São Paulo

For the last post of the year I decided to write about the city we all live in right now, São Paulo. I lived here for almost 14 years and therefore I was able to see and experience the best of São Paulo. Museums and theaters are abundant in São Paulo such as the MASP. National and international art and drama/musical/comedies can be seen weekly. But for those who are not great fans of museums and theaters like me, São Paulo also offers entertainment. Oscar Freire is the brazilian version of the 5th avenue where luxurious brazilian and international stores can be found. Other great places to shop is in Daslu, Shopping Iguatemi, Cidade Jardim, and the many other malls that can be found here. São Paulo is home to many other cultures as well such as the Liberdade, which is the largest japanese community out of Japan. The many immigrants that came to São Paulo brought a little of their culture that can now be found in many parts of São Paulo. Nightlife in São Paulo is great as well if you know where to go. I believe that São Paulo is a great city to live and even if I didn't live here, I would still want to visit it.

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International

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Rome

Rome, the capital of Italy, is probably one of the most popular and beautiful place to visit. Also known as the "Eternal City", Rome has incredible antique arquitecture, mouth-watering foods and drinks, amazing art and shopping. From my experience, it is impossible get bored in Rome because there are so many places to visit and foods to eat. Top places you should visit in Rome are the Vatican, Colosseum, Pantheon, all the beautiful fountains and squares such as the Trevi Fountain, and all other arquitectures not mentioned. They are all unique and extraordinary in thier own way, even the buildings that are not famous or important are stunning. When you say Rome, pasta and pizzas are probably one of the first things that come to your mind. You can taste the true italian food in Rome and they are with no doubt, delicious. There are so many types of pizzas and pastas that you take about 20 minutes only reading through the menu. I've spent 6 days in Rome and didn't get the chance to taste them all. The arts in Rome are breathtaking, every museum you go there are different types of art. The most famous museum is the Vaticans Museum. I think this reason is mostly for girls, but shopping in Rome is the best! You can just walk through one long street (Via del Corso) and you find all the stores you can imagine.
You could live your whole life in Rome, and not a day in your life you'd have nothing to do. If I had to describe Rome in one word it would be PERFECT! Rome is certainly a city you must visit before you die.

Cape Town

Cape Town, South Africa is also a city that I would want to visit especially now that the 2010 FIFA World Cup is about to start. The games, the stadiums and the soccer players would be enough to make me want to visit this city, but Michael told me that it is also a beautiful city. Cape Town is mostly known for it's amazing scenery full of natural beauties such as mountains and the beach. The Atlantic ocean surrounds the city and from all the mountains, Table Mountain is the most famous and beautiful from them all. It has this name because the top of the mountain is as flat as a table and it is enormous. According to capetownmagazine.com, the scenery sets an relaxing mood so for all of those seeking for a relaxing vacation should go visit this town. It also says that it is sunny and hot till 7pm so there is plenty of time to relax on the beautiful beaches. Scenery is not the only thing Cape Town has to offer, another reason to visit this city are the old architecture. Capetownmagazine.com says that Cape Town is a mixture of new and old, in between modern skyscrapers we can find older buildings. Each building has a history and a unique beauty. I know Cape Town sound like a calm and relaxing place, but if you are seeking a vacation full of thrills it can be found as well. There are extreme sports such as shark cage diving, sky diving, bungee jumping, para gliding, and etc. Wine is very famous in Cape Town and there are many restaurants with foods from different cultures. Cape Town is also the home of the best hotels in the world, many of them are rated 5 stars and offers great comfort for all tourists.

I believe this city has everything it needs to make someone's vacation perfect; natural beauty, entertainment, food, and hotels. I would love to go there in June but I don't think it'll be possible.

Information from here and Michael

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Madrid

One more city to add to the list is Madrid, Spain. The capital of Spain has much to offer to all of those who decides to visit this city. According to letsgo2.com, there are many places to visit for it is a very cultural city. Spain has many museums and historical architecture such as the Thyssen Borneimsza Museum, Museum of Fashion, Royal Palace, Conde Duque Centre, Reina Sofia Museum, and etc. All these places represents the city's best historical and some modern arts and buildings. Entertainment is another thing that does not lack in this city. Letsgo2.com has listed some of the fun that can be found there like all the daily live performances, flamenco bars and clubs, and obviously the traditional spanish bull fighting. I personally always wanted to see bull fighting live although it may end up bad sometimes. In Madrid, you can also visit the Madrid Zoo that contains 3000 animals that walk freely instead of being behind steel bars. There is also the Aquopolis, which is one of the largest water attractions in Europe offering fun for the whole family. If spanish food here is delicious, I only imagine how many times better it might be in Madrid, Spain. All dishes are known to be extremely good and I'd probably gain some weight if I ever went there. Spain is also a great place to shop in boutiques such as Serrano, Castello, Goya, Velazquez, and etc.

Madrid is probably one of the cities I most want to visit. All of those, including my parents, that has been there claims that it certainly is a great place to go. From what I researched about Madrid, it really does look like a city I would enjoy.

Information from here

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Lisbon

Lisbon, Portugal had to be part of this list. It is said to be a great city for people of all generations and worth visiting. One of the reasons one should visit Lisbon are its amazing and exotic attractions over the city. According to skvots.net, such attractions include the Tiepolo at the Medeiros E Almeida Museum, Tropical Gardens, Rossio Square to the Sao Carlos Theater, aquaducts, and etc. These beautiful architectures displayed throughout the city reflects on Lisbon's strong cultural heritage and shows the long history of Lisbon. Food is another major reason to visit Lisbon. This city is particularly known for its wonderful wines, which can only be found in Portugal. Seafood is the typical food in Lisbon, everything is fresh and tastes perfectly good. Besides these reasons, Lisbon is also known to offer a great night life for all generations. There are bars, clubs and even concerts that you might be interested. Climate in Lisbon is a typical mediterranean climate, summers are warm and winters are cool. All these reasons make Lisbon one of the cities I would desperately want to visit soon.

Information from here

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Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan is known to be a city full of excitement, fast-paced and very complex that awakens the curiosity of many tourists. Personally, this is one of the cities I really want to visit because of the many advertising I saw in places such as movies and tv shows. According to www.blog.hotelclub.com, there are many reasons to visit Tokyo. One of the reasons would definitely be the technology. Tokyo is the home of most of the technologies developed throughout the world meaning that they have the ultimate gadgets. There are many gadgets that Japan has developed, which is not on the markets yet. Tokyo is a great shopping destinations for the gadget freaks who wants the latest technological advances although it may be pricy. But besides the busy and advanced Tokyo, the culture also stands out that is another great reason to visit this wonderful city. Samurais, geishas, temples, and gardens are all examples of the beautiful culture Japan has. The site also advices the tourists to visit the Tokyo Imperial Palace, which is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. By the pictures I saw, it really is extremely beautiful and I could see how the architecture is different. A reason we could certainly not forget is the food. It is said that there are over 200,000 restaurants and bars throughout the city with foods such as sushi and many other traditional japanese food. Tokyo would be perfect for me because I love sushi!

I really want to visit Tokyo one day, it seems to be a very exciting city to visit.

Information from here

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