midnight_mike's VirtualTourist Home Page

Welcome to my VT homepage. It has been a few years since I have changed anything on this page, so some of my tips may be outdated. Unfortunately, I don't have much time to add tips or contribute to the forum like I used to, but I still love traveling and still find this site very valuable.

1. Dubrovnik, Croatia--Dalmacija at its best: sun, sand, clear blue water
2. Barcelona, Spain--muy bueno!
3. Buenos Aires, Argentina--a city with a soul
4. Chicago, USA--the Windy City (my home town)
5. Prague, Czech Republic--cold winters, no beaches, but hey I love this place
6. Brasov, Romania--my second home
7. Rio De Janeiro, Brasil--what a surreal place
8. Paris, France--awful in the summer, great every other time
9. Istanbul, Turkey--so much history in just one city
10. Sarajevo, Bosnia--I don't know why I love this place, but I do
11. Miami, USA--if only there weren't hurricanes
12. Seville, Spain--great nightlife, great food, great culture
13. New York City, USA--capital of the world
14. Ao Nang, Thailand--awesome beach town; very relaxing
15. Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)--a city in the mountains

Never been there but wish I could
1. South Africa: Cape Town, Krueger National Park
2. Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Outback (not the steakhouse)
3. Antartica
4. Tibet
5. Tunisia
6. Malta
7. Russia: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Trans-Siberian Railway
8. Napoli, Palermo
9. Jordan (Bethany, Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba, Kerak)
10. Belize, Tikal of Guatemala
11. Hawaii
12. Tanzania
13. Machu Pichu in Peru

1. Yugoslavija Post-Mortem: Dubrovnik, Split, Sarajevo, Mostar, Skopje, Belgrade

2. Ireland: been to Dublin, wish I could visit Northern Ireland

3. Spain--Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Granada, Cadiz, Tarifa

4. Buenos Aires, Rio De Janeiro

5. Morocco---a true adventure

6. Syria--is it really so dangerous?

7. Thailand--wow, wow, wow!

1. Foz Do Iguacu, Brasil--the waterfall is amazing, but the city on the Brasilian side is an awful, awful place

2. London, England--expensive, bad food, too many American tourists

3. Las Vegas, USA--the ultimate tourist trap.

4. Orlando, USA--yuk, yuk, yuk. How can you go to a city in Florida that is not on the ocean?

5. Brussells, Belgium--I had a suitcase stolen here and it is expensive

1. Running the original marathon in Athens, my second in three weeks
2. Driving through the mountains in Alaska
3. Seeing Africa from the Rock of Gibraltar
4. Taking trains across Europe
5. Listening to tango music in Buenos Aires
6. Riding an elephant through a jungle in Thailand

1. Steak in Buenos Aires
2. Kebabs in Istanbul
3. Sangria in Rio De Janeiro
4. Homemade Romanian wine
5. Empanadas in Buenos Aires
6. Calamari in Spain
7. Sarmale from Romania
8. Plantains in Puerto Rico
9. Ham and cheese on baguette in Paris
10. Cured ham and cheese on baguette in Spain
11. Blood oranges from Sicily
12. Fish and Chips from England and/or Gibraltar

If anyone has travel questions about the places I have been, feel free to e-mail me...

USA Mexico Canada Puerto Rico Argentina Brasil
England Ireland Belgium Netherlands Germany
France Spain Monaco Italy Czech Republic
Slovakia Poland Austria Switzerland
Slovenia Serbia Greece Bosnia Croatia
Hungary Macedonia Bulgaria Romania
Turkey Morocco Syria Egypt Israel Thailand
India Japan China Costa Rica Bolivia

Most of these artists I discovered while traveling. They are not played on the radio in the United States, although they are famous in their own countries. If you hear their songs I think I you will be as impressed as I was when I first heard them.

In-grid: Italy (pop/dance, sings in French, English)
Animal X: Romania (pop/electronic/dance, sings in Romanian, English)
Tatu: Russia (pop/electronic/rock, sings in Russian, English)
Coralie Clement: France (pop/rock, sings in French)
Paulina Rubio: Mexico (pop, sings in Spanish, English)
Mala Rodriguez: Spain (rap/pop, sings in Spanish)
Nancy Ajram: Lebanon (pop, sings in Arabic)
Ellisa: Lebanon (pop, sings in Arabic)
Nadia Ali: USA (pop/electronic/dance, sings in English)
Gulsen: Turkey (pop/dance, sings in Turkish)
Gotan Project: Argentina (tango/remix, sings in Spanish)
Gulben Ergen: Turkey (pop/traditional, sings in Turkish)
Maysam Nahas: Egypt (pop, sings in Arabic)
Cheb Mami: Algeria (world, sings in Arabic, French)
Haifa: Lebanon (pop, sings in Arabic)

My favorite travel book
"On the Road" by Jack Kerouac: The travel novel of travel novels. If you haven't read it, you won't understand.

My favorite "travel" movies (movies with travel scenes)
1. Bourne Identity: Great spy thriller starring Matt Damon shot on location throughout Europe. This movie inspired me to take my first trip to Europe.
2. Before Sunrise: A romantic story of an American guy meeting a French woman on a train going from Budapest to Vienna. I blame this movie for my affair with long train rides.
3. Legends of the Fall: Brad Pitt plays a rugged cowboy with a restless heart. He is raised on a ranch, but his mind is constantly wandering. The part of the movie where he leaves his home to travel the world really struck a nerve in me.