Subject to availability, there are massive private rooms to relax, unwind, or shoot a music video.
My Sleeping Room
I chose this one:
Dining Areas
Looking to be social? There are plenty of places to sit and eat.
Seating Areas
Looking to be antisocial? There are plenty of places to sit, especially when arriving at night.
Bar
Looking to drink? This is the bar for you. Not only is there a wide selection but also there is a bartender who likes to offer shots and mixed cocktails, no matter the time.
Snacks
There is plenty of self-service finger food before fine dining.
Nicer than my local barbershop.Don’t recall my local barber giving me espresso.
There are other services available but paying is losing.
The Cigar Lounge
Now for the main event, the cigar lounge. This is by far the coolest perk I’ve seen in an airport. The lounge features fine cigars, excellent cognac, and exclusivity.
The lounge underscores that this is The Points Of Life. Take a good look.
Earning 110k points by opening a Brex account was supposed to be easy. First, I had issues being approved (see Brex: The 110K Application, The Approval, But Only Conditionally). I was approved and hit the 3k minimum spend for the additional 10k. Then I received the 80k (see Brex 80k Posted! What About Payroll?). I tried to earn the last 20k by linking my PayPal. I speculate that it didn’t work because I was transferring money from PayPal using funds from my bank, not funds from my PayPal account. Running out of days, I tried Xoom but that was declined despite calling them to confirm my identity. Finally, the EUREKA! moment happened when I linked my Stripe account, an actual account that I use for my business, to send transfer funds.
Do not travel to North Korea due to COVID-19 and the serious risk of arrest and long-term detention of U.S. nationals.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not issued a Travel Health Notice for North Korea due to COVID-19, indicating an unknown level of COVID-19 in the country.
The U.S. State Department has declared that 80% of the world is not safe for travel. The explanation for this drastic increase is the level of COVID in each country. Right now, the only place with “Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions” is Bhutan, my happy place (see Guns & Butter: Bhutan Travel Guide). “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution” includes the following:
If I were heeding the State Department’s advice, the good news is that I can still increase my country count (see Where I’ve Been) since I have not been to nine countries on the list including St. Kitts. The bad news is that the Park Hyatt St. Kitts is 30,000 points a night. Besides St. Kitts, the only place on the list that doesn’t run completely afoul to the 11 Reasons Why I Still Don’t Want to Travel is Belize.
Adding Belize won’t get me closer to hitting 2020’s goal of 100 UN countries. That’s why I will follow the State Department’s advice and look to the 40 countries in “Level 3: Reconsider Travel.” For me, reconsider travel now means maybe I should go there since, per the State Department’s guidelines, those countries aren’t on the “Level 4: Do Not Travel list.” That list used to be reserved for the ‘dangerous’ countries that everyone should avoid e.g., North Korea. Now it is compromised of 137 countries or 80% of the world including careful Canada and inoculated Israel.
In case you have not picked up on my sarcasm, let me be clear: I am lost when it comes to assessing where is ‘safe’ to go and where is not. Prior to the pandemic, if you said, “TPOL would you go to Afghanistan?” I would say, “No, it’s not safe.” Prior to the pandemic, had you asked, “TPOL would you go to Baghdad?” I would say, “It’s not safe but I would like to go to my parent’s homeland.”
Today, if I used the State Department’s guidelines for making a determination as to whether a country is safe, I would not travel to the United States which has the highest number of COVID-related deaths. However, that same State Department’s directive says that people who have been vaccinated can travel domestically.
I may be tired of being in my basement, but I’m more exhausted by the helter skelter messaging of what I should and should not do. Tomorrow there’s going to be an announcement of a variant that attacks golfers. The next day there’s going to be a variant that kills bloggers and on and on.
As a result of this schizophrenic approach to issuing travel advisories, I’m going back to the days of Alexander in 2009. While on my New Year’s trip in Bali to ring in 2010 (see Where to Party? New Year’s Eve), the State Department issued a terrorist attack warning which said, “There is an indication of an attack to Bali tonight.” In reaction to this imminent threat, I did what was sensible: I jumped on the back of a stranger’s motorbike and went bar hopping through Kuta.
Today’s menu will feature an appetizer, an intermission, and the main course. Here, the appetizer was the business class flight from Amman to Abu Dhabi aboard Etihad. The intermission was the Etihad First Class Lounge. Finally, the main course was the much anticipated Etihad Apartments.
Before you skip to those, let’s digest this starter course.
Not an A380 but what is?
Seats
The seats were wide and comfortable. And there was no one in business class.
IFE
I admired the art and do enjoy the design of the Etihad pillow.
Destinations: I have been to most places that are ‘open.’ While I would like to revisit many on the list including my second favorite city in the world, Cape Town, I’m not going to repeat a destination simply because there is nowhere else to go. I do have a Country Count List that needs to grow.
Is it really open?: Each day the ‘open’ country list changes. Countries are added and countries are removed from welcoming tourists. That makes it very hard to plan an epic trip. With the testing requirements, the curfews, and capacity restrictions, I may be better off staying in locked down Puerto Rico (see Another Useless Puerto Rico Lockdown).
Testing: TPOL has enough problems keeping up with visa requirements (see China 72-hour Visa-Free Transit Disaster (again)). Like my China experiences, I can see myself being stuck getting in or not allowed to return home because I misread the testing requirements. Add in my laziness in locating testing locations here or abroad and the invasive experience itself (see Thanks Donald! My COVID Test in Puerto Rico) and I am more inclined to wait for the magical ‘vaccine passport’ to go into effect.
Trip Epicness: I don’t go to one or two countries on a trip, book a week’s stay, and plan to unwind. I go to 10 countries in 24 days and burn myself out (see Travel Anxiety Sucks: Can It Be Prevented?) & ThePointsOfLife Travel Philosophy). Incorporating points #1 & #2 above, it is very difficult to book a classic TPOL trip.
If the GCM doesn’t look like this, how is it a real trip?
Amateur Hour: The most annoying people during COVID are the ones who say that they can’t wait for this nightmare to be over so that they can get back (emphasis added) to travel. Those people never went anywhere before and the only place they’ll be getting back to is the typical tourist destination e.g., Playa del Carmen. Add in that there are only so many places open and everywhere will look like Vegas on Memorial Day. Think long lines, price gouging, and unsophisticated travelers. Or what I like to call amateur hour. Now picture a place like Dubrovnik which was already overrun by tourists even more packed. No thank you.
Service: Given the limited options, the concentration of people going, and the need to make up for lost revenue, do you think that service will be better or worse? I would not expect to receive an upgrade at a hotel regardless of status. And I doubt my other strategy, complaining, would get me very far (see Have You Ever Not Complained?).
Devaluation: By not going anywhere for over a year (see NYC Twice: A Recap of My 2020 Travels) I have amassed a small fortune of points. I thought I would be able to find all sorts of deals once the pandemic was over. I was wrong. Airlines and hotels continue to devalue their programs, making those points more precious. I’m not going to blow a night cert on a domestic stay in Chicago because Shanghai is shuttered to the outside world and I want pizza (see The World’s Best Pizza: Chicago Deep Dish Edition).
No Partying: Some people travel to visit museums. I travel to party. If the club is closed, what will I do? (See The Best Nightclubs in the World.)
No Socializing: If I’m not making friends at the bar (see Ganbei! The Guide to Making Friends in China), I am socializing elsewhere. How can that happen with social distancing? There is no fun in going to a new country and not being able to interact with other travelers or local people because of social distancing in restaurants, in the streets, or public bathrooms.
I could end this post by accepting my depression and saying that I will cryogenically freeze myself until this pandemic is over. Unfortunately, I don’t see this coming to an end until the world realizes that it has to vaccinate the poorest countries with as much urgency for us to get back to normal. Instead of giving up on travel altogether, I am going to have to travel to places where these factors are not as big of an issue. These include islands in the Caribbean (see Rum Rum Caribbean Castaway) where restrictions are lax, nature reserves where I can rediscover my Bhutan happiness, e.g., Galapagos Islands, and Vegas because some hypocrisy is acceptable (see Come See TPOL Perform in Vegas in June!).
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.
I have called this the Amman Travel Guide* because the city of Amman was the launching point to go to nearby Petra and the Dead Sea. With the asterisk explained, let’s move on to another Travel Guide.
Lodging
Can’t Stay
I stayed at Le Meridien when I went. Unfortunately, it is no longer a Marriott hotel. It was still worth a review.
I would like to pay homage to the Le Meridien Amman for granting me extra early check-in at 3AM instead of making me find a corner of the lobby to crash.
Can Stay, But Can Skip Too
I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Amman. I was out of the hotel more than I was there. I should have stayed at the Dead Sea for a night instead of another hotel in the city center.
Since I barely spent any time at the hotel, my review of the hotel was quite brief.
Should’ve Stayed
Headed to the Dead Sea, the Uber driver asked if I had a specific place in mind and I said the public entrance. He said absolutely not and asked if I would rather go to a resort. Having done no research, I agreed to follow his advice, and we were taken to a luxurious oasis called the OH Beach Resort.
What’s better than the sunset from an infinity pool overlooking the Dead Sea?
Food
I give 5-stars to Petra and the Dead Sea. I give an incomplete to the food in Jordan. Here’s why:
Petra
Waiting for the bus to take me back to Petra, I stopped at a restaurant for ‘authentic Jordanian food’. It reminded me of the $30 tourist trap tacos I had in Mexico City. Gordon Ramsey would not be amused.
Oh too much garlic.This is fresh?The troops!Shut it down!
TPOL’s TIP: Petra is a tourist attraction. All the restaurants had the same menu and none of them looked particularly better than the others.
AL- Rainbow Street
The Scottsdale Road of Amman, AL-Rainbow Street is always hustling and bustling but where people are going, I have no idea. I saw the same cars driving by in circles bumping Arabic tunes and casualties of those stuck in endless traffic.
In the neighborhood, I went to an Iraqi restaurant. As a Chaldean, my idea of Iraqi food is different than a Jordanian restaurant making Iraqi food. I ordered one of my favorite dishes, ‘bird’s head’. When Chaldeans make it, it is meatballs (the bird’s head) and potatoes in a loving stew. Here, it was anything but that.
I ordered fattoush salad and it was more fattoush (bread crumbs) than salad.
The kebab and tabbouleh were not grandma’s.
I need to go to Baghdad and figure out if this was a one-off or if Chaldean food and Iraqi food are that different.
TPOL’s Tip: Mawwal Restaurant is located at Zahran St 241, Amman, Jordan.
Mansaf
With only hours until my departure, the last item on the checklist was to eat mansaf, the national dish of Jordan. I asked the Grand Hyatt for a restaurant recommendation and the man replied, “At this hour? No restaurants will have mansaf. Besides having my mother cook you some, I don’t think you will find any.” He then tried calling a few restaurants and they verified his prediction. Despondent, I pleaded with him to call his mother at once. He told me to relax because right next door there was a restaurant called Jabri, which served mansaf. Better yet, I could pick it up on my way to the airport the next day. His recommendation proved true.
Reader’s Tip: Falafel: The best falafel sandwich in the world is at AlQuds Falafel.
The Asterisk
Petra
This is why I came to Jordan. Read Do’s & Don’t’s for Visiting Petra for full coverage as this snippet cannot capture all the photos that I captured while I was there.
With only hours until my departure, the last item on the checklist was to eat mansaf, the national dish of Jordan. Though I had taken in the sites (see Dead Sea: A Must See Before You Die & Do’s & Don’t’s for Visiting Petra), my Jordanian culinary adventure was limited. I had bad food at Petra, street shawarma on Al Rainbow Street, an underwhelming Iraqi restaurant, and a breakfast buffet at the OH Beach Resort (see Guns & Butter: Amman, Jordan Travel Guide*). I asked the front desk at the Grand Hyatt for a restaurant recommendation and the man replied, “At this hour? No restaurants will have mansaf. Besides having my mother cook you some, I don’t think you will find any.” He then tried calling a few restaurants and they verified his prediction. Despondent, I pleaded with him to call his mother at once. He told me to relax because right next door there was a cafeteria style restaurant called Jabri which served the best mansaf in Jordan, second only to his mother’s. Better yet, I could pick it up on my way to the airport the next day (see Jabri: They Say It’s the Best Mansaf).
With my Etihad business class flight to Abu Dhabi leaving at 2:55PM (continuing on to JFK on Etihad Apartments), I had enough time to call the Uber, go to Jabri, and place a take-out order. I stepped up to the counter and said, “One order of mansaf and dolma please.” Seconds later, I was given a to go tray of mansaf and grape leaves. Looking back at the photos, I would have ordered more items. Looking back, I am glad I didn’t judge the quality of the food by the decor.
TPOL’s TIP: The proper Jabri restaurant is located at abri Central Wasfi Al Tal Street, Amman, Jordan
I didn’t eat on the way to the airport, hoping to save it as a pre-departure meal. With my hunger pain growing, I needed a distraction. I realized that I had no idea what mansaf was and if it was something that I would even enjoy, despite the hype. Turning to Wikipedia, I learned that mansaf is “a dish made of lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt and served with rice or bulgur.” All my favorites in one place, what could be better than that?
Upon arriving at the airport, my excitement gave way to anxiety as I was nervous about bringing this liquid dish through security. I can’t say for certain but it appeared that security gave me a smile when he saw the Jabri bag.
At the gate, it was time to feast. And feast I did.
A delicious way to leave Jordan.
Overall
Though my mansaf mission was accomplished, I still need to try two things:
If the reporting is true, Vegas will be completely open at full capacity on June 1st. As luck would have it, TPOL is slated to perform* in Vegas the weekend of June 11th for what may be the third trip of my Punxsutawney TPOL: Leaving My Basement Trip Report. If I actually go**, I am awarding 5 strangers who spot me on The Strip with a round of drinks***.
With only one night left in Jordan, I used points to stay at the Grand Hyatt Amman. While the hotel was centrally located, I would have rather stayed at the OH Dead Sea Resort outside of town (see Dead Sea: A Must See Before You Die) because there is not much to do in Amman (see Guns & Butter: Amman* Travel Guide). Since I barely spent any time at the hotel, my review of the hotel will be quite brief.
Hotel Itself
I like Grand Hyatt’s. Although they aren’t as intimate as Park Hyatt’s, they are reliable and comfortable.
Room
I wasn’t upgraded to a suite, but I did receive three pieces of fruit as a welcome gift.
Bathroom
After going to the Dead Sea, it was funny to see mud soap as the lather of choice.
Lounge
The lounge was sparse on the food in comparison to other Grand Hyatt’s.
Service
With only hours until my departure, the last item on the checklist was to eat mansaf, the national dish of Jordan. Though I had visited Petra and the Dead Sea, my culinary adventure was limited. I had bad food at Petra, street shawarma, and only breakfast at the Dead Sea. I asked the hotel for a restaurant recommendation and the man replied, “At this hour? No restaurants will have mansaf. Besides having my mother cook you some, I don’t think you will find any.” He then tried calling a few restaurants and they verified his prediction. Despondent, I pleaded with him to call his mother at once. He told me to relax because right next door there was a restaurant called Jabri, which served mansaf, and better yet, I could pick it up on my way to the airport the next day (see Jabri: They Say It’s the Best Mansaf). His recommendation proved true and put an exclamation point on this great trip. For that reason, I would recommend the Grand Hyatt.
Overall
Grand Hyatt was grand in its service. Next time, I will not stay in Amman, but I will order mansaf as carry out on the way to the Dead Sea.
After enduring the hike of Petra, I needed a return to relaxation. Without a plan, I hopped into the Uber and told him to take me to the Dead Sea. He asked if I had a specific place in mind and I said the public entrance. He said absolutely not and asked if I would rather go to a resort. Having done no research, I agreed to follow his advice and we were taken to a luxurious oasis called the OH Beach Resort.
Did you know that the lowest point in the world is the Dead Sea at 394.6 m (1269 ft) below sea level? I did not. Do you believe that you will actually float because of the density of the water? I did not. Unbelievable is a great word to describe how it when I first entered the water.
After relaxing, I was given a proper mud bath and went back in the sea to float on.
Reading the Newspaper
While it does not compare to my photos from the Salt Flats in Bolivia, I did take the customary photo reading the newspaper.
TPOL’s TIP: Bring your reading glasses. There’s lots of news in the Middle East.
Salt
Resort
After I had my fill of NaCl, I went to the pool to relax and take photos of the sunset.
With the tranquility of the scenery, it’s hard to fathom that just across the water, there is an ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine.
The Pool
The infinity pool was a great place to spend the rest of the afternoon.
Argelh
While it’s not my favorite hobby, I did smoke some argelh. Like the newspaper, it’s important to get that customary smoke-filled photo. Overall
Dining Areas 
Like 
Dead Sea 
After relaxing, I was given a proper mud bath and went back in the sea to float on.
Overall