I started this trip stealing signals at the MSU vs. Michigan game. Now, I’m waking up in Melbourne ready to watch the Wolverines thrash Purdue. Tomorrow, the posts resume.
Guess Where I AM? OOTO
I am too good at my job, at least the travel part. I am awful at writing trip reports. The only reason I caught up last time was because of a pandemic. I would rather stay behind than do that again.
I will be back in November. Catch me on IG now.
Rescued! Cabo Verde Airlines: Sal to Lisbon
Cabo Verde Airlines Flight Review Sal Lisbon is part of the Still The Best Trip Report.
I resolved the issue of getting off a remote island (see Stuck on a Deserted Island? TPOL’s Trouble in Cabo Verde) by booking a direct flight on Cabo Verde Airlines from Sal to Lisbon. For $260 and 4 hours in coach, my meticulously planned itinerary was saved (see How to Book the Best Itinerary: AA, Avios, Aeroplan, Miles & Smiles, Flying Blue, LifeMiles, Capital One). Although I was not flying business, this flight was better than my original routing which would have gone Sal to Praia to Casablanca to Nice.
Overall
That was a close call but, as usual, it worked out.
Guns & Butter: Sal, Cabo Verde Travel Guide
Sal Cabo Verde Travel Guide is part of the Still The Best Trip Report.
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.
Welcome to one of the best places in the world. If you know TPOL, then you know this is high praise. I enjoyed Cabo Verde so much, that I would do what for me is unthinkable. I would return. Here’s why:
Hotel
I had a relaxing stay at the Hilton Cabo Verde (see Hilton Cabo Verde: Perfect, Peaceful Stay).
Beach
The beach went on for miles and was tranquil even with storm clouds rushing in.
Party
While it’s not Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Santa Maria, the small town on the island of Sal, was much better than Tenerife (see Playa de Las Americas, Tenerife: Well That Sucked). Walk down the main street to see what is lively. The busiest bar was Calema, but Pirata Discoeta was also recommended by the hotel.
Food
Forget the party, come to CV for the food. Here is where I ate:
- The Bounty
I typically do not eat at the hotel, but sometimes I can’t be bothered to leave the property. I made an exception as I was trying to sort out how I would get off this island (see Stuck on a Deserted Island? TPOL’s Trouble in Cabo Verde).
- Ocean Cafe
Ocean Cafe was my favorite because it had music, ambiance, people, and excellent food.
TPOL’s Tip: Ocean Cafe is located on Praça Central, CV, Santa Maria 4111, Cape Verde.
- Zan Tanquinho
This place had no ambiance, was not on the main street, and was poorly lit. No matter, the octopus rice was perfect.
$25 for a carpaccio appetizer, two glasses of wine, and more rice than one person can eat alone.
TPOL’s Tip: The address is 4111 Santa Maria, CV.
- Pho
Who knew there was delicious pho in CV? I found out by going to Pho Hanoi (see What the Pho? In Cabo Verde). 
TPOL’s Tip: Pho Hanoi is located at 104 Rua Patrice Lumumba Santa Maria Sal CV, Santa Maria, Cape Verde.
- Gelato
Anytime I have gelato, I wonder how these crooks in Amalfi Coast could charge so much (see A Beautiful Tourist Trap).
Day Drinking
While the nightlife was not impressive, there were two noteworthy places to day drink.
- Bob Marley’s
I described Cabo Verde as Puerto Rico’s Fraternal Twin. In Rio Mar, my resort home, we have to listen to Jimmy Buffett at our hotel bar. In CV, I found it much more relaxing to chill out on the beach with Bob.
- Bikini Bar
Perhaps I was too hungover from my Ocean Cafe dinner plus night out to enjoy Bikini Bar, CV’s answer to a Las Vegas pool party (see Vegas Knockout: Fading to Blackout at the Hard Rock). More than likely it was not enjoyable because the music was too loud, too old, the scene was amateur, and there were kids at the pool.
Souvenirs
Be sure to buy a jersey and something with CV’s ‘no stress’ theme.
People
People in CV are friendly, welcoming, and like to have a great time. This is another reason why CV is one my favorite places.
Next Time
I would like to explore the other islands of Cabo Verde. I will make sure that my flights are arranged ahead of time.
TPOL Is Down, The Website, Not the Achilles
Don’t worry. I’m not injured again (see TPOL Is Down), but my site is under construction. Don’t worry. The site will be prettier. Had to jump over to a new theme to get rid of the security issues of the old ones.
TPOL Does the Unthinkable, Skips a ‘Country’
Skipping a Country is part of the Bula! Fiji Hub Trip Report.
En route to my Residency in Melbourne, I am stopping in Fiji. I booked a layover with a random stopover of 9 nights. My goal was to go to New Caledonia and perhaps Vanuatu. Based on logistics, lack of points availability, and out-of-pocket costs, I scrapped those two destinations. Using Wiki Airports (see Finding Flights to the Unbeaten Path), I tried to find islands of adventure while simultaneously increasing the all-important Country Count List (see Where I’ve Been). Curiously, something amazing happened to me. I decided to skip going to American Samoa despite being right next door in Samoa. Given that it is highly unlikely that I will ever have the opportunity to go to American Samoa, why would I pass on the opportunity to add on another ‘country’ when it is only 30 minutes away? Here are my reasons written in advance of this trip.
- Time: I arrive in Samoa in the afternoon and am only staying two nights in Samoa. I would not have time to see either island given this limited amount of time.
- Flight Availability: At present, there is only one airline flying to American Samoa. They had no flights on the day I was planning on going.
- Other Islands: Given logistics and time, I had two choices: Go to Samoa and American Samoa or go to Samoa and Kiribati. Kiribati was preferable for two reasons: 1) Their slogan for tourism is “Kiribati is for travellers, not tourists”. I consider myself the former. 2). As a points traveler, how can I pass up on a redemption that costs 20,000 Avios and $37 versus $1484 out-of-pocket one-way (see Remarkable Points Spreadsheet: Fiji Hub, Melbourne & Bangkok Residency)?
- $610: I couldn’t justify paying $305 per person for a day trip to American Samoa just to add another ‘country’ to my vanity list.
- Nothing I want to do: The reason I follow the TCC list for ‘countries’ is because it encourages adventure. If I was only going off the UN list, I would be satisfied going to one place in country and counting it is as the whole country. This is hardly the mark of a true explorer. At the same time, if I am going to go to a ‘country’ or country regardless of invented lists, I want to connect with that place. With one day in American Samoa and after reading my friend Lee Abbamonte’s blog about it (see What are the Differences Between Samoa and American Samoa?), I decided that smelling Starkist tuna and going to a national park were not enough for me to dismantle my otherwise perfect itinerary.
I wrote this post ahead of my Fiji Hub Trip. I am curious to see if I will end up regretting not going to American Samoa when I’m actually in the neighborhood. If not, perhaps this is a turning point in TPOL’s world quests. Perhaps I will not be as beholden to fictional lists and skip places without feeling guilty.
Cabo Verde: Puerto Rico’s Fraternal Twin
PR’s Fraternal twin is part of the Still The Best Trip Report.
When the sun went down suddenly in Sal, Cabo Verde at 6 PM, I was surprised. Where was I, Puerto Rico? I had to cross-reference a map to see where Puerto Rico is in relation to CV.
As you can see, they are basically a putt that breaks to the left away. Fascinated by their longitude-latitude relationship, I thought I would compare how these fraternal twins are the same but different.
Isla de Encanta And No Stress
Which theme do you prefer? There’s definitely more to love and less stress in my role as a tourist than if I were a resident of either.
Reggaeton or Portuguese Something
I can’t understand the words of either.
Ocean Here or Ocean There
My beach at Rio Mar is one of the best in the world. The same can be said of the plage in CV.
Hotel
Rio Mar includes the Grand Wyndham Hotel. Both are nice resorts, but the service at the Hilton CV is a world away.
Lousy service aside, we have a slide: 
Food
The food in Puerto Rico is a tragedy. Everything is fried.
The food in CV is the opposite. It’s all fresh and it’s not overpriced.
Old Town
It is unfair to compare Old San Juan to Santa Maria, Cabo Verde. Old San Juan is the most beautiful city in the United States (see House Hunters Puerto Rico: Old San Juan) and is much bigger and much more developed. Santa Maria is essentially one street.
Nightlife
If you’re a tourist looking for a drink, there are bars in both PR and CV. Cuidado: Do not go to Cabo Verde for the nightlife. And as hyped up as Puerto Rico is for its party scene, I offer the same advice.
Day Drinking
I would much rather listen to Bob Marley’s hits in CV than Jimmy Buffett’s shit in PR.
Beer
Medalla ‘medal’ wins over CV’s strela ‘star’ (see Puerto Rico’s Own Medalla: The Best Light Beer in the World?). 
Piña Colada
PR invented the piña colada (see The Original Piña Colada Comes From a Slushy Machine?). It is always nice to compare how it is prepared across the globe.
Golf
There was an ad for a 9-hole golf course. I did not play. Given my experience in Tahiti (see Golf in Tahiti? Not in This Town), I am hesitant to try out courses where golf courses are built solely for tourists. And why pay for golf on the road when I have this at home?
Hurricanes
Hurricanes originate in CV’s area around the Atlantic and unfortunately make their way to the Caribbean.
People
You have fine people on both sides, on both sides.
Overall
Where in the world does TPOL prefer to live? Find me a place with a better view then maybe I would consider moving.
Alaska Business Approved!
I ain’t gonna stop until I’m done (don’t stop it)I ain’t gonna quit until I’ve wonNow baby don’t you stop it, stop itNow baby don’t you stop it, stop itNow baby don’t you stop it, stop itYou can’t stop us now
It feels like the days of old. Thus, I will throw on an old school track to celebrate my approval of the Alaska business card. The card comes with 50k miles after 3k spend. How do you use 50k miles? Obviously, by going to Fiji en route to residency #2 in Melbourne (see 55K Alaskan to Fiji And My New Melbourne Residence).
Don’t stop the party!
Citi Does It Again: No Credit Limit, Can’t Pay Bill, Can’t Shift Credit
Citi you make no sense to me. Why approve me for the Citi AA Exec card (see Approved! AA Citi Exec 100k), require that I spend 10k in 3 months to earn 100k AA points, but make it impossible to do so? Just like the Citi Premier (see Approved! Citi Premier), I was approved for a petty amount. Here, it was only 5k. Just like the Citi Premier, it does not matter if I pay my bill in full. My payment is on hold for two more weeks. Just like the Citi Premier, they won’t let me transfer available credit from my Citi Plus card despite having a 30k credit line.
When I called to ask what could be done? They said nothing. The algorithm is in control.
Conclusion: The machines have taken over. #judgementday #johnconnor
What the Pho? In Cabo Verde
Pho Cabo Verde is part of the Still The Best Trip Report.
I wrote how similar Cabo Verde is to Puerto Rico (see Cabo Verde: Puerto Rico’s Fraternal Twin). In that post, I wrote, “The food in Puerto Rico is a tragedy. Everything is fried. The food in CV is the opposite. It’s all fresh and it’s not overpriced.” Adding to the tragedy is the unavailability of pho in PR. This is not the case in CV where I found a delicious, authentic bowl of Hanoi pho.
TPOL’s Tip: Pho Hanoi is located at 104 Rua Patrice Lumumba Santa Maria Sal CV, Santa Maria, Cape Verde.
Overall
This was the perfect pho lunch.