On day 2 we headed back to the old town, passing by another mosque that was commissioned by Saddam but was never completed.
We visited neighborhoods where UNESCO was rebuilding the city. This gave me a sense of optimism and made me believe that maybe there was some hope for humanity.
We went to the Assyrian church which is next to the Chaldean church, both of which were destroyed by ISIS. These hallowed grounds were the places that Pope Francis visited in 2021. Despite the efforts to rebuild, much work is needed to restore the churches.
A further tour of the old town showed more of the havoc that ISIS caused. It is hard to imagine that only a few years ago this place was a killing zone with civilians being used as human shields to advance a hopeless ideology (see ISIS Influence in Istanbul: A Call to Arms for the Arab World).
The mosque on one side. The destruction on the other.Eerie to say the least.Just a typical day with an armed patrol in an area covered with rubble.
The terror has been replaced by NGOs. We visited one that pulled bodies from the rubble and continued to work on restoring what was once a beautiful city. The headquarters were lent to the NGO by a philanthropist who used to deal in the horse trade business.
One interesting story was how from one room in the mansion ISIS was firing at the Iraqi army and the army firing back from another.
Imagine this was once the scene of a gun battle.
Lunch
After that intense morning, it was time for lunch. Lunch was on top of a grocery store. The grocery store had some interesting snacks, but the restaurant was nothing worth writing about, except for the triple caffeinated Arabic coffee.
Overall
Half of day two in Mosul can only be described as intense.
Getting There: It costs $20 Samoan talas ($8) to go from the airport to the hotel. It’s only a ten-minute drive.
With an inadequate two nights in Samoa (see I Blew It: Missing Blowholes in Samoa And Tuna in America), I maximized my time by 1) Staying at a hotel near the airport. 2) Staying in a hotel with an idyllic beach. Before diving into #2, let me dispense with the low lights of the hotel.
The Room
I was upgraded to a suite. It was big but but empty.
Bathroom
Standard.
Welcome Gift
View
Staying in the room is not the best use of your time.
Pool
The pool is not the highlight of the resort.
Beach
Now we’re talking.
From one side of the resort to another, there is no shortage of beautiful views.
The Floating Island
How many photos could I take?
Room Service
I’m not a big fan of room service, but I vividly remember how delicious this meal was.
Overall
I have nothing left to say. Scroll up and enjoy the photos.
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.
Oh, oh I’m falling so I’m taking my time on my ride Taking my time on my ride
The ride is over. I tried to do as much as I could in Lisbon, but there wasn’t enough time, and there wasn’t enough energy after going around the world and back again. Maybe this Travel Guide will be updated in the future but for now, it’s a decent start.
I was not a fan of the wine, but who says no to a gift?
Espresso
Probably unnecessary before an evening out.
Kitchen
The food in Lisbon is amazing. I see no use for this kitchen.
Suite
Nothing like a brand new hotel.
View
Not much to se’a’ here.
Bathroom
Nothing like a rain shower, post-belligerence.
Bedroom
Here is my sanctuary:
Overall
When I missed my flight, I opened the Hyatt app and was glad that the room was available on points. What a disaster it could have been if I had to move.
My takeaway after visiting To Sua Ocean Trench in Samoa is that Instagram has made travel unbearable. There are too many selfies, too many tourists, and too many people in my way. Instead of appreciating this giant swimming hole, the literal translation of To Sua, I was preoccupied with the crowds of people all looking for the perfect photo opp.
TPOL is here people, get out!
The one deterrent to complete overcrowding was the ladder to access the trench. With only one Achilles (see TPOL Is Down), I was concerned about climbing down. That was not as harrowing as it looks.
Me going down the ladder.
After some patience, I was able to come away with these photos (for my IG account).
TPOL’s Tip: I hired a driver to take me to the trench. That day the roads were flooded making it a wise decision. The cost of the island tour was $97.
Carnivals are a money grab (see Capitalism Killed Carnival). To offset the exploitation, it is wise to book a hotel with points. This is difficult to do far in advance (see Jamaica Carnival: Marriott Still Unavailable), but patience is rewarded as the date approaches. I had two choices for my stay in Kingston: the AC Kingston or the Courtyard. While the AC was a newer hotel, the Courtyard was cheaper on points and located right next to the costume pick-up. I went with the latter and here’s what I found:
Room
There was a standard room with basic amenities.
Not the best view
Bathroom
I would prefer an infinity shower for next day hangovers.
Coffee
There was no espresso maker in the room. Worse, the price of an espresso at the bar depended on who was ringing it up. I would ask for a doppio and be charged $6, the price for 2 espressos, or I would be charged $4.50, the price of a double. Imagine my anger when in the middle of the Carnival parade, I discovered that there is a Starbucks at the AC Hotel and that the cost of a double espresso is $2!
$10 Food & Beverage Credit
What would you buy with your food and beverage credit?
Bonvoy Appreciation Night
I arrived on a Wednesday. That night there was an open bar for those with Marriott status. That was the highlight of my stay.
Overall
Looking back, I suggest staying at the AC. The hotel is right on the carnival route. There is a Starbucks. And it’s brand new.
What’s there to do in Madrid on a Sunday when winter turns to spring? My first recommendation is shopping in the Salamanca neighborhood followed by tapas at the endless bars (see Best Tapas Madrid: No Budget Cuts Here). Another excellent option is a run through the city culminating at El Retiro Park.
Cybele Palace
Retiro Park
Retiro Park
Retiro Park
From there, a stop at James Joyce Irish Pub is a healthy addition.
Just be sure you support the right team.
TPOL’s Tip: James Joyce is located at C. de Alcalá, 59, Salamanca, 28014 Madrid, Spain
After that, why not order a bottle of cava?
TPOL’s Tip: El Pabellón del Espejo is located at Paseo de Recoletos, 31 Madrid 28004.
Overall
My residency in Madrid started with chilly winter nights and mild days. My residency ended at the start of spring, leaving me wanting to return to this great city.
Food poisoning/AC flu? In the middle of my QSuites flight from MIA to DOH (see Flight Review MIA-DOH: Qsuites to the World Cup!), I got the chills and felt instantly weak. I had read that both the Dutch team and the US coaches had a flu-like illness. I wondered if I had the same affliction.
I did not have a Team USA jersey. All I had was a Team USA Urban Turban (For Sale on clearance here). I could go to a FIFA store and buy one. I should have known better than to go to the Souq Waqif, the fake old town, to try and find one (see Guns & Butter: Doha, Qatar Travel Guide). There was nothing for sale and no Uber to be found. I ended up stuck in interminable traffic in an Uber instead of using the free and perfectly planned bus rides to the stadium (see Qatar 2022: Tremendous World Cup Logistics).
TPOL’s Tip: Show up prepared with fan gear.
Uber
After over an hour in traffic, I could finally see Khalifa Stadium. Perhaps we would make it in time for the national anthem, I thought. Then the Uber made a right turn away from the stadium. We had to go in the opposite direction only to return to where we started. This time, I told the Uber driver to stop. I opted to walk the rest of the way. I did not realize that the entrance was still a long way away. Flu aside, I decided to run and saw other Americans running as well. Chants of “USA! USA!” began to ring out. This was the World Cup excitement that I had come (and overpaid) to see (see The Guide to Buying Tickets for the World Cup And Other Big Events).
Khalifa International Stadium
USA vs. Netherlands
Unfortunately, that was the second-best moment of the night. Upon entering the stadium, I had to run up nine levels. I was only able to record the sound of the national anthem and did not get to see America take the field.
Another level up and another level up until level 9.
When I arrived at my seats, I thought I would be surrounded by American fans. My plan was to give away the turbans to fellow supporters. Instead, I saw no American fans, just bystanders who had no affinity for either side.
The place lacked energy. Even when the Dutch scored, nothing happened. I wondered if this was because I was sitting in the nosebleeds, if this was a result of no alcohol, or if the tickets were given to migrant workers to fill up the stands.
I was told that Americans purchased more tickets than any other country. If this was true, where were they?
Down 1-0, the game dragged on. With 1 minute left in stoppage time, I was eager to see who would be walking around the concession stands. Of course, within that minute, the Dutch scored again, putting the US and me in a deeper hole.
$8 for Budweiser Zero
Typically at half-time, there is a buzz around the concourse as the fans sprint to buy food and drinks. This was more of a funeral. I did see Americans but the mood was subdued. Was this really the World Cup? Did I make a mistake by coming?
This is the World Cup?
Second Half
The second half started and I made my way back to my overpriced seats. There was one fleeting moment of joy when the US scored. Hope didn’t last long as soon after that the Dutch scored to end all chances of a comeback.
Watching Team USA is like watching the Lions on Hard Knocks, I had to question where the talent was on this team. They may have the drive but who besides Pullsic and the goalkeeper possessed the pizazz needed to challenge the best of the world? I saw little sign of hope when I watched the US play Iran and was annoyed that I had paid $1300 to see such a lackluster performance in such a blasé environment. On top of that, on this night, I had generated zero buzz for the turbans.
Beautiful turbans
Argentina vs. Australia
The adrenaline was gone. My body was weak but Argentina was playing next. I could not physically get myself to go to another game and I did not have the Wi-Fi capability to look for tickets. Instead of paying for an Uber, I followed the organized signs for the buses. I was impressed that there were busses that went to the next game, busses that went back to central Doha, and busses that went to the Fan Festival, my next stop.
Food
It was 9PM, an hour before kickoff. I had not eaten since the flight and was running on empty. I saw a sign that read ‘Fudruckers’. Could this restaurant from my youth still be in existence? I walked from the entrance of the Fan Festival to find out.
A half-pound burger and melted cheese later, I had the energy I needed to watch the next match.
Fan Festival
As I wrote, the logistics of this tournament were perfect. There was an orderly queue to get into the watch zone where my Hayya card was scanned (see Epic Failure: Denied Boarding for the World Cup), followed by a security screening. I walked to the park where the giant screen showed the game was underway. Once again, I found myself surrounded by bystanders but there were zero from Australia and next to none from Argentina. What was this manufactured World Cup? Did they pay people to come out to watch these games? Like the US game, there was one moment of excitement when Argentina scored. The crowd of bots erupted with joy.
At halftime, I had to get out of there. My body wanted to give up, my mind wanted to as well. I was convinced that this was going to be the worst World Cup in history. Before I put the headstone that would read the same, I decided to go to the one place where I thought there would be signs of life: the bar.
Metro? This Way
Doha is tiny. It is impossible to get lost. During the World Cup, this was reinforced by the funny and helpful guides that chanted out ‘Metro? This way.’ Everyone enjoyed their comedy and it became an ongoing theme throughout the trip.
Follow the dull crowd to the metro.
Marriott Marquis Champions Bar
The last time I was in Doha, I spent too many nights at Champions Bar. It is one of the few places that is constantly busy and lively. I was able to watch the end of the Argentina game. The Socceroos almost pulled off the upset.
Overall
Day 1 was a mixture of fun and disappointment. The stop-and-go excitement was consistent throughout my World Cup experience.
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.
