If you missed my last post regarding my next 100 then you can check the first 40 out here - [10 squared - the first 40].
If you couldn't be bothered with that and/or you don't like being told what to do then you can just hang out with me here whilst I cover off the final 60 of my next 100. As per my initial post (see, you should really go back to the start) this is 'kind of' a bucket travel list for me that I'd like to cover off 'Before 30', **ahem**....or perhaps whenever I get the chance.
So here we go, the final 60
The top 10 - 'Of course you're a sporting nut!'
1. The football world cup final - Rio de Janiero (Brazil)
This is a 'no brainer'! The only issue in completing this mission is trying to secure tickets. I went on a major mission prior to the last world cup trying to secure tickets to Australian matches in South Africa at a nil result. I think the only realistic way that you can do it is to jump on a tour that has a certain amount of tickets allotted. Either way, my South African fail turned into a Spanish odyssey as I managed to somehow pick the winner of the world cup WAY in advance and sorted out my trip around a glorious Spanish run to their first trophy - fluke or skill? You be the judge. Anyway, a world cup in Brazil? What more are you going to ever need in life, huh?
[Greatest moment in Australian sport - EVER!] - I was at this game! Go to 6:35 on the vid - this is exactly what the World Cup means to soccer nuts. Still sends shivers down my spine.
[Greatest moment in the Elisher household - AUSTRALIA 2 - Serbia 1 !!!] Nice result! NICE!
In Barcelona on the night of their 2010 World Cup victory - they needed a hand to celebrate!
2. The Olympic Games - Summer or Winter
Most of us know what a hometown Olympics feels like. Having the Olympics in Sydney in 2000 was a phenomenal experience, not something that can be replicated but hey, why not help some other place have a great time also!
[Last man standing] - This epitomises what it means to be an Australian at the Winter Olympics!
3. Cricket world cup final - Melbourne (Australia)
As we're hosting the next cricket World Cup I assume that Melbourne will take on hosting rights for the final. Either way, I think I'm going to have to make it down there to check it out.
[1999 World Cup semi-final] Now who heard the 'Don't run, don't run call!!!?' LOL - Poor South Africa, lolol.
4. The tour de France - all over (France)
So JJ and I arrive in Paris on the final day of the tour de France. We're actually walking through Paris about 1000-1500 mtrs from where the stage was taking place...that's as close as I've been (I was kind of cut JJ, just a little)...ANYWAY, would love to check a few stages through the Alps. Fantastic atmosphere, nut bag supporters and a few glasses of Bordeaux might just be the right remedy for watching a bit of cycling!
5. Boca Juniors v. River Plate - Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Other than giving me just another reason to go back to Buenos Aires this epic intra-city rivalry is a classic. Take into account football madness in country whose number 1 religion is, well football and then add a dose of the 'poor barrio bad boys of Boco v the glamour side of River' and you get yourself one hell of an event.
6. El clasico - Real Madrid v. Barcelona -Madrid/Barcelona (Spain)
Always an epic contest filled with history, passion and a large dose of skill. Another must see!
7. X Games - Summer/Winter - (USA)
The X Games is always mind blowing and it says something that the Olympics decided to introduce sports such as snowboarding and boarder/skier cross into its bag of tricks after the X games started taking off. People literally do go hard or go home here. The feets of skill and near stupidity is something that you need to respect because behind those moments are hours, days, months and years of torture and pain.
[Oh yes, he just did that!] - Pastrana pulls the double
[Wow, hardcore slam] - Jake Brown takes a wicked slam
[Shaun White - X Games legend] This isn't from the X-Games but this guy is wicked!
8. Stanley Cup final series - (Canada)/(USA)
How would you not want to check out team getting presented with the biggest cup of all time. Go the Rangers!
9. Camel races - (Qatar)
Ok, for something a little out of left field why not spend a day out at the camel races!
10. I need to place two events in at equal 10th because I really couldn't leave them out of the list!
The Iditarod - Alaska (USA)
It's got to be one of the toughest and most gruelling events, mentally and physically...and then there's the humans that guide the dogs also.
The Monaco GP - (Monaco)
Fast cars, glamour and an iconic track. It might just have to be done.
The top 10 - 'Dude, you're going out of business destinations'
These are dedicated to all those places that you need to see if and when you have a chance prior to the climate working its magic and putting them out of business or politics/war/religion placing a rubber stamp of 'Do not enter' on their post code.
1. Mt. Kilimanjaro - (Tanzania)
So the mountain will probably always be there but the snows of the peak are disappearing at a rates of knots. Unless we're all holding out for a bit of an ice age it might be best to get there whilst snowboarding is still possible!
2. The Maldives - somewhere in the Indian Ocean
So I've been to the Maldives already but I went there during a really disappointing time in my life, so I'd kind of like to return and make the most of them whilst not having to wear gum boots constantly.
3. Trinidad - (Cuba)
Colonial architecture, ambiance, Cuban cigars, some serious rum and you've got a place that you need to check out in a country that's well on my top 10 on the 'next to see list'. Lets just hope that it dodges a few hurricanes for a while.
4. Ice hotel - Jukkasjärvi (Sweden)
This is a bit of a cheat, I mean it does technically go 'out of business' during the Winter but then again it re-emerges the next Winter. Although I just checked out their site and the smarties have decided to set the ice hotel up for Summer. Whatever, it still makes the list!
5. Hindu Kush - Afghanistan
A mountain range in the north of Afghanistan with spectacular scenery but bruised and battered from a hell of a lot of bombing. Tough to get in, tough to stay there and take your chances as they present themselves.
6. Mogadishu - (Somalia)
No government since 1991, violence for the last 20 years, no safe place for a Westerner to be heading to right!? Watch out for me on Banged Up Abroad if I EVER decide to take this on. Either that or I'll hang out with Robert Pelton Young and see if he can get me through.
7. Timbuktu - (Mali)
The place in the middle of nowhere in a country that strangely has some odd attractions. As the video says, wrapped in myth and legend, check it out before it crumbles into the desert.
[Timbuktu]
8. North Pole - (Earth)
So get there before you lose a hell of a lot of fresh water to a little bit of salt.
[Is that ice in your drink?]
9. Mecca - (Saudi Arabia)
Good luck trying to get in here if you're a Westerner and non-Muslim. I mean I think it would be an epic achievement to make it in here for the Hajj, but how the hell am I going to achieve that? Where there's a will though....there's a way.
8. North Pole - (Earth)
So get there before you lose a hell of a lot of fresh water to a little bit of salt.
[Is that ice in your drink?]
9. Mecca - (Saudi Arabia)
Good luck trying to get in here if you're a Westerner and non-Muslim. I mean I think it would be an epic achievement to make it in here for the Hajj, but how the hell am I going to achieve that? Where there's a will though....there's a way.
10. Lake Chad - Chad/Cameroon/Nigeria/Niger
As a kid I was always fascinated by this huge lake on the edge of the Saharan desert. How the hell did all that water get there? Now over the last 40 years the lake has decreased in size by 94%! It's on the way out and therefore it probably needs to be checked out.
[Lake Chad]
The top 10 - 'Get your food on!'
1. San Sebastian - (Spain)
My favourite destination full stop. Fantastic vibe, great scenery, great bar scene and then you can walk into 1000 different places and go nuts with tapas! This is the best place to eat and drink yourself stupid, and if you dare, take on some of the three Michelin star rated restaurants such as Arzak. Can you believe that I actually had a reservation at Arzak before Jay and Dina decided to crash my San Sebastian stay and make it infinitely cooler - yeah - worth it!
[San Sebastian]
As a kid I was always fascinated by this huge lake on the edge of the Saharan desert. How the hell did all that water get there? Now over the last 40 years the lake has decreased in size by 94%! It's on the way out and therefore it probably needs to be checked out.
[Lake Chad]
The top 10 - 'Get your food on!'
1. San Sebastian - (Spain)
My favourite destination full stop. Fantastic vibe, great scenery, great bar scene and then you can walk into 1000 different places and go nuts with tapas! This is the best place to eat and drink yourself stupid, and if you dare, take on some of the three Michelin star rated restaurants such as Arzak. Can you believe that I actually had a reservation at Arzak before Jay and Dina decided to crash my San Sebastian stay and make it infinitely cooler - yeah - worth it!
[San Sebastian]
You see Jay, it was totally worth it!
2. Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Meat and red wine, meat and red wine, meat, meat and meat, then for a change have an empanada filled with cheese, and meat! This is the meat capital of the universe! What can a poor carnivore such as myself do when they enter a town like this? You can only wish that you make it through to the other side, and then when you get there, turn around and head back. You know, BA just moves to its own sexy beat and once it sweeps you off your feet, well there's no much more that you can do but just give in to its charms.
Centro Buenos Aires - how can you walk past this? Really!?
3. El Bulli - near Roses, Catalonia (Spain)
This place only operates for six months of the year, has a window of a week where you can put in an 'application' to get a seat and then if you're drawn out of a lottery, you score.
4. Barcelona/Madrid - (Spain)
Does my top 10 have a distinctly Spanish feel? It just works for me, what can I do? Food, wine and everything else just works in harmony to make this country awesome. Get to Barcelona or Madrid and go nuts with your food, it really won't be a challenge.
Sangria time in Madrid!5. Paris - (France)
Cheese, wine, bread, croissants, brioche and that's just the warm up. An extraordinary range and style of cuisine that should really put this first on anyone elses list - I am Spain biased however, what can I do. Never the less, I did have the BEST meal of my life in Paris at a place called Chez Robert & Louise + if you're up for a decent happy hour then Paris will rock it out for you continuously from 4:30pm to 11:00pm. That's a happy city!
[Someone's home video of Chez Robert &Louise] - You'll get an understanding of the vibe.
6. Marrakech - (Morocco)
Marrakech is in your face, sights, smells, sound and then there's the endless array of food. Aside from the fantastic tagines in every restaurant the absolute highlight of Marrakech is strolling through the food stalls in D'jemma el-Fna and getting suckered in by everything on offer. One night JJ and I stopped in and had ourselves a little bits of sheep's head, cooked in some type of broth and served with a side of bread. It was fantastic. Morocco rocks their food kasbah style!
[D'jemma el-Fna]
7. Istanbul - (Turkey)
Just like in Marrakech, here it's best to get your food on the street. Meat is king here and thankfully I'm a carnivore so I assume that's going to be a match made in heaven. Aside from the food, take yourself a couple of Turkish coffees just for the hell of it and you'll remain awake for days!
[Istanbul food - with a dead boring host]
8. Mumbai - (India)
Well, I've only ever tried Indian food in Sydney and from what I know and have tasted I think that food on the street here might just be the place for me to get stuck into the real thing. It's inevitable that one of the meals might just take me down for a week or two but that's the type of risk that you need to cope with for having some wicked street food.
[Mumbai eat streets]
9. Hanoi - (Vietnam)
I loved the food in Vietnam and once again when you're out on the street it's available in abundance, it's fresh and you can't help but be enticed by everything that's on offer. I remember one night when Frichot and I plonked ourselves down on a street corner and took a lucky dip assortment of goodies from what was on display. It tasted great, was cheap and our seats were virtually in the middle of the road! ....and finally in addition, the Vietnamese serve the best coffee in the world, bar none! Seriously, it is the greatest!
Jetson hoping that his French blood will help him with taking down Vietnamese frog legs!
Central markets in Barcelona - how can you go wrong!!?
Cheese, wine, bread, croissants, brioche and that's just the warm up. An extraordinary range and style of cuisine that should really put this first on anyone elses list - I am Spain biased however, what can I do. Never the less, I did have the BEST meal of my life in Paris at a place called Chez Robert & Louise + if you're up for a decent happy hour then Paris will rock it out for you continuously from 4:30pm to 11:00pm. That's a happy city!
[Someone's home video of Chez Robert &Louise] - You'll get an understanding of the vibe.
The magicians of Chez Robert & Louise - Paris
6. Marrakech - (Morocco)
Marrakech is in your face, sights, smells, sound and then there's the endless array of food. Aside from the fantastic tagines in every restaurant the absolute highlight of Marrakech is strolling through the food stalls in D'jemma el-Fna and getting suckered in by everything on offer. One night JJ and I stopped in and had ourselves a little bits of sheep's head, cooked in some type of broth and served with a side of bread. It was fantastic. Morocco rocks their food kasbah style!
[D'jemma el-Fna]
7. Istanbul - (Turkey)
Just like in Marrakech, here it's best to get your food on the street. Meat is king here and thankfully I'm a carnivore so I assume that's going to be a match made in heaven. Aside from the food, take yourself a couple of Turkish coffees just for the hell of it and you'll remain awake for days!
[Istanbul food - with a dead boring host]
8. Mumbai - (India)
Well, I've only ever tried Indian food in Sydney and from what I know and have tasted I think that food on the street here might just be the place for me to get stuck into the real thing. It's inevitable that one of the meals might just take me down for a week or two but that's the type of risk that you need to cope with for having some wicked street food.
[Mumbai eat streets]
9. Hanoi - (Vietnam)
I loved the food in Vietnam and once again when you're out on the street it's available in abundance, it's fresh and you can't help but be enticed by everything that's on offer. I remember one night when Frichot and I plonked ourselves down on a street corner and took a lucky dip assortment of goodies from what was on display. It tasted great, was cheap and our seats were virtually in the middle of the road! ....and finally in addition, the Vietnamese serve the best coffee in the world, bar none! Seriously, it is the greatest!
Hanoi street fare
10. Oaxaca - (Mexico)
Unfortunately Jet and I didn't have the time nor the funds to get down this far in Mexico on our last visit. Aside from being a terrific little city this place knows its food and is well known for being able to mix up its indigenous food heritage with more than a sprinkle of Spanish influence (Again with the Spanish thing!).
[Head tacos]
You know, there are a few that didn't make the top 10 then I would have love to have added to the list such as Singapore, Bangkok (Thailand), Beirut (Lebanon), Athens (Greece), Rome/Florence (Italy) and the hometown favourite, Belgrade (Serbia). So much food, so little time!
The top 10 - 'Dude, where's my car...and hey, what the hell happened last night!?'
.
.
1. Vang Vieng - (Laos)
I spent a week in Vang Vieng one Tuesday evening, seriously, you can read about it [Here] and you can read about my follow up day, of what I remember anyway [Here]. This is somewhere where disappearing really is a state of mind. First of all there's the 'tubing', a 3-4hr easy cruise down the Nam Song river that should quite pleasurable considering the majestic scenery, however, be aware...bamboo bars await at every corner, behind every bamboo shoot, behind every rock and they sell alcohol and all other things mind altering in the cosmic dark matter sense. It is an awesome place however and somewhere I need to get back to.
A typical Vang Vieng bar menu - 'Happy and funny for you!'
2. Rio de Janiero - (Brazil)
Geez, it was tough placing Rio second on this list. I mean it's an awesome place all year round but for NYE or carnivale the ante gets upped, BIG TIME. It will hopefully be host to me for NYE 2011/12. I'll see what I remember of that night in the days following.
3. Amsterdam - (Netherlands)
I don't think there would be any objection to Amsterdam ending up as number three. It's the chill capital of the world isn't it?
[Yup - they killed it]
[Yup - they killed it]
4. Las Vegas - (USA)
You know the saying, 'what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas' - the reason for that is because when 'it's on, it's on' and this place will go at 100% 24*7. It will leave you in it's wake if you try and outplay it and all you can really do is accept the fact that in a title bout with LV you'll be walking out second. Do it in the honourable way and make sure that your head is held high!
5. Cali - (Colombia)
Cali is the salsa capital of the world. What better place can there be to rip out my salsa skills and try and mix it with the professionals. Getting your salsa on is easy and a hell of a lot of fun, then of course there's also the fact that you're in Colombia, 'nuff said.
6. Koh Phangan - (Thailand)
The full moon party here will take you down, literally, it will lay you flat on the sand and that's where you'll stay.
7. Ios - (Greece)
100 or more clubs set in the centre of a little port town that's just hanging out on its own in the Mediterranean? It's a recipe for memory loss.
8. St Patrick's Day - Dublin - (Ireland)
You know that the Irish drink as hard or harder than Australians. What the hell are you going to do on THEIR day!? Where will you end up? What will be the outcome. God help you! St.Patrick help you!
9. La Paz - (Bolivia)
La Paz is a fantastic place, great people, dramatic scenery - then there's the altitude and then there's the fact that everything is so damn cheap. They tell you mind your alcohol intake and whatever other intake you may have because at altitude it'll take you down in a hurry!
10. Montego Bay - (Jamaica)
Beach shacks and calypso rhythms, getting your drink on as the sun dips out over the Caribbean - how can you beat 'good vibe central' for a place where you may just want to forget a few days.
The next 10 - Cities on my hit list
So if things work out then these are the next 10 cities that I'd want to check off, in this order.
1. Rio de Janiero - (Brazil)
.... just because...just because
2. Havana - (Cuba)
The times are a changing and I'd love to catch the city of Castro and Guevara in its final throws before the world comes walking in.
[Reflections of Havana] Love this song!
'Detrás de todos los gobiernos,
De las fronteras y la religión
Hay una foto de familia
Hay una foto de los dos'
.
'Detrás de todos los gobiernos,
De las fronteras y la religión
Hay una foto de familia
Hay una foto de los dos'
.
3. Seville - (Spain)
Another Spanish city, another reason to experience everything good about this country and the area of Andalusia.
4. Cartagena - (Colombia)
The Lonely Planet tells me that this is a fairy-tale city of romance, legends and sheer beauty...cobble stone streets, enormous balconies shrouded in bougainvillea, open air cafes, horse drawn carriages...it all sounds damn fine to me!
5. Lhasa - (Tibet)
It's primarily to check out the Potala Palace and the beautiful landscape around the city but I'm sure that this Lost City has a few of its own surprises just waiting.
It's primarily to check out the Potala Palace and the beautiful landscape around the city but I'm sure that this Lost City has a few of its own surprises just waiting.
6. Cusco - (Peru)
Cusco use to be the capital of the Inca empire and many believe that the city was planned as an effigy in the shape of a puma (those damn puma's, I seriously have PTSD). It's also the town that you transit through of you're going to take on the Inca trail or make a b-line straight for Machu Piccu
Cusco use to be the capital of the Inca empire and many believe that the city was planned as an effigy in the shape of a puma (those damn puma's, I seriously have PTSD). It's also the town that you transit through of you're going to take on the Inca trail or make a b-line straight for Machu Piccu
7. Sana'a & Shibam - (Yemen)
OK, so I'm cheating by having two at number 7 but so what, it's my list and I can do what I please. Yemen is kind of like Finland for me, not sure why I want to go there but know that I will. The major draw card is Shibam, the 'old school skyscraper' city built of mud brick, absolutely unique in an architectural sense, there's about 500 tower buildings that get up to around eleven storeys in height.
OK, so I'm cheating by having two at number 7 but so what, it's my list and I can do what I please. Yemen is kind of like Finland for me, not sure why I want to go there but know that I will. The major draw card is Shibam, the 'old school skyscraper' city built of mud brick, absolutely unique in an architectural sense, there's about 500 tower buildings that get up to around eleven storeys in height.
[Shibam]
As for Sana'a, it's one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on earth, filled with unique architecture, an ancient culture and is apparently the 'new crucible' for global terrorism. All the old time players that you have come to love and appreciate through your good friend al-Qaeda apparently make their base here. It's gotta mean that it's worth a visit then hey!?
[Sana'a]
As for Sana'a, it's one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on earth, filled with unique architecture, an ancient culture and is apparently the 'new crucible' for global terrorism. All the old time players that you have come to love and appreciate through your good friend al-Qaeda apparently make their base here. It's gotta mean that it's worth a visit then hey!?
[Sana'a]
8. Istanbul - (Turkey)
Straddling two continents, not really identifying with either, serving as capital for 101 different empires, having a myriad of influences, being both culturally and aesthetically spectacular - that gives it enough leverage to me some type of a draw card.
[Istanbul]
.
Straddling two continents, not really identifying with either, serving as capital for 101 different empires, having a myriad of influences, being both culturally and aesthetically spectacular - that gives it enough leverage to me some type of a draw card.
[Istanbul]
.
9. Sorrento - (Italy)
A gorgeous town on the Amalfi coast, I could just imagine myself renting out a place on the majestic cliffs overlooking the Tyrrhenian sea, sitting back with a couple of bottles of red, maybe getting into a bit of cooking, reading, sunset gazing....nice....
A gorgeous town on the Amalfi coast, I could just imagine myself renting out a place on the majestic cliffs overlooking the Tyrrhenian sea, sitting back with a couple of bottles of red, maybe getting into a bit of cooking, reading, sunset gazing....nice....
[Apple Centre] '...now I'm down at Tribeca right next to the Niro but I'll be hood for EVA!' - yeah man, WORD! Or whatever it was that Jay-Z was trying to get from that.
The next 10 - Countries on my hit list
Now I suppose if I did this accurately then my next 10 countries should in fact allow for me to cover of my next 10 cities, but I'm not working it like that. In any case, here's to my next 10 if luck and good fortune let me get that far.
1. Brazil
2. Cuba
3. Colombia
4. Peru
5. Jordan
6. Turkey
7. Nepal
8. Yemen
9. Oman
10. Mali
...and that completes the list of my next 100 places, events, things of general stupidity and utter madness that I'd like to conquer. No time frame for it but as they fall I'll check them off and more than likely write about them.
Now it's onto finishing my Reflections in a stream of consciousness.
