What do you do when you have 3 nights in Baghdad? The answer is everything and nothing. I say everything because that’s plenty of time to become familiar with the city. I say nothing because it will be stimulus overload, making you wish that you had opted to stay in a nicer hotel with a pool retreat (see Baghdad Day 2 & Baghdad Day 3).
Arrival
Arriving in Baghdad was a surreal experience. I imagined the US armed forces using the airport as a base during the US occupation of Iraq. I imagined my parents leaving Saddam Hussein International Airport in the middle of the night under the cover of darkness in 1981 during the Iran-Iraq War.
It took a moment to comprehend that I was actually in Baghdad.
Transfer
I paid $2620 for a private guide and driver for my 8-day tour of Iraq. My driver was waiting for me when I arrived and kindly greeted me by offering a cigarette.
Hotel Prices
Included in the price was my accommodation. I was told that it was $60 a night for all my hotels throughout Iraq. I don’t know how every hotel was exactly the same price, but I had haggled enough for the tour price that I did not press for further details. I did check online and it said ‘contact hotel for rates.’
Hotel
Imagine a guesthouse in Cambodia or Laos. That’s a three-star in Baghdad. The room smelled like smoke, the bathroom was dirty, and the furniture was well-dated. The bed, though firm, was surprisingly comfortable. While breakfast was included, it was not the big spread my mom would make on the weekends. They kept it simple: eggs, vegetables, and tea.
TPOL’s Tip: While a luxury hotel would have provided an oasis from the hustle and bustle of Baghdad, I am glad I did not pay $300-$400 a night to stay at an underwhelming 5-star.
TPOL’s Tip: Take half a day to rest, lest you want to start off your tour on the wrong foot.
Espresso Needed
With the drama somewhat resolved, we began the marathon tour of Baghdad. The first stop of the cradle of civilization was the espresso shop for much-needed caffeine. It’s 5000 ($3.82) dinars for an espresso. Whoever said Iraq is cheap was only partially accurate.
Martyr Museum
Propaganda is an effective tool to keep authoritarians in power. It dupes the masses into believing that things are the way they hope them to be rather what they actually are.
The Martyr Monument, erected in 1983, pays homage to those who died in the Iraq-Iranian war. Inside, the names of the deceased are inscribed on the walls.
The government has since repurposed the museum to pay tribute to those who were killed for rising up against Saddam and those who were killed by ISIS. There is a photo of Saddam with a noose over his head with the word ‘tyrant’ written below.
Processing it all is challenging. Ultimately, the museum showcases the worst in humanity, a reminder that evil can be perpetrated no matter who is in charge.
Palestine Hotel
I vividly recall the start of the Persian Gulf War and CNN’s coverage with Bernard Shaw. I remember the Baghdad skyline being lit up by bombs, speaking of propaganda, ‘patriot’ missiles.’ I also recall the Palestine Hotel where journalists and diplomats have stayed throughout the years. Seeing it in person was surreal.
One Thousand And One Nights
Do you know the stories from One Thousand And One Nights? Monuments from the fable are all over Baghdad. The soft side of Iraq wasn’t something I thought I would see.
Baghdad Tower (Formerly International Saddam Tower)
It’s no Burk Khalifa in Dubai, but Iraq also has a burj called the Baghdad Tower.
Al-Rahman Mosque
Following the second invasion of Iraq, Al-Rahman Mosque was not completed. It can be best seen from, of all places, a shopping mall.
Thus far the artificial idea of creating a prologue has not been parlayed into anything extraordinary. Not one to give up, I arrived in Baghdad on my 40th birthday, my first time visiting the country since my parents left in 1981. The official celebration happened in the mall restaurant, just as it would have had I been born here.
Shopping Mall
There are no designer boutiques that you would find in the massive malls in Dubai. It wasn’t the fake market from Shanghai (see Fake Market Shanghai: 2019 Pricing Guide), but it was bootleg nonetheless.
Imagining if I lived here and this being my neighborhood mall.
The Hands of Victory
The war between Iraq and Iran that lasted from 1980-1988. It devastated the country but Saddam declared victory nonetheless. To commemorate this ‘achievement,’ he built Victory Arch, also known as the the Swords of Qādisīyah. It is said that the hands that brace the swords are exact replicas of his hands.
Unfortunately, the Hands are in the Green Zone which is off-limits to tourists and civilians. The only photo opportunity is driving by slowly and hoping to snag a few photos before the armed guard became too upset. I had two runs at it and am happy with the results.
You don’t have to read Arabic to know what this means.This guy shouted it out to remind me.The fortified Green Zone.
Signs of Saddam
One of the reasons I came to Iraq is because of my fascination with Saddam Hussein. I was disappointed that there are figuratively and literally no signs of Saddam in Baghdad. His omnipresence, both figuratively and literally, was everywhere during his reign. Now, it’s as if he never existed. The square where his statue was famously pulled down and stomped with sandals, an insult in Arab culture, stands empty except for a few fountains. The currency which also bore his face is a novelty souvenir that can be purchased for pennies on the dinar.
It makes sense that public displays would be removed but like in the US, artifacts of our past should be in a museum. History should be scrubbed from the public domain.
Even the Iraqi flag was changed.
Alcohol
There are liquor stores in Iraq. The stereotype in America is that Chaldeans, Catholic Iraqis, own liquor stores. Many do or did. In Iraq, it’s the same with the Christians who are the proprietors of such establishments.
To continue the Baghdad birthday, I went to a small Italian restaurant and had some meze and a few beers. That was the only time I drank alcohol in Iraq.
Tourist prices or is Baghdad expensive? $57 total.Should’ve gone with the arak
TPOL’s Tip: There are bars in Baghdad but most restaurants are dry.
Overall
It was an indescribable feeling to walk around Baghdad. The personal history, the media’s portrayal, and what it is now all came together and left me speechless.
No Duty Free Wine is part of the Bula! Fiji Hub Trip Report. This post is also part of TPOL’s Travel Lessons where I recount all my travel mistakes for your education.
I had one night at the SheratonFiji before my island hopping of the South Pacific. Not realizing that I would be lavished with bottle after bottle of champagne at the hotel (see We Appreciate Your Loyalty!), I bought two bottles of mid-priced Sauvignon Blanc at the duty-free. I took said bottles to Tonga and did not drink them there. I figured since they made it that far I should take them to Samoa with me. That meant I had to check my bag in Tonga, reclaim it in Fiji, and then check it in again. I immediately regretted this decision when I landed and encountered the longest, slowest immigration queue. If I had no checked luggage, I could have proceeded through the faster transfer line. After over an hour of waiting, I finally cleared customs and retrieved my luggage.
Since my flight to Samoa was not departing until 11:55AM and I had arrived at 6:15AM, I could not check-in for my next flight. While the aforementioned business class lounge is great, Fiji Airport is not. There is nowhere to sit and nothing to do.
Sitting on the floor waiting for this guy’s nap to end.
Finally, I was able to check-in and then board the plane for Samoa. Of course, when I opened the bottles of Sauvignon Blanc in Samoa, I found both bottles to be quite disgusting. Serves me right for my frugality.
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.
I only heard of Tonga thanks to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and the handsome man, Pita Taufatofua, who participated in my favorite hobby- walking around with no shirt, and he did so on international TV.
Abs obsession aside, here’s the game plan should you find yourself there:
Speaking of airports, it costs 70 TOP ($29) to get to the airport, though I was charged 80 TOP ($34) from the airport. Even on a remote island, hustling is required when it comes to airport transfers.
TPOL’s TIP: T-Mobile’s international roaming plan did not work in Tonga. I recommend an e-sim.
What I Did
Whale Swimming: To summarize the post above, I have done my fair share of adventurous things. Some were riskier (and dumber) than others (see Wild One: TPOL’s Top Daredevil Activities). Swimming with whales in Tonga is officially at the top of the list for the most reckless activity.
Here’s how it looks in calm conditions:
Here’s how it looked when I went:
Cave Gimping: There were crazy locals jumping, diving, and hanging off of the rocks.
Then there was fully immunized, Alex ‘TPOL’ Rodgers gimping his way into the fresh water.
One would never suspect a freshwater cave would be a few paces away from this beach.
What I Didn’t Do
See the blowholes. I left that for Samoa, the next island on my trip. That was a mistake which will require me to fly all the way back to the South Pacific to rectify (see I Blew It: Missing the Blowholes in Samoa).
What I Would Skip
I was not impressed with the dinner at the Seaview Lodge. The food was not expensive by Western standards but still too much for a casual night out. Lobster and octopus were $60. I should have skipped the $30 wine (see You Don’t Have to Order a Bottle of Wine).
What You Shouldn’t Skip
Wings and beer at Billfish. It’s the watering hotel for foreigners and locals alike. I was there on a Friday night, and it was getting quite busy by the time I left, a wise choice given my 5:40AM flight (see Tonga to Fiji: Not The Same Business).
What I Was Told to Do Next Time
Heilala Festival & Beauty Pageant which takes place at the end of June and July.
A cultural dance and dinner
Visit other islands in Tonga. I stayed in Nuku’alofa, the capital.
Don’t stop the recklessness. That was my theme when I was in Tonga. First, I went swimming with whales (see What Was I Thinking?). Then I thought I would push my luck by checking out an underground cave full of fresh water.
Getting There
I hired a taxi to take me to my hotel, wait for me, and take me back.
Entrance
The place reminded me of The Goonies, I’m not sure who found this place, but entrance is not free.
Go right?Go left?Go in.
The Cave
Careful walking through the limestone. The floor is slippery when wet.
The Swimmers
I didn’t expect that music would be blasting and that there would be a small party here.
The Divers
There were crazy locals jumping, diving, and hanging off of the rocks.
The Gimp
The crazy jumpers thought that out of fear was the reason I was hesitant to jump. They did not know that I had ruptured my Achilles in 2022 (see TPOL Is Down). A year and a half later, I still don’t have my Durant lift.
Moving On
It’s worth checking out the cave for a few minutes.
The Beach
Before heading out, I took a stroll on the remote beach.
The Earthquake
On the way back, we heard there was an earthquake on the other side of the island. Like a scene from Baywatch, it would not be fun to be stuck in a cave waiting for Mitch to arrive.
Typically, on my blog anniversary, I write a post highlighting the best of years past (see Simply The Best). This time, I want to commemorate the event by looking forward. That way I will see if in ten years I have reached the goals that I have set for myself. Here is what you can look forward to in the upcoming years:
IQKhameleon: I had early success in developing this idea, especially during the World Cup. I have had a few setbacks, but I am not ready to give up on what will be a global sports brand.
My goal is to expand my readership beyond those who are interested in points to those who are interested in Alexander Bachuwa, the #MasterOfWon. For that reason, I am spending much more time on LinkedIn promoting not only the projects above but also my other entrepreneurial pursuits.
In the ultimate, big dick competition, “Officers were called on Monday night when more than 100 local sex workers converged on a hotel being used by sex workers from the Philippines on the city’s Sukhumvit Road, part of a sprawling area of gogo bars, street workers and massage parlours.
Footage shows how the first sex worker was dragged from the Citin Sukhumvit 11 hotel, accused of being part of a group that clashed with the locals and stole their customers the night before.
However, the local ladyboys erupted in fury when they saw their alleged attackers – sparking chaotic scenes that escalated into a mass brawl.
In the video, stilettos fly as local transgender women are seen hitting police, climbing on buildings, stamping on other girls, throwing objects, and even having their clothes torn off.
I’m taking an indefinite break from my annual March Madness competition. First, the competition winners do not show up anyway (see Steven Wins TPOL’S March Madness Bracket! & First Class Queen: Come on Down!). Second, and more importantly, who cares about March Madness? I have not watched one game this year and do not know any of these players. NIL and the transfer portal have killed college sports. Players have no allegiance to universities and go wherever money or playing time takes them. While players should be paid for their services, no one appreciates the unintended consequences of this free-for-all system. March Madness wants to expand to 72 teams, the college football playoffs want to go to 14. Tradition made college sports great. The jersey meant something to the university, the coaches, and especially the fans. Now, it means nothing.
Take Colorado football as an example. It is no longer a university team. Instead, it is a group of mercenaries playing for Deion Sanders. Where he goes, they go. It’s bad enough that the NFL and NBA have turned into the WWE, but those are professional teams. While it sounds naive, the point of college sports is that amateur athletes played because they loved the game and because they wanted to represent their university. The crazed fans followed suit because they believed that the competition was based on something more than a paycheck. How else can you explain the relief and elation I felt after Michigan finally won the national championship (see Michigan Wolverines National Champions! I Can Die in Peace)?
Sadly, that’s all over. The marquee match-up of the future will be Prigozhin Wagners playing the Hyped Harbaughs. I hope somewhere Kordell Stewart is saying a Hail Mary that I’m wrong.
My quest for automation in blogging has not gone according to schedule. It’s time to get back on track and stay true to my blogging hours (see TPOL Opens M-F at 9:07AM EST). Here are the great but limited posts from February 2024.
When I checked out, I had to stop by and ask the front desk where they bought their bedding. The pillows were remarkable and the comforter was much better than the one at home.
When I saw the offer for the Capital One Business Venture X, I told myself to let it go. I don’t need to spend 20k in 3 months. I don’t need another 150k points. But then I looked at the business expenses that are coming up and rationalized that pre-paying them would not be reckless.
