Do you get sick of shit talking blog readers? Do you want to do something about it? Since they will never leave their basements and since assault charges are not a good idea, I recommend taking up Muay Thai. Hitting pads and sparring provide the necessary release without the legal expense. I started my Muay Thai journey accidentally as part of my Residency in Melbourne, Australia (see Muay Thai Melbourne). When I left Melbourne, I went directly to Bangkok for Residency where I continued my Muay Thai studies (see Muay Thai Thailand Recap). Back in Puerto Rico, I tried to resume training but found no viable, cost-effective options.
In Medellin for a week as part of my Sane Asylum Getaway, I went to Zona De Combate MMA for private lessons. I was impressed with the instruction but not impressed with how out of (fighting) shape I was. Unfortunately, I only had time for two lessons. Nevertheless, I learned plenty.
Bring your own gloves.
TPOL’s Tip: Zona de Combate is located at CRA 49 #16 – 16 El Poblado, Medellín, Colombia. Follow them on IG. TPOL’s Tip: 2 private lessons cost 160k pesos or $41. That’s cheaper than Bangkok!
After Samarra, the next stop on this epic adventure was Mosul. The freeway to Mosul is littered with speed bumps. ISIS strategically destroyed the road to impair the Iraqi army’s ability to advance to this northern city.
We had to drive off the road.Then back onto the road.
I knew nothing about Mosul before visiting this historic city. I had only heard of it from the news. And all of the news coming out of Mosul was bad. It was ISIS ISIS ISIS, all the time. When I said I was visiting Mosul, I was told it was too dangerous.
The wildest thing happened when I arrived. I went for lunch and found that people lived in Mosul, normal people who have kids, and families. Normal people who go to lunch, talk, and laugh. The only sign of ISIS was the carnage and destruction they caused while holding the people of Mosul hostage.
Like Baghdad, Mosul is a victim of one-sided media coverage. Report enough bad stories with terrorism buzzwords and of course, the world will believe that Iraq still is a war zone. In this Travel Guide, I strive to portray Mosul as it is, focusing on the challenges the city faces, but more importantly, the resiliency it has shown despite being written off by the world.
Checkpoint
The checkpoint adventure continued but unlike the seriousness on the way to Samarra (see Navigating Iraqi Checkpoints: The Road to Samarra), the final checkpoint before arriving in Mosul was entertaining. This time a smart dressed man came loaded with questions. He heard from my tour guide that I was Iraqi American and decided to have fun asking me questions in Arabic. He rather enjoyed my limited language skills. “How old are you?” I told him 40. He quickly replied that he did not believe me. That was nice. Then he asked me where I lived. He started laughing when I told him I was a lawyer living in Puerto Rico. Finally, he let us go. But as he did, he told me in Arabic that he would cry for me no sooner than the moment I left.
Lunch
For lunch, there’s only one place to go, مطعم خالد للكص .كص or Khaled Al-Kass Restaurant. He is better known as the ‘Father of Shwarma.’ In our house, we call it ‘gus and tomata.’ Like the Soup Nazi episode, there’s a procedure for ordering. Step 1: Grab a bowl. Step 2: Grab a piece of bread. Step 3: Slide your tray down down. Step 4: Record a video. Step 5: Take a seat, if you can find one.
Like pho, goodies can be added to enhance what will be the best lunch of your life. A lover of onions and cucumbers, I loaded up my plate.
TPOL’s Tip: The restaurant is located at Al-Mansa Street Al Baladyat, Mosul 41016 Iraq.
The Hotel
I found out that there are Airbnbs in Mosul. Full houses can be rented near the old town for the price of a hotel room. Without seeing Mosul in person, I would never have believed such a thing existed.
Our hotel, like Baghdad, mirrored a typical guesthouse in a SE Asian hotel. It had a dreadful shower that was not separated from the toilet. Someone explain why such a thing is still being built!
Still overpriced.Karaoke?Honeymoon suite.Bring your own bubbles.Why?
No Gas in Mosul
A funny thing happened when we were in Mosul. We were out of gas but there was no gas to be found. The queues at the gas stations were endless. How could it be that an Iraqi city was out of gas? This shortage showed the continuing dysfunction and corruption of the country.
The queue for gas.
Night Tour
After a nap, we toured the old town. The first stop was a square bombed by ISIS that included a museum, café, and restaurant.
Walking through the old town, I saw the mosque which was across from the church. Both were bombed by ISIS. Behind a wall, was another church, mostly intact.
A common erroneous belief is that Iraq is a strict Islamic nation. This was never the case. St. Thomas came to Iraq in 770 to spread the Catholic faith. Christians of different denominations have been living in Iraq for thousands of years. There were also Jews living in Iraq. Christians, Jews, and Muslims of different sects were literally worshipping side by side.
Dinner
At 11PM, it was time to eat. And by eat I mean feast. Mosul has the best food in Iraq because it resembles my grandma’s cooking. I could not believe it when they brought out aroog, an indescribable, unique concoction we used to consume fresh from grandma’s deep fryer. There was also Iraqi kebab and Iraqi tikka, again made in the same way as my grandma. If that was not enough, there was Mosul kubba. I have never seen it in this color, but it had the same joyous flavors as the version I enjoyed as a kid.
AroogIraqi KebabIraqi kebabMosul kubba
Already full, I forced myself to try and eat dolma. I had never seen it made in individual portions before. During the holidays, we make it enough for ten people. Like everything else, it reminded me of grandma.
The onions are always the best.
Overall
Mosul is fantastic. The city is alive. The people are lovely. The food is great.
Mosul, Iraq or Farmington Hills, Michigan?Indeed I do.
Citi makes no sense. Over a year ago, Citi approved me for the Citi Thank You card, now the Strata card. At that time, I had a 2k limit (see Citi’s Pointless 2k Limit Thank You, No Thank You Card). Over a year later, I still have a 2k limit. Every attempt to increase my credit line has been denied. In the interim, I have applied and was approved for the Citi AA Exec Card (Approved! AA Citi Exec 100k). That had a higher limit than my Citi TY card. When the annual fee on that card came due, I attempted to transfer the credit line to my Strata card. Citi claimed that this could not be done because the cards were in different families. I then asked if I could transfer some of my 30k+ credit line from my Citi+ card.
Here’s how that worked out:
As you can see, my credit line was adjusted. Why Citi, why?
* I played in the ‘Malanga’ Flight, a euphemism for the worst players in the club i.e., players with 20+ handicaps. A club champion can only come from the Championship Flight which is played from the gold tees.
** I only finished first on the first day. I shot a 96. The tournament was two days long.
Day 1 Celebration
But if you overlook those to trivial points, you can call TPOL the club champion. I beat out 15 other players on day 1 and came in 4th after day 2, shooting a terrible 105.
The real reason I am writing this post is to continue to document my ascent from worst to first. Next year, regardless of my handicap, I will play in the championship flight. It is open to anyone who wants to tee off from the tips. If you have not played from the golds, I suggest trying it. Here’s why: when people see you on the tee box, they will automatically assume you are a good golfer. That will give you the confidence to swing freely. If you do hit a bad shot, those observers will just assume you hit an errant shot. That confidence will allow you to take the next shot with ease. Another reason I will play in the championship flight is because this year there were only five competitors. Worst case, I finish sixth. Then I can write I finished 6th in the club championship. Those who only pay attention to headlines will be impressed.
I will win the club championship and quit golf thereafter.
Historical Note: This tournament took place on October 12th and 13th, 2024.
The decor is not from the typical Holiday Inn Express.
Staff
I was welcomed by the nice staff and was told I had been upgraded. I was also offered a welcome beverage of my choosing. Critically, the front desk helped arrange a taxi for my trek up the rock (see The Guide to Climbing Gibraltar).
Room
The room was funky.
Bathroom
The bathroom was adequate, though I’m not a fan of Dove soap.
This is the best Holiday Inn Express because of the staff, the unique location, and because it will forever be associated with my stay in this unique overseas territory.
I cannot confirm or deny such reports. I can say that I feel like an undercover agent whenever I have the opportunity to cross a border on foot. There’s a special thrill to it. One second I am under the laws and regulations of one country, the next second I’m in no man’s land, and in the third instance, assuming I am not detained, I am in a new country.
The crossing from Spain to Gibraltar was especially memorable. One second, I am speaking Spanish, the next I am transported through an English portal. It’s similar to when I try to go to ESPN in Puerto Rico and am redirected to ESPN Deportes, but in reverse order.
The reminder that I was no longer in Kansas, Spain anymore was exemplified by the iconic British phone booth.
Along the way, I passed through, Marbella, a wealthy town I would also visit on this trip. I knew nothing about Gibraltar apart from the following:
It is a British Overseas territory.
It’s home to many online gambling companies.
It’s home to a big rock.
This lack of knowledge added to the intrigue. It also reaffirmed that the TCC List for counting countries (see ‘Is Hawaii a Country‘) promotes adventure much more than the standard UN List (see Where I’ve Been). But for such an extensive list, I never would have thought to go to Gibraltar nor would I have taken the time to learn more than what I mentioned above about this unique place.
Regarding the drive, here are TPOL’s Tips:
You do have to go through some tolls but credit cards are accepted.
You should park your car on the Spain side and walk across because it is unlikely that your rental is covered in Gibraltar.
Be sure to make the right turn into the car park. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself in the long queue of cars looking to cross into Gibraltar. If you do, there is an opportunity to turn around.
Another Panda?Very cool seeing GB plates
Are you looking to explore the Costa Del Sol of Spain? Care to add Gibraltar to your Count Count (see Where I’ve Been)? Then you will need a rental car. Ever the cheapo, I made the mistake of selecting the least expensive car for this journey: The Fiat Panda Hybrid. I’ve rented Pandas before and enjoyed this compact vehicle. The problem with Pandas is that they are lazy and lack the drive to do anything (see Panda Panda: Chengdu Panda Visitor Guide). The problem with my Panda is that it did not have enough horsepower to command the sharp ascents en route to Granada nor the stalking Lamborghinis en route to Marbella.
‘Fun to drive’ is not an expression I can ascribe to this car.
Despite its lack of performance, it’s hard not to be enamored with this cute creature. It did get me from point A to point B to point C to point D to point E and back to point A.
My Panda needs a wash and a nap.
TPOL’s Tip: The price to rent this slow-moving vehicle was $99 for 7 days.
Overall
Next time I’m going to splurge for a BMW hybrid. I have places to go and people watching me go there.
Breaking News: Upon further review, I don’t know if this is a Fiat 500 or Panda, but I’m not rewriting this post and abandoning my Chengdu theme.
I write this quick review to say that I do not understand why so many people believe that Ryanair is terrible. This is the second time I have flown Ryan and like the first time, have no serious complaints (see Ryanair LUX-LIS: Not as Bad as Expected). It is critical to make sure that you have paid for the appropriate luggage (see 100 GBP Carry-On Bags? Scammed by Ryanair & Trips.com). If that is sorted, you should have no problems.
Going forward, I will skip my ‘review’ of Ryanair until there is something worthy to say.
TPOL’s Guns & Butter Travel Guide is the best way to see as much as you can in as little time as possible. Here’s how it works: A trip is composed of two factors: Labor And Lazy. The opportunity cost (what is given up) for relaxing and being Lazy is gained by being adventurous in the form of Labor and vice versa. The guide includes inefficient activities i.e., tourist traps that should be avoided and aspirational activities that are worth doing but may be impossible to see given the constraints of time and resources.
If you’re looking to day drink, I recommend the best place on earth: Can Paixano Barcelona. There you will find tapas, cava, and people.
I do not recommend buying over-sugared, suspect mojitos from vendors on the beach in Barceloneta. Go to Opium instead for comfortable seating and overpriced cava.
TPOL’s Tip: Opium is located at Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta, 34, Ciutat Vella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
More expensive than Opium are the multiple chiringuitos on the beach. They weren’t this much when I came in 2011.
2011 before party inflation
Night
Avoid: Barceloneta
When did I get old? In 2019, I went to Shoko in Barceloneta and thought I fit in.
This place was not loaded with children. I was able to make party like the good old days.
TPOL’s Tip: Make a reservation online to avoid the mercurial doormen.
TPOL’s Tip: Club Sutton is located at Carrer de Tuset, 13, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, 08006 Barcelona, Spain
Don’t Follow: People
The problem with Barcelona is that everyone is going somewhere but arriving nowhere. There are crowds of people walking without a destination. In attempt to make party, I stealthily stalked various groups of people to see where I would end up.
Don’t Go: La Rambla
Like Nanjing Xi Lu in Shanghai, La Rambla is the tourist hell of Barcelona. There are tons of people and poachers roaming about. If you did not heed my advice regarding following people, you will end up here.
Do Go: La Pipa
First, you have to find it.
Hint: It’s in this square:
TPOL’s Tip: You have to be a member to enter this speakeasy. That requires providing false information to the doorman via his tablet.
TPOL’s Tip: Pipa is located at Pl. Reial, 3, Ciutat Vella, 08002 Barcelona, Spain.
Do and Don’t: El Born Neighborhood
El Born reminds me of Barrio Antiguo in Monterrey, Mexico. It’s full of people, bars, and restaurants. In theory, it should be a fun time. In reality, it has no flavor. Why most bars do not play music is an enigma.
Get ready to walk aimlessly looking for party that does not exist.
Tapas
What’s a trip to Spain without tapas? I recommend walking down Carrer D’Enric Granados. There are plenty of places to eat and drink.
I will give an honorable mention to Mosquito, an Asian tapas restaurant AKA dim-sum restaurant in El Born.
TPOL’s Tip: Mosquito is located at Carrer dels Carders, 46, Ciutat Vella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Stay
It is important to rest while you are in Barcelona. If you’re looking to party and go to the beach, the W cannot be beat (see W Hotel Barcelona: Don’t Miss the Day).
Disclaimer: I used the term ‘beach’ loosely. It’s more of a harbor than a playa.
Residents of Barcelona: Holster your water guns. While I will do my residency in Barcelona one day, I have no immediate plans of doing so. I prefer Madrid.
TPOL’s Tip: Zona de Combate is located at CRA 49 #16 – 16 El Poblado, Medellín, Colombia. Follow them on IG.
TPOL’s Tip: 2 private lessons cost 160k pesos or $41. That’s cheaper than Bangkok!
