Places... Overrated

For instance, on a cab ride from central Athens to the suburbs, my driver went ballistic when I suggested an alternate route. He started screaming at me, swerved across two lanes of traffic and kicked me out of his cab -- but not before demanding payment. This may have been extreme, but it wasn't an isolated demonstration of Athenians' interpersonal skills either.

During the hot summer months, the locals head to the islands to cool off (physically and emotionally). So take a tip from the Athenians: Avoid the city altogether. And if you must go there, see the Acropolis and then get out of town.

Sorry, Dad.

4. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Until a few decades ago, Dubai was a dot in the desert. Today, its skyscrapers shimmer as the sun sets on what is now a thriving metropolis. Dubai is an amazing, almost miraculous feat of human creativity and perseverance.

Still, for all its achievements, Dubai lacks a soul. Part of that stems from the clash of its local culture and the capitalist spirit that drives it. It is, apparently, much easier to create a metropolis in the desert than to combine thousands of years of Middle Eastern culture with capitalism in one dazzling manifestation and have it ring true.

On a March visit to Dubai, I spent most of my time interacting with ex-pats, which is not the way I like to travel. But on this trip, the most interaction I managed was with my taxi driver Ranjit, and he was Pakistani. There seemed to be an invisible, impenetrable shield between us, and when I tried to break through it, I felt an uneasiness and a sense of mistrust.

I didn't get that vibe in the Westernized parts of town -- at the astonishing Mall of the Emirates or the myriad high-end hotels -- but when I visited some of the many mosques and historical parts of town, I felt lost and out of place. The flavor of the Middle East, which I hoped to embrace, eluded me. And my spirit never felt challenged.

To awaken myself, I decided to embark on a day trip to Yemen to see if I could delve into its cultural delicacies. I rented a car and left Dubai in the early afternoon but got horribly lost. I eventually found my way to the right highway, but when I stopped for gas I bumped into a local who told me that traveling to Yemen overland at night was unwise.

"Yemen is not like Dubai," he said. "We understand you Westerners. There, you will not be safe, especially at night."