Whenever there is a list of the top places to go, everyone takes a look to see how many of those places he has visited and makes an assessment on the list depending on whether said places have been seen. I did the exact opposite. I published a list of places where you should not go (see Places NOT to Visit).
When I came across Time’s World Greatest Places of 2023, naturally I had to look and count how many I have seen. I was initially dismayed that I had only been to 16/50, a poor ratio compared to my Country Count of 131/330. I almost dismissed the list rationalizing that they picked obscure places for the sake of picking obscure places. This instantly changed when I saw Rio Grande on the list. Rio Grande is the municipality that is home to my bubble, Rio Mar (see House Hunters Puerto Rico: TPOL Finds His Home). Now, the list made sense. Where else is everything so beautiful and only a golf cart ride away?
After five weeks of residency in Madrid, it only took a few seconds to remember.
My villa is not the reason why Rio Grande made the list.
TPOL & Time’s Trivia: Did you know Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, is home to the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest Service?
TPOL’s Tip: Do you know said rain forest is right outside my door?
