POG PUB August 2016 - Think About Your Breathing
08-02-2016
, 06:03 PM
eyebooger, I never got back to you with my subjective ranking of world capitals I've visited
with the strong caveat that I might have run good in the places I enjoyed and not properly experienced the places I didn't, since for almost all of these I wasn't there long enough to transcend sample size considerations
GOAT tier
Tokyo (
any city with seemingly more tiny bars and restaurants than people has my love forever)
Berlin (was there this weekend so lolrecency bias, but super-nice people, cool and affordable bars/restaurants everywhere, and an awesome experience; would happily live there)
Madrid (crazy cheap and delicious wine and ham everywhere you look; cool street art; quite walkable)
enjoyed these a lot
Prague (man, something about Prague hit me just right; I'd love to go back. I love the bizarre Czech sense of humor -- giant metal babies climbing towers! -- and the twisty side streets)
Brussels (I know you didn't like it that much, but I had a surprisingly great time here; any place with a density of good bars and restaurants and a reasonably relaxed vibe will get a thumbs-up from me -- maybe i just caught it on a good weekend)
Paris (it's Paris)
Reykjavik (I had a great time both times; I like that it's not too big, I love the profusion of quirky street art, and I had one of the best meals of my life here. It does pale to the beauty of the rest of the country, though.)
these were fine
Delhi (loud, overwhelming, and crowded, but unbelievably interesting)
London (i was there when the dollar was super-weak and i definitely didn't do the city properly; would like to go back now with more of a plan and/or other people)
Mexico City (really liked it the first time despite getting sick at the end; thought it was decent the second time despite getting sick at the end; the sick thing might be a point against it)
Lima (was only there for a couple days; some great food at nice restaurants but didn't experience much beyond that; only place i've ever had the cab driver tell me on the way from the airport that i should turn my smartphone off because people will try to scrape its data at traffic lights)
could have been better
Rome (I definitely didn't do Rome right; I mostly remember it being noisy with lots of traffic and crowds)
Budapest (I dunno, it was more of a "city" city than I was expecting, especially coming directly from Prague, and people were pretty brusque; I bet I didn't get into the right neighborhoods)
bleh
Taipei (too many chain stores and motorbikes; too few bars)
Guatemala City (Central American capitals are not known for the quality of life; didn't have an actively bad time but wouldn't go back)
Nassau (good ceviche, nice beaches, hella poverty/crime and not at all walkable)
Washington, D.C. (i've said my piece on this plenty in a different thread; lacking so many things that make a vibrant city vibrant)
I'm also sure that these rankings would change if I went back, not least because for many of them I was there by myself, and the experience of being there on your own vs. with your gf vs. with fellow tourist friends vs. with local friends is just so so different
with the strong caveat that I might have run good in the places I enjoyed and not properly experienced the places I didn't, since for almost all of these I wasn't there long enough to transcend sample size considerations
GOAT tier
Tokyo (
any city with seemingly more tiny bars and restaurants than people has my love forever)Berlin (was there this weekend so lolrecency bias, but super-nice people, cool and affordable bars/restaurants everywhere, and an awesome experience; would happily live there)
Madrid (crazy cheap and delicious wine and ham everywhere you look; cool street art; quite walkable)
enjoyed these a lot
Prague (man, something about Prague hit me just right; I'd love to go back. I love the bizarre Czech sense of humor -- giant metal babies climbing towers! -- and the twisty side streets)
Brussels (I know you didn't like it that much, but I had a surprisingly great time here; any place with a density of good bars and restaurants and a reasonably relaxed vibe will get a thumbs-up from me -- maybe i just caught it on a good weekend)
Paris (it's Paris)
Reykjavik (I had a great time both times; I like that it's not too big, I love the profusion of quirky street art, and I had one of the best meals of my life here. It does pale to the beauty of the rest of the country, though.)
these were fine
Delhi (loud, overwhelming, and crowded, but unbelievably interesting)
London (i was there when the dollar was super-weak and i definitely didn't do the city properly; would like to go back now with more of a plan and/or other people)
Mexico City (really liked it the first time despite getting sick at the end; thought it was decent the second time despite getting sick at the end; the sick thing might be a point against it)
Lima (was only there for a couple days; some great food at nice restaurants but didn't experience much beyond that; only place i've ever had the cab driver tell me on the way from the airport that i should turn my smartphone off because people will try to scrape its data at traffic lights)
could have been better
Rome (I definitely didn't do Rome right; I mostly remember it being noisy with lots of traffic and crowds)
Budapest (I dunno, it was more of a "city" city than I was expecting, especially coming directly from Prague, and people were pretty brusque; I bet I didn't get into the right neighborhoods)
bleh
Taipei (too many chain stores and motorbikes; too few bars)
Guatemala City (Central American capitals are not known for the quality of life; didn't have an actively bad time but wouldn't go back)
Nassau (good ceviche, nice beaches, hella poverty/crime and not at all walkable)
Washington, D.C. (i've said my piece on this plenty in a different thread; lacking so many things that make a vibrant city vibrant)
I'm also sure that these rankings would change if I went back, not least because for many of them I was there by myself, and the experience of being there on your own vs. with your gf vs. with fellow tourist friends vs. with local friends is just so so different
08-02-2016
, 06:37 PM
08-02-2016
, 07:11 PM
08-02-2016
, 08:22 PM
08-02-2016
, 09:48 PM
Quote:
eyebooger, I never got back to you with my subjective ranking of world capitals I've visited
with the strong caveat that I might have run good in the places I enjoyed and not properly experienced the places I didn't, since for almost all of these I wasn't there long enough to transcend sample size considerations
GOAT tier
Tokyo ( any city with seemingly more tiny bars and restaurants than people has my love forever)
Berlin (was there this weekend so lolrecency bias, but super-nice people, cool and affordable bars/restaurants everywhere, and an awesome experience; would happily live there)
Madrid (crazy cheap and delicious wine and ham everywhere you look; cool street art; quite walkable)
enjoyed these a lot
Prague (man, something about Prague hit me just right; I'd love to go back. I love the bizarre Czech sense of humor -- giant metal babies climbing towers! -- and the twisty side streets)
Brussels (I know you didn't like it that much, but I had a surprisingly great time here; any place with a density of good bars and restaurants and a reasonably relaxed vibe will get a thumbs-up from me -- maybe i just caught it on a good weekend)
Paris (it's Paris)
Reykjavik (I had a great time both times; I like that it's not too big, I love the profusion of quirky street art, and I had one of the best meals of my life here. It does pale to the beauty of the rest of the country, though.)
these were fine
Delhi (loud, overwhelming, and crowded, but unbelievably interesting)
London (i was there when the dollar was super-weak and i definitely didn't do the city properly; would like to go back now with more of a plan and/or other people)
Mexico City (really liked it the first time despite getting sick at the end; thought it was decent the second time despite getting sick at the end; the sick thing might be a point against it)
Lima (was only there for a couple days; some great food at nice restaurants but didn't experience much beyond that; only place i've ever had the cab driver tell me on the way from the airport that i should turn my smartphone off because people will try to scrape its data at traffic lights)
could have been better
Rome (I definitely didn't do Rome right; I mostly remember it being noisy with lots of traffic and crowds)
Budapest (I dunno, it was more of a "city" city than I was expecting, especially coming directly from Prague, and people were pretty brusque; I bet I didn't get into the right neighborhoods)
bleh
Taipei (too many chain stores and motorbikes; too few bars)
Guatemala City (Central American capitals are not known for the quality of life; didn't have an actively bad time but wouldn't go back)
Nassau (good ceviche, nice beaches, hella poverty/crime and not at all walkable)
Washington, D.C. (i've said my piece on this plenty in a different thread; lacking so many things that make a vibrant city vibrant)
I'm also sure that these rankings would change if I went back, not least because for many of them I was there by myself, and the experience of being there on your own vs. with your gf vs. with fellow tourist friends vs. with local friends is just so so different
with the strong caveat that I might have run good in the places I enjoyed and not properly experienced the places I didn't, since for almost all of these I wasn't there long enough to transcend sample size considerations
GOAT tier
Tokyo (
any city with seemingly more tiny bars and restaurants than people has my love forever)Berlin (was there this weekend so lolrecency bias, but super-nice people, cool and affordable bars/restaurants everywhere, and an awesome experience; would happily live there)
Madrid (crazy cheap and delicious wine and ham everywhere you look; cool street art; quite walkable)
enjoyed these a lot
Prague (man, something about Prague hit me just right; I'd love to go back. I love the bizarre Czech sense of humor -- giant metal babies climbing towers! -- and the twisty side streets)
Brussels (I know you didn't like it that much, but I had a surprisingly great time here; any place with a density of good bars and restaurants and a reasonably relaxed vibe will get a thumbs-up from me -- maybe i just caught it on a good weekend)
Paris (it's Paris)
Reykjavik (I had a great time both times; I like that it's not too big, I love the profusion of quirky street art, and I had one of the best meals of my life here. It does pale to the beauty of the rest of the country, though.)
these were fine
Delhi (loud, overwhelming, and crowded, but unbelievably interesting)
London (i was there when the dollar was super-weak and i definitely didn't do the city properly; would like to go back now with more of a plan and/or other people)
Mexico City (really liked it the first time despite getting sick at the end; thought it was decent the second time despite getting sick at the end; the sick thing might be a point against it)
Lima (was only there for a couple days; some great food at nice restaurants but didn't experience much beyond that; only place i've ever had the cab driver tell me on the way from the airport that i should turn my smartphone off because people will try to scrape its data at traffic lights)
could have been better
Rome (I definitely didn't do Rome right; I mostly remember it being noisy with lots of traffic and crowds)
Budapest (I dunno, it was more of a "city" city than I was expecting, especially coming directly from Prague, and people were pretty brusque; I bet I didn't get into the right neighborhoods)
bleh
Taipei (too many chain stores and motorbikes; too few bars)
Guatemala City (Central American capitals are not known for the quality of life; didn't have an actively bad time but wouldn't go back)
Nassau (good ceviche, nice beaches, hella poverty/crime and not at all walkable)
Washington, D.C. (i've said my piece on this plenty in a different thread; lacking so many things that make a vibrant city vibrant)
I'm also sure that these rankings would change if I went back, not least because for many of them I was there by myself, and the experience of being there on your own vs. with your gf vs. with fellow tourist friends vs. with local friends is just so so different
What's funny about Budapest is that we originally had planned to go there. Thought there was a direct flight from Montreal, but it wasn't available on the days we were going. So we saw Prague was available and thought "Prague could be good I guess...".
08-03-2016
, 12:04 AM
08-03-2016
, 12:10 AM
08-03-2016
, 12:29 AM
08-03-2016
, 04:28 AM