The BEST AND NOT SO BEST

Disclaimer: The statement in this blog post are mine alone. And the people listed as "Followers" are neither agreeing with or condoning any statements, herein...
 =======================================================================

After spending over 17 years of Sea Duty, aboard 5 ships of the line, I have been everywhere. Literally Everywhere. It would be easier and shorter for me to give you a list of the places I haven't seen. So to save us all a bit o time and I'll just give you some of the Highlights and a few superlatives.

When I joined the Navy in 1973, the Recruiting Motto was 

"JOIN The Navy! SEE The WORLD!"

And they weren't kidding:

THE WORLD'S

Most Friendly People: Esquimalt, British Columbia.

Visited here after joint ASW Training exercises. Hosted by The Crew of The HMCS Algonquin (DDG 283), these people welcomed us with open arms. The weather was a bit cool for my blood. But the warmth of those people made up for it!!!

Most Beautiful City: San Remo, Italy.

A tiny town on the Italian Riviera. Quaint, Clean, with red brick streets and the hills above the town are covered with Green Houses, filled with Carnations. In fact San Remo is the Carnation Capitol of the world. The streets are lined with Tangerine trees. Avoid eating the tangerines. They are so sour they will pucker your ears.

Most Interesting: Athens & Rhodes, Greece.

Stand atop The Acropolis, and watch the turquoise sea wash up on the pearl white sands of Athens. And The World History lessons you ignored in school, will haunt you. The invasion forces of The Peloponnesian Wars (there were 2). The Tales of Brave Ulysses. The 1000 ships sent against Troy. The Colossus (which isn't there anymore,but it is easy to imagine where it stood) The Parthenon and other ancient  historical sites.

The Cleanest: Tie -- Between Singapore, & Muscat, Oman.

These two places have absolutely nothing in common, besides being extremely Inspection Ready. The first is in the midst of a jungle forest. The latter is in a desert landscape, reminiscent of pictures from the Lunar Surface.

The Best Shopping: Hong Kong.

This is my all time favorite place to visit. I have been there more than 2 dozen times. If you can't find it in Hong Kong, it doesn't exist.

The Most Beautiful People: Taiwan

Maybe it's the water. Or maybe they had a contest to decide who was allowed to move there. But whatever it is. There aren't any ugly people in the entire country. Ugly was so conspicuous by its absence, that I actually looked for an ugly person. Couldn't find 1.

The Worst Drivers: Naples, Italy

It appears as if the rules are: As long as the horn works, the brakes don't have to. And if you don't like my driving, stay off the sidewalks. No joke. A red light is only a recommendation. There is nothing at SIX FLAGS that comes close to the thrills of a taxi ride in Napoli.

The Spookiest Place: The Catacombs under Paris, France

I posted a story and pictures from my visit to this little known place, last year.

The Nasty Dirtiest: Karachi, Pakistan

This place is so wrong, on so many levels. The sea water a mile away from port is Brown... The air stinks. Everywhere. Despite being punishable by life in prison, You can get Hashish, for cheap, in any taxi cab.

The Best Party: Brisbane, Australia

Once they hear your strange Yank Accent, or if you go ashore in uniform, it's "Party-On Dudes."

The Least Friendly People: Noumea, New Caledonia

Pouvez-vous parler français?

The Most Island Paradise: Bali, Indonesia & Suva Fiji & Apia, Western Samoa

These places are right out of a 60s Musical. A great get away, without all the hustle and tourist traps of Hawaii.

Most Secluded: Diego Garcia, BIOT

If you are looking to get away from it all. This tiny island in the middle of the Indian Ocean is your destination. You will need a passport. It belongs to England. And to get there you must be on Active duty, under orders. The original residents are currently involved in European Court proceeding to reclaim the island from the US and UK military. Until then, join up. Or go to Maui.

The Least Party Town: Bandar Abbas, Iran

This place freaked me out. It was just creepy. There wasn't a single can of beer, or glass of alcohol in the whole city. There was a death penalty for possession of booze. But there were camel races!

Safari Land: Mombasa, Kenya

A real trip to Africa. Go hunting The Big 5 (on film). Walk the beach looking for shark teeth, by day. Hit the Casino by night. The steak dinners are obviously not beef. But they are delicious.

The biggest mix of European Culture: San Tropez, France

This is THE JET SET spot. With an old world charm. Dine and Supp in small, friendly, family owned Restaurants (We taught one how to make French Fries). Or visit the beaches (many are topless & at least one was clothing optional). San Tropez was the only place in France, I visited, where the people were not completely arrogant. The other cities I visited in France include; Paris, Cannes and Monte Carlo.

===================================================================

If you would like to add to this list in some fashion. Or if you have a question about some place. Leave it in a comment. Or click the E-MAIL Helo in the side bar.

As for speaking foreign languages, I am literate in a few. But I can find my way around town, order a beer, find a phone, get a date or start a fight in 23 different ones. From Japanese to Swahili.