed there I frankly was ambivolent about it. It didn't seem to be a tourist destination, and all I knew about it was that Ben Johnson got caught cheating at the Olympics there back in '88. Was I ever wrong. The place was buzzing and when they found out I was Canadian I was treated like family. We made a huge impact during the Korean War and the South Koreans (much like the Dutch in WWII) never forgot. There were great places to shop for knock offs all over town and the culture was exciting. I even tried food from a street vendor. If you have seen the episode of the Simpsons where Homer is in New York and approached by a vendor selling "Krau Kollash" or whatever you will get the idea. I am hoping it was chicken on a stick but who knows. I didn't see many stray dogs there...

7) Hawaii, USA - Ok ok I am done with the USA after this, honest. I am aware that Hawaii is a huge tourist destination but to be honest, I didn't care. Once I got there though I was amazed by the laid back atmosphere and gorgeous beaches. I was honoured to get a tour of the USS ARIZONA memorial in Pearl Harbor and I must say if you are ever there check it out. Downtown Waikiki was excellent too with all the hotels and shops and restaurants. The people were excellent too, and I remember 97 KPOI FM, (the rock you live on) radio station. Awesome.

6) Penang, Malaysia - Unreal, I loved this place. I had fun at a karaoke bar, enjoyed the nightlife and shopped for all sorts of pirated software and movies...Before you get started with me, (you know who you are) I know it's illegal so to the readers, please don't follow my example. That being said, there were movies available that weren't even in theatres yet. The best thing is the roving motorcycle gangs. Ok so they are all barely 5' tall and riding scooters but it was neat to see.

5) Qingdao, China - I think the greatest thing about China is how little the American culture has penetrated. It was refreshing to go through a city and not see a McDonalds or Starbucks every block. I had authentic Chinese food too. Of course in China it's just called 'food.' The currency there is of such a low value that I was able to splurge on stuff and for some unknown reason I bought 4 swords...who needs a sword these days? Who needs 4? I mean it's not like I have to rush to protect my fiefdom from the invading Mongol hordes or anything. Oh well they're fun to look at. Another bonus is their official tourist video that features the local beer guzzling contest, how cool is that?

4)Onagawa Bay, Japan - I definitely wanted to visit Japan and getting the chance was excellent. I didn't stay long but long enough to notice that they are so crowded over there it's amazing the way they adapt. Everything is hi-tech, everything is miniaturized and there is not a lot of wasted space. Onagawa Bay is a fairly small, coastal city which was the site of a battle between a WWII Japanese Naval fleet and a British Carrier Air Arm. leading the attack was a Canadian, Lt Robert Hampton Gray. He earned Canada's highest honour, the Victoria Cross destroying a Japanese destroyer while severely damaged. As a result of his heroism he paid the ultimate price and remains the only foreign military person memorialized on Japanese soil. Being at the spot where the action took place was awe-inspiring and has profoundly effected me. The culture is also fascinating. If you ever get the chance, go.

3) Dubai, United Arab Emirates - I never saw me ever setting foot in the middle east/ Southwest Asia, but I did, and boy was I wrong about the culture there. I was expecting lots of poor people but in short, there aren't any. This oil rich nation is making a LOT of money and it shows. While this city is in the desert it is more lush and green than anywhere else thanks to an expensive irrigation system. There are more high priced cars and SUV's than you can shake a stick at, and it's hotter than you can imagine. One day I was there the temperature reached a staggering 64 degrees Celsius. That is opressively hot. It's so hot you can't even function. On the bright side though you can't find a cheaper place to buy gold and again due to the strength of our dollar, it goes pretty far! Everywhere you go you will find air conditioning and everything shuts down during the hottest times of the day, then staying open later in the evening. Lots of ex-pat Canadians working and living there too.

2)Sydney, Australia - Aussie's are possibly the coolest people on earth and I could go for days trying to explain what is good about Australia without getting it all out. The people are very similar to Canadians, laid back and friendly and absolutely hilarious. I mean starting out as a Penal Colony makes you not take yourself too seriously. I saw the Sydney Opera House, saw movies, ate a 'meat pie' from a street vendor (yum!) and nearly got struck dead crossing the road as they all drive on the opposite side. The beaches, the beer, the accent and the kangaroo steak (yes I ate kangaroo and I don't care how cute they are they taste great! Again yum!) all combine to make this the best place I have been with the exception of...

1) Canada - I have been from the west coast, to the east coast, to the north coast and nearly everywhere in between and I have to say, nothing makes you appreciate Canada more than being in some other place. Whether you live between the mountains and the oceans of BC, The open skies of the prairies, or the bustle of our big cities you can feel at home wherever you go in Canada. The hearty folk of the maritimes, the rugged beauty of our territories or the old world feel of Quebec, Canada is unique and wonderful. We really are lucky to live in such a great place and while we all have things we bitch and moan about, the truth is Canada kicks ass!

I'd love to hear about your favourite places. Drop me a line sometime.