Last year, I met my Italian friend and real estate attorney (see “Did TPOL Buy a € 1 Italian Villa?“) in Barcelona for our annual reunion. While Barcelona is not God awful like Miami, it is one of the most overrated cities (see The Worst Cities in the World). This year, despite stating that I would go anywhere, my friend chose Athens, Greece. This is a legitimate destination for lovers of history or those who would like to run a marathon (see Athens Marathon Course Review), but it is not a place I would seek out for debauchery.
Landing at the airport, I looked with jealousy as other travelers were making their connection to the party islands. Maybe Mykonos is overrated, but what about Crete? We could have gone to either, and TPOL could have added another ‘country‘ to his list (see Where I’ve Been).
Here’s where we went and how it went:
Best Club: Banana
TPOL’s Tip: The address is Ελλάδα, Ardittou 3, Athina 116 36, Greece.
Best Day Day Drinking: Bolivar Beach Club
TPOL’s Tip: The address is Leof. Poseidonos, Alimos 174 55, Greece
Worst Idea: Underground Club
Worst Still: Bolivar Beach Bar at night.
Overall
Athens for history? Yes. Athens for gyros? Yes. Athens for marathon? Yes. Athens for nightlife? Όχι.
Can you imagine paying 2k for an iPhone? It is a reality coming to an Apple Store near you. Can you imagine paying an annual fee of $895? It is a reality I had to accept as the trade-off for being approved for the American Express Business Card. Why am I willing to pay such an obscene amount for a credit card?
Amex won’t approve me for any other cards. Each time I attempt to apply, it states that I am not eligible. This was the first time that the banner did not come up.
My MR balance is weak. My balance has crashed down to 240k. A 200k bonus would put me back in comfortable territory.
The benefits offset the annual fee.
What are the benefits that I will use?
1. $120 wireless credit
2. $150 Dell credit
3. $600 hotel credit:
4. $200 airline fee credit.
5. $200 Hilton credit.
6. $209 Clear credit
I will not be using the Indeed credit nor the Adobe credit.
The card also comes with Hilton Gold status, which is excellent, given that I continue to be rejected for the Hilton Amex card.
$895 is a lot of money but it’s worth it, at least for year 1.
Yesterday marked the release of the much-anticipated DJI Mini 5 drone. I, like many content creators (see Master of Won & TPOL on YouTube), received an email saying that the time to buy was now.
Giddy with excitement, I clicked only to find this:
Confused, I wondered if I couldn’t buy the drone because I live in Puerto Rico. I switched to the US website and still could not find the drone. I switched the Portugal website where I had purchased the Osmo 360 (see Thank You Trump: TPOL Only American Vlogger with DJI Osmo 360), to find that it was on sale in Europe. Even Canada has the Mini 5 on sale.
Angry, I put the phone down and went about my day. Hours later, I came across this article: DJI’s Mini 5 Pro Looks Amazing, But It’s Not Coming to the US. Here’s Why. As a constitutional law professor, I am not buying this explanation. It appears that the era of the free market is over. The US picks who gets in and who stays out. TikTok, once on death row, has found new life thanks to every Wolverine’s favorite benefactor. Unfortunately for DJI, there has been no public outcry for its products to be released, except for this blog post.
With my limited platform, I want to say, ‘Let Russell cook.’ And let TPOL blog. To deny this inalienable right is un-American.
Having said that, I can say that my previous DJI drone tried to decapitate me, so maybe this is a national TPOL security issue.
It was halftime in my trip to Iraq. Now, the serious sightseeing would begin. The next stop on the trip was the city of Najaf, the holiest city for Shiite Muslims.
Lunch
Before setting off on the long drive from Mosul, a full meal was required.
If you’re Iraqi, you either love or hate this gum. I hate it.
Hotel
We checked into the hotel, which, consistent with others, looked like a SE Asian guesthouse.
Wadi al-Salam Cemetery
From there, we went to our second cemetery of the trip (see Telkaif, Iraq: No Need for 23andMe). This one was unlike anything I had seen before. It holds the Guinness World Records for the largest cemetery at 1,485 acres. There are 6 million people buried here. The place is so big that it has its own parking lot.
TPOL’s Tip: It’s strange to talk about great views and cemeteries in the same sentence, but the best view of the cemetery is from the top floor of the parking lot.
Imam Ali Shrine
Every year, millions of Shiite Muslims make the pilgrimage to the Imam Ali Shrine. I have mixed feelings about going. On the one hand, it is a beautiful architectural structure that is truly impressive to see in person. On the other hand, it is awkward to visit a solemn place as a tourist.
Food
Around the mosque, there are plenty of vendors selling treats. Our first stop was the falafel man. The falafel was ok, but the real treat was finally finding a Diet Coke. The vendor was so surprised I was buying it, he made a point to confirm that it was diet, not regular, “But this is diet”.
TPOL’s Tip: Women visiting the mosque must wear the abaya. Ms. TPOL had hers from visiting in Iraq. It cost 5k.
Dessert
Najaf is famous for its desserts. While samples are free, it is considered impolite not to purchase a small amount afterward. Please do your best to give it away before finishing it all yourself.
The look of when are you going to buy something.Pressured.
Spot Ms. TPOL
Where is she?
Dinner
For dinner, we went to a restaurant that provided great food and entertainment called Al Agid. Without a guide, there’s no way we would have found this fun place that featured waiters fighting waiters.
The usual, phenomenal food was served: hummus, fattoush, mixed meats, followed by reggi (watermelon for dessert).
TPOL’s Tip: The address is 2959+8VF، حي شارع جامع عطيه جبوري, Najaf, Najaf Governorate, Iraq
Overall
Another wonderful day exploring the great country of Iraq.
Day 1 was disappointing, mainly because the US failed to put forward a good effort and because I was sick (see Qatar World Cup Day 1: USA vs. Netherlands). Day 2 held glimmers of hope due to the food, my infatuation with the pristine metro, and the energy of the Senegalese fans (see World Cup Day 2: England vs. Senegal). Day 3 featured Japan vs Croatia and Brazil vs Korea. I was determined, as the pre-kickoff song before each game dictates, get down to business. I was determined to bring the energy since, to this point, Doha had not.
Champions Bar
When I visited Doha the previous October, hoping to find a local partner for the Urban Turban, I frequented the Champions Bar at the Marriott Marquis every night. Having gone there on the first night and seeing actual football fans, I decided to pre-game before the Brazil game. Perhaps it was the $16 Stella that was being consumed in mass quantities or the Japan game that went to PKs, but this night was different. There was energy and excitement. There were also fans from around the globe who enjoyed showcasing the Urban Turban.
Fellow IraqisFellow American
974 Stadium
One of the more innovative stadiums was 974 Stadium. Per Wiki, “Created by Spain’s Fenwick Iribarren Architects in collaboration with Schlaich Bergermann Partner and Hilson Moran, this stadium utilised repurposed shipping containers and recycled steel, resulting in cost-effective construction and reduced waste. Constructed on a 450,000 square-metre (111-acre) waterfront site, it has a modular design and incorporates 974 recycled shipping containers in homage to the site’s strategic location, industrial history and the international dialing code for Qatar (+974).” It was also supposed to be TPOL’s home during his stay at the World Cup (see Housing World Cup Qatar: Adventurous or Fyre Fest?). Fortunately, I found availability at the Hampton Inn Doha (see Hilton World Cup Booked! Your Results Will Vary).
The Game
Unfortunately, it was not much of a game. While I was cheering for Korea, Brazil had other plans.
Bud Light Zero
Bud Light is gross. Bud Light Zero is an abomination. I had to buy it for the souvenir cups.
Overall
Bar was fun, the stadium was cool, but the excitement was not there.
The world wanted videos. TPOL delivered. Here’s the recap from the week. Play with audio and in 4k for the full effect. Read the accompanying blog post because reading is fundamental.
A long-time reader and TPOL’s biggest fan, Gene, wrote:
After going through absolute hell with these morons, I say it is not worth the 50k. I regret ever applying. On the bright side, the 3 month period to spend the required amount turned into 6 months since it took three months to get my last card approved. These people are idiots. I wonder if they actually WANT to offer anyone credit or if they are just pretending to be a credit card issuer.
He may be right. While I was told I was approved (see App Approved: Sort Of), I just received another letter saying that more information is required. What else could they possibly want?
I will continue to fight for my points, but this is a joke.
To watch the France game, we went to Al Jazeera, an Iranian restaurant right around the corner from our hotel, the Hampton by Hilton (see Hampton Doha Old Town: Perfect for the World Cup). The advantage of staying in the quiet old town versus the city center is the reasonable food prices, and more importantly, the more authentic Middle Eastern cuisine.
Look at this delicious kebab, grilled tomatoes and onions, and biryani.
TPOL’s Tip: Al Jazeera is located at Al Muthaf Street (Old Salata) Doha 1
Metro? This Way!
Having learned our lesson from being late to the US game the day before, we left early to see England take on Senegal. This time, we used the impeccable and beautiful metro starting at the National Museum (see Qatar 2022: Tremendous World Cup Logistics). Transport was free throughout the World Cup.
Matching the German side
Was this a metro or business class suite?
From there, we took the bus to Al Bayt Stadium, which literally means ‘the house stadium’. It was on that bus that I learned from a fervent American fan that I was spending far too much on tickets (see The Guide to Buying Tickets for the World Cup And Other Big Events). He had found a single ticket to this match on the FIFA site while I had paid for two. I assumed the tickets were sold out and didn’t check the site. When I did check it for the Japan game, it kept giving me errors each time I tried to check out.
TPOL’s Tip: Always check the official site for tickets that may be available. Block tickets that were sold for teams that did not qualify are put back on the market.
TPOL’S Tip: Tickets showing available and actually available are two different things. Despite learning this ‘trick’, I was unable to purchase any tickets through this platform.
Arriving early, I was able to watch the teams take the field and hear Let’s Get Down to Business, the hype song before the opening kick. Like the US game, the team I supported, Senegal, was thrashed rather quickly by the England side. This did not deter the Senegalese fans from continuing to dance and play music. I had to wonder after watching so many games who was financing these fanatics.
I stayed until the last whistle as I did not want to miss what would have been a great comeback. Alas, it was not meant to be. While this game had more energy than the US match, it still was not the hype that I was hoping for. Exiting the stadium, I did encounter Senegalese fans who were dancing and having a good time despite the loss. Finally, people were having organic fun.
Leaving Al Bayt, I followed the instructions of the numerous workers for the bus to Souq Waqif.
Souq Waqif
Souq Waqif is the Disney version of Marrakech’s Medina (see Medina, Marrakech: The Definitive Guide To Lamb Brain, Tongue, Eyeballs & More Food). Unlike the Marrakech medina, which was constructed in the 11th century and features extensive labyrinths (see Medina, Marrakech: Lost in the Labyrinth), Souq Waqif was renovated in 2006. Despite the late hour, the place was crawling with people. I went to my favorite after-hours restaurant in Dubai, Zaatar w Zeit, for kofta and shawarma. Although it was nice to sit outside and watch the people go by, the quality of the food did not match my recollection. Then again, I usually went to what I call the Middle Eastern equivalent of Taco Bell after post-partying, something I had yet to do in Doha.
Day 2 Recap
A small buzz here and there, and then long lulls were how I describe day 1. Day 2 was much better than day 1, but I was still waiting for the World Cup fever to take hold.
Giddy with excitement, I clicked only to find this:
After going through absolute hell with these morons, I say it is not worth the 50k. I regret ever applying. On the bright side, the 3 month period to spend the required amount turned into 6 months since it took three months to get my last card approved. These people are idiots. I wonder if they actually WANT to offer anyone credit or if they are just pretending to be a credit card issuer.
He may be right. While I was told I was approved (see App Approved: Sort Of), I just received another letter saying that more information is required. What else could they possibly want?
I will continue to fight for my points, but this is a joke.