I'm heading over to Illinois this summer. If Gerry wants, we could probably meet (I don't know how. Bloomington is not walking distance from Chicago. I sure could meet Maurice though
)
But places I've been to, enjoyed the most anyways:
1. Munich-Bavaria (Germany). Although I spent only 2 weeks here, it was awesome.
2. St. Petersburg-Moscow (Russia). This immediately followed my Munich trip. Spent about 10 days.
4. The Himalayas, Nepal. I go there every winter for treks (past three years) and I conduct hikes in the area. Me qualified for upto 16,000 feet. Linked to such areas is a beatiful plateau in Kashmir called Ladhak and Leh. Breathtaking isn't the word. Reminded me of the Bavarian Alps.
5. God's own country: The backwaters of Kerala (a state in India), followed by Goa and Konkan, Maharashtra. The Western Ghats are some of the most picturesque in the world. Not to mention their awesome (but fast disappearing) tribal culture.
[Man, they make some mean moonshine
]
6. Of all the places I've been to in the US, I found no better place than San Francisco... truly beautiful. I'd love to spend more time in Chicago. For some strange reason, I dislike Washington D.C. (except the Smithsonian institutions and the Lincoln memorial
)intensely.
Dislikes....
1. I expected much out of my trip to Rajasthan (Barmer, Jaipur and the Thar desert). Useless trip. Other than visiting my cousin in the 1st Armoured Division of the Indian Army and sitting in a T-72, nothing much came out of that. God-damned beauruecrats and their f***ed up red tape.
2. I similarly dislike Delhi. Too many people with 'airs' of importance
3. Similarly hated Las Vegas and Los Angeles. I have an almost virulent hatred for Vegas. It's a disgusting place IMHO.