I hate shopping. Apparently I’m misssing the shopping gene ( I blame my mother, of course) . Except bookstore or nurseries, shopping bores me witless. So Unearthing Asia’s post on 10 things to do in Hong Kong

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(which only listed shopping once) got my attention. And moved Hong Kong a little higher up my must-visit list.

Lonely Planet has come up with a new Top Ten Destinations, rather unscientifically comprised of the top ten destinations in terms of hits on their website. But the changes—and similarities from year to year—are interesting.

Thailand, Italy, Costa Rica, and India are still at the top, year after year. Mexico, Argentina, Vietnam, and Australia also made the list. But two new destinations scored this year: Peru and Denmark.  I’ve been to both , and can vouch for them, but Denmark is a surprise—not because it isn’t lovely—but because when I was there, people were always surprised to hear I was from the US and visiting Denmark. Almost invariably, they asked if I was researching my family’s genealogy, as though that would be the only explanation for staying in Denmark. [Read more →]