Inevitably, the question everybody asks after a trip around the world is: where did you like it best?
And it is impossible to answer. I wanted to refuse to answer it.
The questions is so… reductive.
It tries to narrow down the richness of a month’s experiences in a city, all the things I’ve seen, did, experiences, ate and drank, the people I met into a single ranking. Top or flop, black or white.
And that’s totally impossible.
I can answer the question, or try to answer it, if you ask for something more specific.
The best night life. The best restaurants. The best cultural activities, the most beautiful landscape, the most beautiful people, and men, the best moments I’ll never forget… then I think I’ll get a sort of ranking of cities. Totally subjective, of course.
The thing is, there were no places I didn’t like. Seriously. And I’m not seeing it through rose-tinted spectacles.
I found some beautiful areas in every one of them. Quiet spots even in the biggest cities on Earth that make you forget you’re surrounded by millions and millions and millions.
Bars and restaurants where they started to recognize me, and with a wink, just asked: the usual?
If my goal was to find out how it is to live in each of these places, I think I could say that I would be able to live in all of those.
At least for a year or two.I’d immediately accept any job offer! It would be easier in some, and more adventurous in others.
The only place I see differently today would be India. Probably, because I travelled trough it much like a tourist. I did not have enough time in Mumbai, Varanasi or Delhi to actually connect with it.
And still it’s not at all that I did not like it, exhausting and intense as it could be. I am still thinking about it a lot, I am talking about India a lot, to friends, and I actually want to go back there rather sooner than later.
I wonder what people who read through my blog think, if they followed me all through, if they could guess what my favourite places were? Does it show in my writing?
I sure was more engaged and eager in some, and lazier in others. Which was probably also an effect of the long-term travelling.
Over the summer I want to write up a few posts over the cities and places I’ve been to, what they gave me, and what I have learned there.
And, despite of everything I said above, I’ll try to put together a bit of a ranking, at least a cluster of most favourite places.
Because deep down, I know I have a favourite city.
Can you guess which one?