Travel Guide - ThePointsOfLife

The Nomadic Athlete: Now on TikTok

thepointsoflife

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September 10, 2025

Yesterday, I wrote about how TPOL is utilizing YouTube more for shorts (see TPOL on YouTube: It’s Cinema Quality & follow TPOL here). In need of a suitable place to promote my sports brand, IQKhameleon, I am revisiting the dark side (see The End of Days: TPOL Joins TikTok, written in 2022) by starting a new TikTok channel IQKhameleon. The original channel was abandoned years ago with a total of 11 followers (No TikTok for TPOL, How About LinkedIn?). Hopefully, this one will perform a little better.

Here’s the sales pitch:

Before COVID, I had a Peloton. Once COVID struck, I sold the stationary bike and decided to work out outside.

What followed is a healthier, happier, and most importantly, a mobile way of staying fit at home or literally anywhere on the road (or atoll).

Here’s the Tik and the Tok:

@iqkhameleon

Welcome to IQKhameleon on TikTok. Any guesses where this is? nomadicathlete travel fitness @inertiawave

♬ original sound – IQKhameleon – IQKhameleon

I wouldn’t be upset if the platform is banned. But, it’s what the kids like.

TPOL on YouTube: It’s Cinema Quality

thepointsoflife

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September 9, 2025

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Years ago, I wrote, TPOL’s Way Out of Poverty Is Not Vlogging. Then last year I started a YouTube channel called MasterOfWon. Unfortunately, putting together full episodes has been as efficient as catching up on my Trip Reports (see the still-incomplete Qatar World Cup 2022). To get content out faster and to supplement previous blog posts that did not have video, I started producing shorts on my original YouTube channel, ThePointsOfLife.

And let me tell you something, it has been really fun. In addition to my monthly Simply The Best post, which recap all that was exceptionally written on the blog, I am going to add a Simply The Best weekly recap of my most fantastic YouTube shorts.

The preview is below. I suggest playing it with the audio on to hear how DJ TPOL mixes video with audio. And be sure to set the quality to 4k.

Hotel Complaints: Do You Know Who I Am By Now?

thepointsoflife

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September 8, 2025

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In 2016, I wrote: Naughty Or Nice: Hyatt Knows About Your Complaints. The post reveals that Hyatt Gold Passport, now World of Hyatt, keeps tabs on all complaints lodged to Hyatt corporate. A chronic complainer (see Have You Ever Not Complained?), I figured hotels would know I was coming and do their very best to make sure that TPOL has no opportunity to say anything negative. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Service has yet to rebound post Covid.

A good example of this lack of attention to detail comes from my stay at the Grand Hyatt Athens (see It’s Time to Drop the ‘Grand’). After an arduous journey from Lisbon,(see Athens Airport Transport: Valiant Effort to Save Money), all I wanted when I arrived was a nice shower. Imagine my surprise when I stepped into the shower to find that the soap dispenser was empty. Since I was upgraded to a suite, there were reserves on the vanity, sparing me the headache of calling the front desk at three in the morning. The more pressing concern I had after stepping back into the shower was whether the bathroom had been cleaned at all. Is that a stray hair I’m seeing on the tile or am I being paranoid?

The next day I kindly informed the front desk of my concern. The employee apologized for the issue and said that a manager would get back to me. Of course, no one did during my stay.

Many would say that I am looking for something to complain about. I respond with two points: 1) For $300 a night to stay at a hotel plus a scam fee (see What a Scam! Greek Climate Resilience Tax), what level of service should a hotel provide? 2) Why aren’t hotels aware that TPOL is coming and challenge themselves to do everything they can to ensure that I have no complaints?

If hotels could address these questions, it would make for a better experience for everyone, not just me.

a group of black bottles on a white surface — In the mean time, fill the damn soap!

Barclays Hawaiian Business App Approved: Sort Of

thepointsoflife

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September 5, 2025

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The fun never stops with Barclays. I applied for the Hawaiian Business card and was told to provide more information. I did so in June. (see Barclays Hawaiian Business App: Send in Your DL, SS Card by Mail). It’s now September and I had not heard anything back. I called Barclays which told me that I was conditionally approved for 5k but I would need to speak to the fraud department first. I spoke to the fraud department who had to verify that I was who I said I was (see JetBlue Business Approved! Yes, Alexander Bachuwa Owns Bachuwa Law). The agent had to call me on the same phone number. I switched over and she introduced herself as if we had not spoken before. I gave her the answer to security questions and then she said she would meet me back on the other side. She informed me that I was approved by the fraud department but I would have to speak to the KYC department. I was transferred and asked the same questions. I gave the same answers. I was then told that I was conditionally approved but that an offline group would have to review my application one more time.

Is it worth the 50k? I say yes.

What a Scam! Greek Climate Resilience Tax

thepointsoflife

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September 4, 2025

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Do I have to write more?

Tourist-Bait? The Oldest Original Traditional Tavern in Psyrri, Greece

thepointsoflife

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September 3, 2025

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I did not go to Athens for fine dining. All I wanted was typical Athenian food without the tourist markup (see Iliad & Odyssey: Quest for the Best Athenian Gyros). Walking the streets, it seemed impossible to find. Each restaurant I passed looked like a variation of the Dancing Zorba’s. I will never understand the strategy behind putting someone out on the street to solicit people to come inside. How many times have you walked by after just having a meal only to hear, “Come inside for great food!”

The innkeeper at my friend’s hotel recommended En Iordani. While we were lucky enough to find the place, we found no luck in securing a table. Instead of being hounded to come in, we were ignored. We thought we were clever when we took the table of two women who had finished their meal. Instead of service, we were told, “You will wait for a long time.” I’m not sure if we were being reprimanded for this bold move or if he was setting our expectations based on how busy the restaurant was.

True to his word, we waited. And waited. Finally, the waiter told us to move to a different table. We waited there a bit longer. Ironically, another waiter came and said that we had to hurry up and order because the kitchen was about to close.

While I would have been happy with a simple gyros sandwich, I can’t complain about the quality and quantity of the food. The price was also reasonable at around 30 euros per person.

Documenting the restaurant for my blog, I could not help but wonder which attorney drafted the tagline for the restaurant.

Did they add another adjective to make the sign factually correct? Even if it is just the oldest, does being so in a small neighborhood in Athens make it impressive? Does anyone see where I’m going with this?

TPOL’s Tip: The Oldest Unoriginal Traditional Tavern was located next door. The address of the original is Ag. Anargiron Str. 3, Athens 10554 Greece.

Simply The Best: August 2025

thepointsoflife

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September 2, 2025

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TPOL is back home. I didn’t post plenty when I was living in Lisbon, but do not worry, the automation proclamation is about to come into effect (see TPOL’s Out of the Office…). Here’s the best from August.

Pink Street Lisbon: My Nostalgic Home
O Trevo: My Favorite Bar, Restaurant, Hangout in Lisbon
Do you know the best place in Lisbon? It’s an ‘Irish’ bar and restaurant called O Trevo.
Tap to Pay? Sorry, Cash Only for Me
The spell of American consumerism has broken.
Thank You Trump: TPOL Only American Vlogger with DJI Osmo 360
The question is whether I will take advantage of this head start. The answer, if my first drone purchase is any indication, is probably not.
The Other Subway Lisbon
Feel free to criticize below.
SWISS Business Geneva to Athens: We’ll Make it Better, The Second Time Around
This time, I had low expectations but was pleasantly surprised by the service and the view (from the wing).
Tap Lounge Lisbon: Is Priority Pass Better?
I snapped photos of the lounge and passed the time wondering what I was missing at the Priority Pass.

Athens Airport Transport: Valiant Effort to Save Money

thepointsoflife

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September 1, 2025

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Motivated by new appreciation of the dollar (see Tap to Pay? Sorry, Cash Only for Me) and depreciation of it to the euro, I refused to pay 60 euros to go from Athens airport to the Grand Hyatt Athens (see It’s Time to Drop the ‘Grand’). Instead, I paid to take the X95 bus to Syntagma, the famous square where the buses from the marathon picked me up (see Athens Marathon Course Review). From there, I paid 5.5 euros for a taxi.

Since I arrived at 2AM, there was no reason to get to the hotel quickly. In my spending days, I would have rationalized that I deserved the most efficient way to get to the hotel, as it had been such a long day. What a difference a change of mindset makes.

TPOL’s Tip: There is tap to pay on the bus, a reasonable exception to the cash only lifestyle.

SWISS Business Geneva to Athens: We’ll Make it Better, The Second Time Around

thepointsoflife

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August 29, 2025

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The same A220 that took me from Lisbon to Geneva took me from Geneva to Athens (see SWISS Business: Why Am I Leaving Lisbon for Geneva?).

This time, I had low expectations but was pleasantly surprised by the service and the view (from the wing).

Even the food was better.

But honestly, how can airlines still use these screens?

SWISS Lounge Geneva: Not Much Better Than That SWISS Flight

thepointsoflife

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August 28, 2025

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Perhaps the hard product from Lisbon to Geneva was not that great because this is not a popular route. Surely, the Swiss Lounge would have to be better. Like I did in Lisbon, I assumed that the flagship carrier’s lounge would be better than the Priority Pass option (see Tap Lounge Lisbon: Is Priority Pass Better?). Here’s what I found:

Entrance Sign

This is a cool throwback sign.

Clock

Along with chocolate, the Swiss are known for their watches.

Seats

There were plenty of places to sit.

a phone booth with a table and a cup — I have no idea what this is for and who would use it. But no eating inside!

Drink

Look at these bottles of poison. I am surprised they don’t have a liquid form of rosemary sticks (see Swiss Business: Why Am I Leaving Lisbon for Geneva?).