Guess Where I AM? OOTO

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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. a map of the world with red lines

Rescued! Cabo Verde Airlines: Sal to Lisbon

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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.
a group of people standing around an airplane
The island hopper that created this mess.
a large airplane on a runway
My chariot away from this mess.
a plane with people boarding
My favorite livery photo.
seats in an airplane with windows
What I missed in business class.
Overall That was a close call but, as usual, it worked out.

Guns & Butter: Sal, Cabo Verde Travel Guide

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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). a view of a resort with palm trees and a pool Beach  The beach went on for miles and was tranquil even with storm clouds rushing in. rope on a beach with a boat in the distance a beach with people walking on it 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. a brick road with trees and plants on it
a green couch in a room with lights
The bar was empty, but the hip-hop was great.
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). a wooden walkway leading to a building
a plate of food on a table
The tuna steak was quality.
  • Ocean Cafe
Ocean Cafe was my favorite because it had music, ambiance, people, and excellent food. a building with tables and chairs outside at night a gas pump with a lit up sign on top of a table with wine glasses
a bottle of wine in a bucket with ice
I broke my rule by ordering a full bottle of wine for myself.
a plate of food on a table
The seafood was incredible.
a piece of meat on a newspapera plate of food on a table
a plate of food with a small flag
For dessert, I had sushi in tortillas. Que buena! All of this cost 65 euros.
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. a bowl of rice and vegetables a bowl of rice with a spoon $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). a bowl of soup with meat and noodles and chopsticks 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). a cup of ice cream with a spoon 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. a sign on a beach a building with a sign on the side of it two glasses of colorful drinks a beach with chairs and umbrellas
  • 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. a wooden walkway leading to a beach a person's feet on a boat
a burger and fries on a plate
I do recommend their burger.
Souvenirs Be sure to buy a jersey and something with CV’s ‘no stress’ theme.a black shirt with a blue design on ita yellow shirt with a smiley face on it
a black crocodile statue on the ground
Though there are others that you might be interested in.
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.
a cup of beer and a glass of beer on a table
Cheers from CV!
 

TPOL Is Down, The Website, Not the Achilles

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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’

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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.
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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)?
  4. $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.
  5. 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.
a map of the islands
I haven’t been to Cuba and it’s the same distance from Miami.
 

Cabo Verde: Puerto Rico’s Fraternal Twin

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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. a map of the ocean 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.a yellow shirt with a smiley face on it 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.
rope on a beach with a boat in the distance
CV
a beach with chairs and rope and a straw umbrella
CV: There are kitesurfers in both.
a beach with palm trees and a chair
PR
a beach with palm trees and water
PR
Hotel Rio Mar includes the Grand Wyndham Hotel. Both are nice resorts, but the service at the Hilton CV is a world away.a palm tree with flags in the wind
a pool with people swimming in it
CV
a building with palm trees and sand
Wyndham
Lousy service aside, we have a slide: a pool with a slide and plants Food The food in Puerto Rico is a tragedy. Everything is fried.
a plate of food on a table
Why fry the fish?
a plate of food on a table
Can I tell you how much I hate Mofongo?
a roasted pig on a metal pole
The novelty of the pig has worn off.
a large cooked pig on a metal table
Still a cool presentation.
The food in CV is the opposite. It’s all fresh and it’s not overpriced. a plate of food on a table a bowl of rice and vegetables a plate of food on a table
a bowl of soup with meat and noodles and chopsticks
And CV has pho.
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. a street with buildings and a street lighta brick road with a red and white flag painted on it
a brick road with palm trees and buildings
Santa Maria by day.
a brick road with trees and plants on it
Santa Maria by night.
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.
a crowd of people outside at night
Tourists are always told to go to La Placita, PR: It’s nothing more than a bunch of teenagers drinking Medalla.
a green couch in a room with lights
San Juan clubs are busier than this hip-hop spot in CV.
Day Drinking I would much rather listen to Bob Marley’s hits in CV than Jimmy Buffett’s shit in PR. a building with a sign on the side of it two glasses of colorful drinks
a pool with palm trees and buildings
5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar a golf cart drive away from my villa.
two glasses with colorful drinks on a counter
Who wins for presentation?
Beer Medalla ‘medal’ wins over CV’s strela ‘star’ (see Puerto Rico’s Own Medalla: The Best Light Beer in the World?). a brown bottle with gold label on a table
a glass of beer on a table
Strela
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.
a glass with a drink in it
CV: I prefer it fresh, not frozen.
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? a golf course with palm trees and a flag Hurricanes Hurricanes originate in CV’s area around the Atlantic and unfortunately make their way to the Caribbean.
a beach with a body of water and clouds
Storm clouds brewing in CV.
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. a golf course with a body of water and buildings

Alaska Business Approved!

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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! a close up of a credit card  

Citi Does It Again: No Credit Limit, Can’t Pay Bill, Can’t Shift Credit

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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.

a screenshot of a credit card
They won’t let me spend my way to 100k points.
a close up of a date
But they have no problem charging me the $595 annual fee.
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

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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. a restaurant with tables and chairs TPOL’s Tip: Pho Hanoi is located at 104 Rua Patrice Lumumba Santa Maria Sal CV, Santa Maria, Cape Verde. a glass and a cup on a table a plate of food on a table a bowl of soup with meat and chopsticks a bowl of soup with meat and noodles and chopsticks a bowl of soup with meat and vegetables a bowl of soup with a spoon a bowl with food on it a glass of brown liquid on a table Overall This was the perfect pho lunch.

Simply The Best: September 2023

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Simply The Best: September 2023

I was too busy on my Still The Best Trip to post in September. I was gone for so long that a reader wrote, “I am in TPOL withdrawal! Will he return?.” Well, I’m back, for now (see TPOL’s Back!). Here is the best from September:

  1. Playa de Las Americas, Tenerife: Well That Sucked
    a group of people outside of a building with neon signs
    I thought that Playa de Las Americas was going to be a unique party place. It was not.
  2. Michelin Sushi Tenerife: $375 Worth Spent?
    food on a plate
    The next morning I woke wondering if $375 for sushi was worth it.
  3. Iberia San Juan to Madrid: Una Vez Mas
    a screen on a wall
    Iberia is consistently great and convenient.
  4. Ritz Carlton Tenerife: We’ll Make It Better, The Second Time Around
    a large building with a pool and plants
    I will not be returning to Tenerife. If you do go, go to the Ritz Carlton and stay put.
  5. Stuck on a Deserted Island? TPOL’s Trouble in Cabo Verde
    a screenshot of a computer
    Upon checking in, I was told that inter-island flights fill up quickly and are unreliable when they are available. I was also told that the ferry is a nightmare, is unpredictable, uncomfortable, and can take a whole day. My heart sank.
  6. En Route: Iberia’s Domestic Lounge Madrid
    a sign on a glass wall
    This was a nice place to relax and refuel before my flight to Tenerife.
  7. Binter Canarias: The Official Tenerife to Cabo Verde Flight Review
    a large airplane with a group of people standing around
    Have you flown Binter Canarias? I am going to guess no.
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