What if...(Part III) 10 Places I Want to Visit Before I Die

It's free to dream. That's why in my 3rd hub for the Hubchallenge and my 20th hub all in all, I decided to feature the 10 places that I would really like to visit before I die.

Nope, I am not dying (plan to live to a 100, if I can). But I thought that it would be nice to set a certain deadline for myself. These places are actually cities located around the world (excluding the cities in my country which I featured in my other hub - My Top 10 Preferred Cities in the Philippines) that I would love to visit and here they are (in no particular order):

Athens, Greece

No, I did not choose this place because I am a fan of a very good writer here in Hubpages who live in Greece right now, but because I'd really love to go to this place. Since I was a child, I have been fascinated with Greek history and mythology. What better way to live out my fascination for these subjects than going to Athens. I would love to see up close and personal the Parthenon (the temple of Athena) and the Temple of Hephaestus. It will be quite interesting to see how the rich history of this place was combined with the modern city that is now Athens.

Sydney, Australia

Sydney, Australia is one of the preferred cities to go to for a lot of overseas working Filipinos. Its dynamic business environment and the great quality of life found in this place are attractions to a lot of people from different cultures. I would love to see the sights and sounds of this city, especially the Sydney Opera House, the Olympic Park and the famous Taronga Zoo. Would be fun also to visit my friends who are already living and working in this great city.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur is a mixture of traditions and the modern aspects of life. It is very easy to go to this country, you just need a valid passport recognized by the Malaysian government and you're in. I would like to see the Petronas Twin Towers, the very tall KL Tower, the beautiful mosques, and the Chinatown.

Singapore

There was really a time when I thought that I would go and work in Singapore. Now, my thought is no longer to work there, but to go there as a tourist. This country is so small (the smallest here in Southeast Asia) that I know I can go around this place in a few days or so. With its beautiful sights, modern facilities, and the general cleanliness and discipline found in this city-state, I know that visiting Singapore will really be an exciting once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.

Tokyo, Japan

The capital of one of the biggest economy in the world, Tokyo is a highly-urbanized city featuring almost all of the modern amenities in life. I have always wanted to ride in one of its very fast trains (Tokyo has the most extensive railway network in the world), see Mt. Fuji, visit its national parks, go island-hopping and see cherry blossom flowers. Would also love to eat sashimi and sushi (my two most favorite food) in a real honest-to-goodness Japanese restaurant. Just don't make me use chopsticks, I can never get the hang of using those things.

Hong Kong, China

I know, I know, there are a lot of Filipinos who go in and out of Hong Kong, China. Unfortunately, until now, I am still not one of those people. But as one of the premier destination of shopping (at least for us), Hong Kong is one of my most preferred cities to visit. Other than the fact that I have some friends living and working in that city (and whom I would really like to see), I would also like to have the chance to visit Disneyland, Hong Kong and see the various sights and sounds of this beautiful park. Seeing the sights while walking around this city will also be part of my dream itinerary if and when I can go to this place.

New York City, USA

The Big Apple itself and one of the financial centers of the US (and the world), I would just love to visit this place and live out my fantasy to become like the Sex and the City Girls (on second thought, I can't even hold a candle to any of those four sexy, vibrant women. Oh well, scrap that idea, I'll just see the place). I would like to see its tall buildings (skyscrapers), its beautiful world-class hotels, walk along its busy streets and, of course, see the Statue of Liberty.

London, England

London is a city with a rich historical past. It is one of the most influential cities in history and is now one of the business districts of the world (aside from New York). Its rich cultural past makes it a very interesting place for me. There's the Tower of London, the House of Parliament, the Tower (London) Bridge, the Westminster Abbey and the University of London. I'd like to go there when there's a tennis tournament so that I can watch the Wimbledon championships live.

Rome, Italy

A city with a very rich history and culture, Rome is one of the founders of the western civilization. It is a center of art and religion, not only in Italy, but also in the world. Some places I would like to see - the Colosseum, the Arch of Constatine, St. Peter's Basilica, and of course, the Vatican.

Jerusalem, Israel

As a Roman Catholic, Jerusalem, Israel holds a special place in our religion. Thus, this is one of my most desired places to visit. I would love to go on a pilgrimage to this place. Barring that, I would also like to go to this place as a tourist and see, among others, the places I have only read in the history books and the Bible. The Tower of David, Mount Olives, the Dome of the Rock, the Temple, the various churches and mosques and the Shrine of the Book - these are only some of the places I want to see when I go to Jerusalem.

That's it. So how much do I need to go to all of these places? I don't know, maybe like $1 million? Not bloody likely (spoken with a British accent, of course). Since this amount is virtually unreachable (in this lifetime), I would just dream about these places, visit their websites and generally, just write about them.

So how about you? Which places would you like to go to?