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Do’s & Don’t’s for Visiting Petra

thepointsoflife
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7
Do’s & Don’t’s for Visiting Petra

Petra Travel Guide is part of the Quest Around the Globe Trip Report.

What is your favorite UNESCO World Heritage Site? Since there are 1121, answering is impossible for me because I have not been to all of them, and it’s hard to compare the ones that I have seen (see TPOL’s World Heritage Site List). One of the most remarkable is Petra. Constructed in 5th century BC, Petra and the Dead Sea are the reasons I visited Jordan.

With that intro, let’s get to the Do’s & Don’t for Visiting Petra.

Do 

Take a tour bus to and from Amman. Mind you, I said tour bus, not a tour. TPOL is usually anti-tour guides (see “You’re a Bad Tourist.” Words From Luxor Tour Guide & Amalfi Coast: A Beautiful Tourist Trap vs. Guided Tours: Like Attending Class, It’s Boring But Sometimes Useful). The bus leaves early in the morning and comes back in the night, providing enough time to satisfy all your Petra desires.

a blue sign with white text and red text
I used JETT and found it to be reliable and comfortable.

a group of people sitting in a bus

Don’t 

Forget to bring an external charger. There are too many photo opportunities including on the way.

a landscape of a city

Do 

Be in great shape. This is not a walk in the park.

a sign with text and images a tree growing between rocksa man sitting under a treea large rock wall with a patha rock formations in a canyon a large rock formations in a canyon with Ein Avdat in the background a rock formations in a canyon

Don’t 

Be fooled by your arrival at the Al-Khazneh (Treasury). This is only the start of the arduous journey.

a group of people walking through a canyon

a rock formations with a building in the background

Do 

Try to take photos without tourists around.

Petra with pillars in a rock Petra with columns and pillars a stone building with pillars with Petra in the background

Don’t 

Think it will be easy.

a man standing in front of Petra

Do

Enjoy taking pictures of you and your camel friends.

a man sitting in front of Petra with camels

Don’t 

Try entering the treasury. There are guards on duty.

a man standing on a camel in front of a building

Do 

Take time to realize what was built in this desert.

a rocky landscape with a building in the middlea cave in a canyona rocky canyon with bushes and trees a tree in a rocky areaa rock structure in the desert with Petra in the backgrounda large rock mountain with caves a rock formations in the desert with Petra in the background a group of vases on a rock walla rock wall with a rectangular doorway

Don’t 

Think you are a world-class photojournalist because you take photos of locals.

a man and boy sitting on a blanket playing music

a boy riding a donkey
Though I’m sure my photo was better than his.

Do 

Coach up your camels.

a man standing next to camels in the desert
In the words of Gordon Ramsey, “Come on guys!”

Don’t 

Forget the donkeys.

a man standing next to a donkey in a rocky area

Do 

Resist the urge to ride on a donkey. Riding one only results in a donkey traffic jam.

a group of people riding donkeys in a desert

Don’t 

Worry about stopping for more photos. When will you ever come back to Petra?

a man standing in a rocky area

Do 

Talk to the donkeys.

a donkey with a halter on its headDon’t 

Take a horse to the summit. They can’t go up the steep steps and you’ll be right back walking.

a horse drawn carriages in a canyona stone stairs in a canyon

a man sitting on a stone staircase in a canyon
No horse, no problem

Do

Commemorate your arrival to Ad Deir (“The Monastery”) with more photos. a man standing in front of Petra a man standing in front of a stone building a stone building with columns Petra in the desertDon’t 

Be disappointed that the Monastery, at first glance, wasn’t as impressive as the Treasury. To that end, don’t question why you just hiked miles in the sweltering heat for this.

a man taking a selfie in front of Petra

a white box with black text and black text
Reading the history helps.

Do

Keep hiking. The best view in Jordan is coming.

a sign in the sanda person walking on a rocky hill

Don’t 

Be distracted by the beautiful celebrities.

a man standing in front of a goata goat walking on rocksa camel lying on the grounda camel with a harness on its head

Do

Stop for Argelh, if you must.

a sign on a mountain

Don’t 

Forget where you are.

a flag on a pole

Do 

Take in the scenery and reflect on how this could have been built thousands of years ago.

a man standing on a rock a man standing on a rocka man standing on a rocka man standing in front of a large rock formation

Don’t 

Worry about taking the same photo over and over.

a stone building in a desert with Petra in the backgrounda stone building in a desert with Petra in the background Petra in the desert

Do

Capture the best moment using something better than your phone camera*.

a rock formations in the desert

a stone building in a desert with Petra in the backgroundPetra in the desert

a man smiling in front of a building

* While I love the quality, I no longer carry this big camera around.

Don’t 

Forget to include the goats who are equally mesmerized.

a group of goats lying on the ground

a group of goats in front of Petra

a man squatting in front of a group of goats

Do 

Pose with your turban.

a man standing on a stone wall

a man standing in a cave a man standing in a cavetwo men in clothing standing in front of a stone structure

Don’t 

Kiss your woman in the park, a stranger was very upset with a single peck.

a woman in front of a building

a group of men in clothing holding shields and shields
Luckily, these are just actors.

a group of men wearing clothing

Do

Take the same photos on the way down.

a stone building with columns with Petra in the backgrounda person standing in front of Petra people walking in front of a rock cliff with Petra in the background

Don’t 

Forget how long ago all this went down.

a map of the united states

Do 

Remember that there is no ‘P’ in the Arabic language.

a entrance to a building
It’s pronounced Betra.

Don’t 

Expect a conclusion. This post took as long as Petra to complete.

Another Useless Puerto Rico Lockdown

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16
Another Useless Puerto Rico Lockdown

I tried to put an end to the Lost & Found Year(s) COVID Trip Report until I saw dumb shit start happenin’. The latest lockdown is dumber than Vanilla Ice tryin’ to rap again. For those who may be visiting Puerto Rico, take note that starting Friday the new curfew will be 10PM to 5AM, and all businesses will close at 9PM. The governor cites the uptick in COVID cases for instituting this measure. This pointless measure is another example of how the government has no clue how to handle the pandemic, despite dealing with it for over a year.

The reason that cases are on the rise is not because businesses are open past nine. COVID doesn’t appear like a werewolf when the clock strikes a certain hour. And, contrary to what many residents of Puerto Rico say, the spike in cases is not solely attributable to tourists, who are all pictured as drunk degenerates refusing to wear a mask. Yes, there are those jerks. However, there are also family and friends of locals who visit from the US, don’t quarantine, and do not wear masks around their not-so-immediate household. “He’s my cousin from Miami, she’s my sister from New York, how could they give me COVID?” Then the numbers spike after the Easter weekend and everyone is shocked. ” It is not a coincidence that prioritizing the health and well-being of the citizens is a priority after the government grabbed all those spring break dollars.

Puerto Rico could have been like New Zealand by implementing strict measures from the beginning (see Infected Tourists Are Coming to Puerto Rico). Instead, it implemented nonsensical, random measures (see No Alcohol Sales on the Weekend, No Golf on Sunday: Another Stupid Lockdown Measure). For a time, there was a stay-at-home law on Sundays, the day that Boogeyman COVID always comes out to get us. Of course, this rule did not apply to holding Mass in sizeable groups on Sunday. For a time, the beaches were closed because what is more dangerous than miles of sand with plenty of room to social distance? Add in the swift sea breeze and it’s a wonder that the beach still isn’t closed seeing as how COVID has superpowers and can stay suspended in the air despite powerful wind gusts.

The schizophrenic strategy for dealing with COVID has taken its toll on my mental health. With the vaccination rollout going smoothly, I thought that life was finally going to get back to normal. Instead, we are going in the wrong direction and with no plausible explanation for why we are doing so. Exactly one year ago, I warned about the dangers of government overstepping civil liberties under the guise of protecting the interest of its people (see Puerto Rico’s Coronavirus Crackdown: Justified Or Unconstitutional?). We have been on lockdown since March of 2020. This crackdown is not justified. It’s time to sound the alarm on this abuse of power.

a beach with a rainbow in the sky
Paradise or GITMO? Neither place has due process.

Simply The Best: March 2021

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Simply The Best: March 2021

I tried a new approach to blogging in March, whereby I would only write twice a week and attempt to post 5 times. It didn’t work. I will try again in April. The process of writing old Trip Reports is not fun, but the results are worthwhile. Below are the best posts from March. In addition, be sure to read Simply The Best: TPOL Triple Bogeys, Turns 7.

  1. Enter TPOL’s Bracket, Flight to Puerto Rico Included!

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    Shit talking included. Clubs and hotel not included. Alcohol included, subject to availability.
  2. Misplacing My Passport Without Traveling

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    Are you trepidatious to travel because it has been so long? Where are you having your travel pre-season?
  3. Guns & Butter: Ayia Napa, Cyprus Travel Guide

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    There will be a next time for me in Cyprus.
  4. What’s in My Wallet: 2021

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    TPOL has slipped when it comes to maximizing the use of his credit cards for points. Perhaps it’s because I do not travel anymore or perhaps because I am lazy. Hopeful that travel is coming, I have taken a hard look at my credit card portfolio and put together a plan to maximize each.
  5. Bad News: Michigan Lost. Good News: Michigan Lost

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    The bad news is that Michigan lost to UCLA and failed to reach the Final Four. They choked like dogs at the end despite having every opportunity to win.
  6. Coming 2 America: A PSA for Not Going Back to Paradise

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    Ten minutes in, I turned Coming 2 America off, refusing to let it contaminate my child memories of Akeem. The same can be said about traveling back to the same city.
  7. WonderBoom 2: Best Travel (And Golf) Speaker
Wonderboom 2 review
What speaker is in your carry-on? Hopefully nothing that triggers a positive explosive test.

Baylor What? Unlucky Me, Lucky Tyler Wins a Trip to Puerto Rico

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3
Baylor What? Unlucky Me, Lucky Tyler Wins a Trip to Puerto Rico

TPOL, second only to Frugal Travel Guy in frugality, did not come out on top in his bracket and is irked that he has to finance a trip for a reader. Specifically, Lucky Tyler lucked out that everyone else had such terrible picks that he won despite also choosing Houston. A deal is a deal however and I will honor the $150 in points flights to Puerto Rico and the round of golf (see Enter TPOL’s Bracket, Flight to Puerto Rico Included!).

Congrats to Baylor which played aggressively against the weaklings of Gonzaga which played no one this year.

a screenshot of a computer
Better luck next year, Old Mizzie

 

Who’s Coming to Visit TPOL? Winner Announced Tonight

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0
Who’s Coming to Visit TPOL? Winner Announced Tonight

It all comes down to the championship game tonight. Will it be Gonzaga or will it be Baylor? And who would have ever thought that these two teams would be on the marquee for a National Championship game? I didn’t. I picked Houston (see Bad News: Michigan Lost. Good News: Michigan Lost). If Baylor wins, LuckyTyler will come to Puerto Rico as part of this new yearly contest (see Enter TPOL’s Bracket, Flight to Puerto Rico Included!). If Gonzaga wins, The Real Beej gets the honor of playing golf with me, with Lost in Cebu given the option to golf over Zoom.

a screenshot of a computer

Bad News: Michigan Lost. Good News: Michigan Lost

thepointsoflife
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1
Bad News: Michigan Lost. Good News: Michigan Lost

The bad news is that Michigan lost to UCLA and failed to reach the Final Four. They choked like dogs at the end despite having every opportunity to win. I have never seen so many missed bunnies in my life. My fifth-grade teacher would be enraged. This is good news for two reasons: First, I no longer look like a laughing stock in TPOL’s Bracket Competition. Indeed, I look like quite the oracle for picking Houston and Gonzaga in the final. Second, I am sort of happy Michigan lost. The last two times they went to the Final Four (see Final Four San Antonio: Go Blue! Left Blue and Final 4 Free), I was there. Had they gone, it would have been another reminder of how shitty The Lost & Found Covid Year(s) continues to be as I would not have been able to attend in person. Much like I felt about my Buffalo Bills, I feel about my Wolverines: if I can’t witness them finally winning it all, no one should (see About Those Buffalo Bills…). Overall, it’s very hard to make it to the Final Four but maybe Michigan will in the years to come. And if they do, I will be there. Until then, duck you COVID (see March Madness Memories).

a screenshot of a computer
Also, it’s time for the leaders to identify themselves. Who is Cebu?

Brex 80k Posted! What About Payroll?

thepointsoflife
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3
Brex 80k Posted! What About Payroll?

It wasn’t as easy as everyone has written to sign up for and receive the Brex welcome bonus (see Brex: The 110K Application, The Approval, But Only Conditionally). But, the 80k initial bonus after 1k spend has finally posted. Now, I have to spend an additional 2k to receive another 10k bonus. That should be easy enough. The question is how do I ‘deposit sales revenue or run payroll’ to receive the extra 20k? I have 31 days to make that happen.

an airplane parked at an airport
Pre-COVID, I knew where I would transfer these points.

 

 

Don’t Ignore 800 Calls

thepointsoflife
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3
Don’t Ignore 800 Calls

I receive so many spam calls. Usually, it’s from the same area code as my phone number. Spammers must think that I am more likely to answer the phone from someone calling from the same area code. Having not lived in Ann Arbor since 2004, I know that 734-anything is not anyone that I know. Those calls are sent straight to voicemail. Impatient to deal with any telemarketers, I also ignore 800 numbers. This proved to be a bad idea since this time, it was not a spammer. It was Barclays Jet Blue Business presumably calling me to tell me that my payment is overdue. I say presumably because I can’t log into my account and because I have not made a payment on the card since being approved months ago. I assume the annual fee is past due at this point. My excuse is that they initially sent the card to the wrong address and I just received the replacement last week. Now, I’m going to have to call and explain why I shouldn’t be charged a late fee and interest.

I’m sure critics will say it is my fault. To them I say nothing more than I’ve already said in past posts regarding this application (see Barclays JetBlue App: Please FAX Your Business Lease).

 

 

Le Meridien Amman: Still Worth a Review

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1
Le Meridien Amman: Still Worth a Review

Le Meridien Amman is part of the Quest Around the Globe Trip Report.

Sometimes I don’t get around to blogging immediately after a trip. Sometimes when I do, things change. Like the W St. Petersburg, the Le Meridien Amman is under new management. That does not mean it isn’t worth a review. On the contrary, 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.

Lobby 

Here is where I would have slept:

a wall with clocks on it

a chandelier in a room a lobby with palm trees and a tablea couch in a room with a fountain and palm trees a palm tree in a room a staircase in a room a large lobby with a staircase and a couch

a large round black couch in a large room with a staircase and a palm treea room with chairs and a piano

a couches and a coffee table in a rooma gold counter top with a mirror and a pot on top a stone sculpture in a room

Bedroom 

Here’s where I was able to sleep: a glass on a table

a bed with white sheets and a lamp a room with a bed and a televisiona bed with white sheets and a lamp a tv on a cabinet Suite

In addition to the early bird check-in, I was also given a suite upgrade.

a hallway with a door and a table a room with a couch and a table and lamp a room with a television and a table a lamp on a table a tv on a cabinet a couch and lamp in a room a room with a lamp and a dresser

Bathroom 

After a hostel stay in Cyprus (see Ayia Napa, Cyprus: Hotel vs. Hostel), it was nice to take a proper shower.

a bathroom with a sink and a bathtub a sink with a faucet and a mirror a white towels from a bar a tissue box on a countera toilet and bidet in a bathroom a shower with white tile

View 

When I woke up, I forgot where I was.

a city with many buildings and trees a city with cars parked in the middle of it a city with many buildings and trees

Overall 

With two nights for the price of one, I have nothing but great memories of Le Meridien Amman.

March Madness Contest Standings: TPOL & His Editor Don’t Know Nada

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0
March Madness Contest Standings: TPOL & His Editor Don’t Know Nada

The winner of the flight to Puerto Rico and round of golf is yet to be determined. After the first weekend, it is safe to say that I can’t use the cheap excuse of saying that I won and that no one is coming. It is also a safe assumption to say that my editor, Clifford, will also not be the recipient of the prize. He is third to last. What’s funny is that Ms. TPOL is 4th to last, I’m 2nd to last, and Ms. TPOL’s sister is dead last. Suffice to say that it is prudent not to look for us for betting advice. Right now, the frontrunner is LuckyTyler. I’m really pulling for ESPNFAN7966896255 because I have no idea who that is.

My Group Results

RANK BRACKET, OWNER R64 R32 S16 E8 F4 NCG CHAMPION MAX TOTAL PCT
16
TPOLESPNFAN52850007
 180 100 0 0 0 0 Houston 1400 280 11.4

Group Results

RANK BRACKET, OWNER R64 R32 S16 E8 F4 NCG CHAMPION MAX TOTAL PCT
1
LuckyTyler VierLuckyTyler
 230 200 0 0 0 0 Houston 1630 430 99.4
2*
ESPNFAN7966896255 1ESPNFAN7966896255
 230 160 0 0 0 0 Gonzaga 1270 390 92.1
2*
Ohio SucksOld Mizzie
 210 180 0 0 0 0 Illinois 1070 390 92.1
2*
alawarm1982 1alawarm1982
 230 160 0 0 0 0 Illinois 750 390 92.1
5
Lost in CebuESPNFAN4294753403
 200 180 0 0 0 0 Gonzaga 1300 380 87.4
6
ESPNFAN5538573487 1whatnameisnttaken2
 210 160 0 0 0 0 Michigan 1410 370 80.9
7
ESPNFAN7532089475 1ESPNFAN7532089475
 200 160 0 0 0 0 Florida 840 360 72.9
8
FlyboyESPNFAN4427168840
 190 160 0 0 0 0 Michigan 1470 350 60.9
9
ZeesCoachinemup
 220 120 0 0 0 0 Michigan 1500 340 51.3
10*
www.jimmieloves.com 1www.jimmieloves.com
 230 100 0 0 0 0 Gonzaga 970 330 41.9
10*
GottaBeatObamaGooberGod
 210 120 0 0 0 0 Texas 530 330 41.9
12*
ESPNFAN1777941361 1lakeshow101
 180 140 0 0 0 0 Michigan 1200 320 33.4
12*
Robert Tureknicahojo
 200 120 0 0 0 0 Iowa 640 320 33.4
14
birdietasiatasiatasia
 190 120 0 0 0 0 Michigan 1350 310 26.0
15
the deductions of deathcliffordbarnabus
 180 120 0 0 0 0 Illinois 780 300 20.0
16
TPOLESPNFAN52850007
 180 100 0 0 0 0 Houston 1400 280 11.4
17
JORDANACONDA 1JORDANACONDA
 170 100 0 0 0 0 Villanova 1190 270 8.6
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