St. Lucia Carnival is part of the They Call Me Mr. Fete Trip Report.
Some people say the happiest day of their lives is the birth of their child. I say the happiest day is dancing among strangers in carnival (see Last Minute Trinidad Carnival Guide! Everything You Need to Know And Stuff You Will Figure Out On Your Own!). Indeed there is a song called Happiest Man Alive which revolves around carnival and soca.
Last year, I tried to rediscover the carnival magic in Jamaica but came away unimpressed (see TPOL Goes to Candy Land). This year, I resumed my quest for Trini elation by going to St. Lucia. I leave in less than a week and am still sorting out how I can pull it off at the last-minute and be Olympic ready the week after (see Intro: The Gold Medal Trip Report). So far, I have my flight booked and 3/5 hotel nights covered. I’ll figure it out or my name isn’t Mr. Fete.
Jamaica 2023TPOL’s Tip: Jamaica is best celebrated with my favorite music: Dancehall.
Intro is part of The Gold Medal Trip Report.
It’s summer. That can only mean one thing: TPOL is going back on the road and taking another break from blogging. Maybe I’ll post even less than in June (see Simply The Best: June 2024).
Where am I going you ask? I am not entirely sure. At this point, I have a flight booked to Europe and a return flight from the Philippines.
It doesn’t constitute a round-the-world ticket as I will fly back in the same direction.
As you can see from the GCM, I will be stopping in Paris. While I have seen and done just about everything I want to see and do, I have yet to go to an Olympics. That aspiration will be fulfilled in addition to adding more countries to my Country Count List.
Didn’t get to see Usain live but it will still be great.
Update: I was right a year ago!
I received my Capital One Venture X card two months ago in June (Capital One Venture X Approved: First Time Ever). So why am I writing a Keep vs. Cancel post already? Because, barring a ‘card enhancement,’ there is no way I’m going to cancel this card. Here’s why:
As part of my Still The Best Trip Report, I needed to book a flight from Tenerife to Cabo Verde (see Can You Tell Me How to Get to Cabo Verde?). The cost of the flight the dumb way was $1,445. The cost of the flight the quick way was $434. Booking directly on capitalone.com, I was able to use the $300 travel certificate and keep my out-of-pocket cost down.
Another advantage of the card is access to Priority Pass Lounges. For the past few years, my membership with Priority Pass would lapse on account of churning cards. That always created the annoying situation of having to register a new membership, something I would leave until the last minute (Priority Pass Registration: Remember Not to Forget).
The next perk is the earning rates on the card. While most cards are only good for the minimum spend, the Venture X offers 5X on flights booked on capitalone.com and 2X on everything else. On top of that, there’s a 10k points retention offer every year.
All of this is in addition to the welcome bonus. I only received 75k because I was too impulsive to wait for the 100k offer to return.
What’s in your satchel?
Tommy’s Resort Haad Rin is part of the Reunion Tour Trip Report.
The first time I went to the full moon party I was en route to my study abroad program in Shanghai (see The Pointless Global MBA: Take 2 ). My father offered to pay for me to stay in my own bungalow with hot and cold water, a luxury for a backpacker. As an old lawyer, I came back twelve years later wondering how much these ‘luxury rooms’ right on Haad Rin Beach, home to the full moon party, cost.
Randomly, I selected Tommy’s Resort and was shocked to learn that it only cost $197 for four nights. That rate included breakfast. I found it funny that $197 was way beyond my means a few years ago.
TPOL’s TIP: I didn’t stay the night of the full moon party. That night is for amateurs (see Full Moon Party: 3 Times Wasn’t Enough. Maybe Once More?).
Room
The room was a private bungalow. It had great Wi-Fi and crisp AC. It also had a nice patio.Shower
There was hot water but it was not one of the best shower experiences in terms of pressure (see I Need a Shower: The Top 7 Spots to Lather Up).
Breakfast
I am typically not a fan of breakfast (see Free Breakfast?! The InterContinental Bora Bora Says No). But, wow, this basic breakfast rivaled many of the overpriced, overhyped breakfasts that bloggers overwrite about (see Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome: Overrated Breakfast).
Pool
You don’t come to Haad Rin for the pool. Nevertheless, there’s one if you are in need a quick dip. Location
Tommy’s is right on Haad Rin Beach, home to the full moon party and enough bars and restaurants to satisfy your Thai food and Red Bull bucket cravings.Tommy’s on-site green curry was excellent.Bar
There’s a bar right off the beach. We spent many hours drinking mojitos, daiquiris, and everything in between.
Overall
This is the place to say if you’re going to the Full Moon Party. If you are going for rest and relaxation and it’s not a full moon, this is a great place to stay.
Peace
Manila, Medellin is part of the Birthday Bash Trip Report.
Everyone wants to think they are special. Everyone wants to think they are living the nomadic life full of exploration and organic ingenuity. Then everyone meets someone and realizes that we are all the same. And that homogeneity makes us mad.
Enter Manila, Medellin the perfect town for tricking yourself into believing that you are a globetrotting explorer. I knew I was in Latin America light when I stepped into this neighborhood. To begin, speaking Spanish was not required at any of the shops or restaurants. Attempts to do so were welcomed with words in English. “One double espresso, one orange juice.”
Sitting in the Clemente coffee shop, I wondered where each patron was from, what they were doing there, and if they fancied themselves an exotic expat. Having traveled to 147 countries and territories (see Is Hawaii a Country?), I have learned that the worst thing I can do is underestimate another stranger. I would hate to live in a world where I believed there was no one as fascinating as TPOL.
I have also learned to tolerate oblivious people (see An American Douche in Tokyo Lounge). Those people act with disregard for others. On this particular day, I picked out an American couple working from the coffee shop. They had come with their little dog who barked non-stop. Instead of taking the dog out of there, they would pet the little bitch, and get back to work. A few seconds later, the dog would bark again. I grew increasingly annoyed and wondered if I should say something. I scanned the room and also saw the collective eye rolls of others. Ever the diplomat, I finished my coffee asked for la cuenta, paid, and left.
Unfortunately, this anecdote in Manila is far too common. The influx of gringos is the norm. I can’t blame them. It’s quaint. It’s safe. But why must those people be so annoying?
TPOL’s TIP: Clemente is located at Cl 11B #36B-13, Edificio C36 Local 2, El Poblado, Medellin Colombia
Look both ways before clocking a gringo.
Missed Flight Lisbon is part of the Still The Best Trip Report. Read all of TPOL’s Travel Lessons.
What a trip this has been. After my issue in Cabo Verde (see Stuck on a Deserted Island? TPOL’s Trouble in Cabo Verde), I was happy to arrive in Lisbon, Portugal. I checked into the Hyatt Regency Lisbon and once again was confused as to why I would need a suite when I’m only staying for one night.
After a workout with my mobile gym (see Travel Gym: Auster Ropes, Inertia Wave, Push-Up Parallettes), I was ready to meet up with my friend whom I had not seen since I lived in Shanghai in 2010.
The first stop was a rooftop bar where a bottle of wine was enjoyed. The next was a burger restaurant for ‘authentic’ Portuguese food. The third was a park bench for more libations. The fourth was the infamous Cais-do-Sodré, the Pink Street, (see Pop In Pub Crawl: Lisbon, Portugal). The fifth was another bar.
By the time I returned to my room, I knew I was in trouble. My flight was at 6:15AM. I knew if I took a few moments to sleep, I would miss my flight, yet the resistance to nap was too strong.
When I woke up, my first call was to LifeMiles to book another flight. My next move was on the Hyatt app to extend this suite stay.
TPOL’S TIP: If you’re seeing your friend for the first time in 13 years, don’t make plans for the day after.
Blurry night
The only side effect of my transition is the jokes I receive for wearing this mandatory corset.
2. Yoga Medellin: Another Side of This CityFor $40 per private class, I could resume my path to peace.
Damn, didn’t even make it to #3.
Friday is the deadline for transferring Citi Thank You points to Turkish Airlines. For those of you who are on the fence and happen to be sitting on that fence with a Citi Rewards+, don’t forget that you will receive a points rebate for sending over your points. I transferred 100k and will receive 150k. Citi refunded me 10k points, the maximum allowed each calendar year. What can 10k points get you? How about this flight from Toronto to Vancouver on Air Canada?
Technically it’s 12.5k but good enough.
Shower
There was hot water but it was not one of the best shower experiences in terms of pressure (see I Need a Shower: The Top 7 Spots to Lather Up).
Breakfast
I am typically not a fan of breakfast (see Free Breakfast?! The InterContinental Bora Bora Says No). But, wow, this basic breakfast rivaled many of the overpriced, overhyped breakfasts that bloggers overwrite about (see Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome: Overrated Breakfast).
Pool
You don’t come to Haad Rin for the pool. Nevertheless, there’s one if you are in need a quick dip. 
Location
Tommy’s is right on Haad Rin Beach, home to the full moon party and enough bars and restaurants to satisfy your Thai food and Red Bull bucket cravings.
