Part Two: No. 40 to No. 31

This is the second part of my Top 50 "Favorite Cities in the World" Countdown. No, Los Angeles is not in my top 40; no, neither Budapest nor New Orleans is in top 40, but there is even a bigger shocker... you may be surprised what cities are not even in Top 50!!

And yes, you will find European cities are overrepresented on the whole list, which should not be a surprise. For a person born and raised in Far East and lived in North America for many years, Currently reside in Middle East, Europe may be the most "exotic" and intriguing continent for me. It does not hurt that most European cities have great public transportation and so easy to get around by non-driver like me.

The following is No 40 to No. 31:

40. Sarajevo, Bosnia: It could have been ranked higher if they don't have such a hostile visa policy toward Taiwanese citizens (another country that tries to hard to kiss China's ass). I first visited it in 2006, long after the end of its brutal 3 years civil war. The formerly war-torn (and still somewhat volatile) city is now vibrant with street lives that people in many American cities will never dream to have. Its mountainous setting and smaller scale also make it quite charming. The converging of 4 religions and cultures makes its building styles especially intriguing. Its story of resiliency is inspiring. And maybe due to its still weak economy, it is still very cheap. A place reminds you both the cruelty and bravery of human spirits. Finally it is the time, visit it!

39. Prague, Czech Republic The most popular and touristy city in East Europe, period. However, I haven't visited it since 1995 and maybe it is a completely different city now. The amazing buildings are everywhere and beer is strong and tasty. Of course, its popularity brings some undesirable effects. Two words specifically: "Stag Parties."

38. Venice, Italy: Finally I had opportunity to re-visit it in June 2006. Unfortunately, I still did not stay long enough there (less than 24 hours but at least I made it to Lido this time.) A very beautiful and romantic city. Unfortunately, it is too touristy and overcrowded with visitors. Also, the nightlife sucks. :P

37. Washington DC, US: My relationship with Washington DC (a city I formerly resided in) gradually turned sour in the past few years. My last trip to DC in summer 2008 is a disaster. I even swore that I would not visit there until 2011. It doesn't help that nobody in that city flirt with me anymore when I went out bar-hopping! But to be honest, it is nice city to visit, a lot of green space, grand monument, and free museums! There are also a lot of great ethnic restaurants there. Believe it or not, DC has the best Ethiopian restaurants in the whole North America.

36, Rome, Italy: Finally returns to Top 40 after a short visit in autumn 2008! A historic city (and perennial favorite) that deserves a much higher ranking. Well, I haven't been to Rome since 1991 and this recent trip was only 1 day. Ironically, I do have a good friend from Rome but he is living in the US. Our travel plan rarely compatible with the other's, I haven't had any chance to visit Rome when he is there...

35. St. Petersburg, Russia: I have to say I have mixed feeling about Russia, Moscow is definitely not my favorite. However, St. Petersburg is different. It is a very beautiful city and has one of the best museums I've ever visited in my life (Hermitage). It is hard to imagine this city just celebrated its 300 birthday (younger than Boston!? ). A Japanese comic book "Window of Russia" also increased my interest in this city.

33. London, England: Finally a revisit in 2007 put the U.K. capital back into my Top 40 though another visit in March 2008 did not propel it further into Top 20. I am fond of London but not really "love" it...Well, maybe because I was so overwhelmed by its high price (it was really a bad time if you earn US dollars or Taiwanese yuan and visited it in 2007) :( That was then. Now British pound has devalued so much, will London become much more affordable? This is a huge world metropolis so definitely there are a lot of things to do here. Well, maybe food, hotels and tubes (subway/metro) are all expensive, but at least one thing is technically free: the museums!! Can you believe that I dropped by British Museum everyday in my visit, just to see one small exhibition at a time?

32. Edinburgh, Scotland: Edinburgh actually ranks higher than London? Those Scots would feel very happy about that....Though I haven't visited Ediburgh for awhile, it still remains my favorite of the whole United Kingdom. The set up (the hill, the castle) is just mesmerizing. Nearby, there are also some nice bays and lakes (loch as they say) to chill out.

31. Miami (and Miami Beach), USA: Nice beaches, beautiful people, and great restaurants if you like it Latin style. Okay, it is a little superficial and attitudy, but.... Bonus point for that you can see many beautiful Europeans and South Americans there without traveling to those continents.

So, are you looking forward to the Part III?