Places MikeInSanFrancisco Wants to Go

A neo-Gothic castle in the Argentinian countryside.

Massive rock sculptures formed during the time of the dinosaurs still stand undisturbed.

An Argentinian businessman facing terminal cancer built this whimsical medieval village using salvaged materials.

Once swallowed by flood waters, this village has emerged as an eerie shadow of its former self.

This Argentinian hedge maze is an intricate tribute to a famous surrealist author.

A vast necropolis where you'll find the elaborate mausoleums of Argentinian tango stars.

105-foot wide giant metallic flower blooms anew every day in the heart of Buenos Aires.

A museum befitting the city responsible for supplying the majority of the world's LSD.

The building hides in plain sight in Ribadavia's historic Jewish quarter.

The ruins of the second-largest circus school in the world.

An abandoned 6th-century monastery features a medieval map of the known world.

The largest privately owned statue of Buddha in Japan, built by a total amateur, with an unconventional look.

This giant fashion model is one of the most beloved symbols of Nagoya.

The traditional houses along the coast of this charming Japanese fishing village allow people to sleep above the sea.

Nine Gardens in one—with tea service.

This pair of small sea rocks has been "wed" using rope and ancient Shinto tradition.

One of the bloodiest and most important battles in Japanese history is recreated with kitschy concrete statues.

This ancient shrine has been rebuilt every 20 years since the eighth century.

A calico cat named Tama was the wildly popular Super Station Master at this train stop in southeast Japan.

Largest graveyard in all of Japan surrounds a famous mausoleum.

A lesser-known sister to Paris's world-famous museum, located within a Buddhist sculpture paradise.

Japan's largest collection of Western-style mansions in the port city of Kobe includes a recreation of Sherlock Holmes' 221B Baker Street quarters.

Birthplace of the Tendai sect and home to the marathon monks.

Established over a thousand years ago, this family-run teahouse continues to serve skewers of sweet rice cake to this day.