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’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.
TPOL’s Tip: It costs $7 to visit the trench.
TPOL’s Tip: A rainy day keeps the tourists away.
Carnivals are a money grab (see 
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 
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. 
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.
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.
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 
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.
TPOL’s Tip: Zona de Combate is located at CRA 49 #16 – 16 El Poblado, Medellín, Colombia. Follow them on 
TPOL’s Tip: 2 private lessons cost 160k pesos or $41. That’s cheaper than 
Like 
From there, dive in.
TPOL’s Tip: One piece of bread will suffice. The locals do two but try to stick to the diet plan (see 
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!
In the museum was a replica of what Bachuwa Law’s office would have looked like had his parents stayed in Iraq (see 
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.
