Travel Guide - ThePointsOfLife

Guns & Butter: Albanian Riviera Travel Guide (Improv Edition)

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January 13, 2020

Guns & Butter: Albanian Riviera Travel Guide (Improv Edition)

The Albanian Riviera Travel Guide is part of the #NoCollusion, No Albania for TPOL where I break my 100 country count mark. See the World Map for where I’ve been.

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.

To Go Or Not to Go

The biggest reason not to go to the Albanian Riviera is because it is inaccessible (see Albanian Riviera: Beautiful, But How Do You Get There?).

If you can get past the hassle of getting there from land, air, and sea, then here is what you should and should not do in the Riviera.

Skip

Corfu

Why? Because it’s not part of the Albanian Riviera. TPOL’s best travel advice is to Stick to the Plan. There’s a reason you spend time planning your trip. Even if it is last minute, there is still a degree of planning involved. Spontaneous moves like this one occasionally workout, but more often than not, they end in regret (see Make Corfu Greek Again! How Tourism Ruined an Island). Fortunately, there’s a quick ferry back to Saranda in case you don’t heed my advice.

a body of water with buildings on the side — Happy to be back in Albania.

Lounge

Santa Quaranta Beach Bar

If you’re in Saranda, a popular place is Santa Quranta Beach Bar. I would skip it if you aren’t allowed to rent a beach chair which were all ‘reserved’, even though the place was far from at capacity.

a body of water with buildings and trees — A world away from the fun

Party

Party at Folie Marine.

Pamper

Get a Haircut in Saranda.

TPOL loves to get haircuts abroad (see Haircuts Abroad: Marseille Edition). For $7, I got a proper shave and haircut.

Plan

Finding a good hotel would make your trip less stressful. I booked my first hotel on the way from Skopje which is how I ended up here for one night (see Bollanos Hotel Albanian Riviera: Wait, Where Am I?).

Bad planning led me to Corfu for a night and then back to Saranda. I spent more time in transit than on vacation.

Depart

It was a disjointed few nights on the riviera. I was happy to take a private transfer to Tirana (see Siranda to Tirana: The Perfect Minibus).

Overall

I was given recommendations for where to go by my Albanian friend before I booked my trip. Even with this advice, this part of the trip was a bit of a mess.

If you enjoyed reading the Albanian Riviera Travel Guide, read the rest of the #NoCollusion, No Albania for TPOL Trip Report.

World’s Greatest Skyline: The Best Views of Shanghai

thepointsoflife

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January 13, 2020

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Best Views Shanghai is part of the TPOL in Shanghai Trip Report.

Where can you find the best views of Shanghai? With buildings that are too tall, the answer is everywhere. Here are my favorites:

From Pudong there is:

Park Hyatt

Grand Hyatt

And for those not staying at either, head to the Flair Rooftop at the Ritz Carlton (see TPOL’s Guide to Libations in Shanghai).

If you don’t want to bother with hotels, exit on Liujiazhui metro station and find your favorite spot.

From Puxi there is:

Hyatt on the Bund Bund by hazy, Shanghai day

Renaissance Hotel: There’s a restaurant not affiliated with the hotel with a patio. Go to the top floor.

Renaissance Hotel with Suite Upgrade (see Unhappy Upon Check In? Don’t Let Buyer’s Remorse Sink In). Imagine waking up to this every day? Even on a cloudy day, it’s a great view.

Bar Rouge: While I don’t like the bar, you can’t beat the views of the Pudong at night.

The Bund: Walk along the Bund and try not to take 100 photos.

a city skyline with a boat in the water — Jin Mao Tower, the 34th tallest building in the world, obscured by the Shanghai Tower, the second tallest.

Overall

There are many great places to take photos of the world’s best skyline.

Spicy Skewers Shanghai: Best for Late Night Grub

thepointsoflife

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January 10, 2020

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Spicy Skewers Shanghai is part of the TPOL in Shanghai Trip Report.

One late night I was hungry and Sherpa’s was closed for delivery. I entered GPS coordinates for a 24hr dumpling place in my phone because the name didn’t show up on Google Maps. Google Maps doesn’t work great in China so I ended up lost instead of finding myself full.

a red neon sign with writing — My memory of where this was was deficient.

Committed to eating, I used my sense of direction to try and find the restaurant. The only thing I recalled was that it was on a bright alley with 南南 in the street name. I trusted my Emperor Penguin instincts and after walking around for an hour, I eventually found the place.

a street sign on a pole — I was right about the Chinese characters.

The next challenge was ordering. I can say the basics in Mandarin but not much beyond that. Luckily, the menu was in English and I was able to fill in the rest with my polyglot skills.

Besides a la carte dining, we also selected sticks to put in the hot pot. Those were great choices.

The dumpling selection looked great, but the ones I ordered were not. I’ll stick to Yang’s or Yu Garden.

The bill is based on the number of sticks. At 177RMB ($26), it was more expensive than I expected. I certainly miss the prices of the street food skewer vendors (see Street Food Shanghai: Morning, Day, Night, Morning Again), but that won’t deter me from returning.

TPOL’s TIP: This restaurant is located at the intersection of Yan’an and Yunan nan road. The spicy lamb is the best meat on the menu. The mushrooms are the best for the hot pot.

a street sign on a building — Look for this corner!

“Puerto Rico Rocked by Earthquake”: Enough Dramatic Headlines

thepointsoflife

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January 9, 2020

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Two nights ago, there was an earthquake in the southwest part of Puerto Rico that I felt on my side of the island in the northeast. The tremors lasted for a few seconds and it was over. I went back to sleep and didn’t think much of it. Over the last two days, I have read headlines in newspapers like After Homes Collapse in Earthquake, Puerto Ricans Ask: Are We Safe? and Puerto Rico earthquakes cause heavy damage across island and knock out power. Understandably concerned, people who I had not spoken to in years texted me to see if I was fine. Their kind inquiries, “Alex, you dead?” were so heartfelt.

To be clear, many people were affected by the earthquake. Buildings collapsed, schools were turned into rubble, most lost power, and at least one death was reported. That is being reported accurately. The problem with the articles is that it made it sound like the entire island was destroyed or is on the verge of collapse. That is misleading. Most of the island was inconvenienced by the power outage, but as of publishing this article, much of that power has been restored including at my house (see TPOL Has No Wi-Fi).

Puerto Rico is three times the size of Rhode Island. What happens in one part of the island may not affect the other part. Responsible journalists should make this apparent in their article, so worried friends and family aren’t left wondering if those that they know are okay. Instead, the articles all read the same. “Two years after Maria, Puerto Rico is dealt another devastating blow as an earthquake rocks the island!” This reporting makes Puerto Ricans look like victims who can’t catch a break. It also scares of tourists who think that Puerto Rico must not be safe. While it is true that Puerto Rico’s infrastructure needs a complete overhaul, the island has not had more natural disasters than other US cities.

As a full-time resident of Puerto Rico, I am tired of reading national news that imprecisely depicts the situation on the ground. I am sick of being asked if I have electricity. I am over talking about Hurricane Maria. Though I appreciate the well wishes, I am also over being asked if I was affected by a natural disaster, whether it be a hurricane or earthquake. If I don’t make it, you’ll know (see TPOL Opens M-F at 10:07AM EST).

Life is great here (see Happy New Year from TPOL: The Year & Hindsight Is 2020). I have an ocean view villa. My commuter car is a golf cart. And, as an added bonus, I don’t pay federal or state income tax. The island has its problems just like my home state of Michigan has its problems. Still, come hell, high water, or earthquake, there’s no place I would rather live.

A newspaper should publish that.

a landscape with a body of water and buildings — How’s the snow where you live?

TPOL Has No Wi-Fi

The Deal Ticker

thepointsoflife

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January 8, 2020

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The earthquake knocked out the power. The generators kicked on but that eliminated the WiFi. Too lazy to take the golf cart to the resort, I slept through the scheduled post.

Other than that, everything is fine. I have paper towels.

Super Bowl with Bonvoy Points? Not Since the Bills Lost

thepointsoflife

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January 7, 2020

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Super Bowl with Bonvoy Points? Not Since the Bills Lost

I’ve been complaining about the decline in points redemptions (see Chasing Status in 2020: A Worthless Pursuit?). I thought a great way to go out with a bang was to burn my Bonvoy balance by bidding on 2 tickets to the Super Bowl. That won’t happen for two reasons:

The bids are outrageous and well beyond my poor points balance.
The Bills blew the game against the Texans and are not going to make it.

For those that are Ravens fans and have plenty of Bonvoy points, here is the cheapest offer for two tickets. For those that aren’t Ravens fans, I can’t tell you who is going to the Super Bowl from the NFC after that New Orleans loss. For those that have cash, tickets for the Super Bowl go from $2500 on up.

Sherpa’s Shanghai: Food Delivery When You’re Craving Home

thepointsoflife

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January 6, 2020

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Sherpa’s Shanghai is part of the TPOL in Shanghai Trip Report.

If your Airbnb experience in Shanghai sucked and you ended up finding refuge in a hotel (see Renaissance Yu Garden Shanghai: A Comprehensive Review), you won’t have the luxury of having a kitchen for your expat stay. Alternatively, you may have gone out for one too many drinks and you don’t feel like leaving the comforts of home/hotel (see TPOL’s Guide to Libations in Shanghai). If either or both are the case, call on Sherpa’s for help, the food delivery service with all kinds of food and drink options. Unlike other meal delivery services in Shangha i, Sherpa’s app is in English and, most importantly, Sherpas accepts cash which is a necessity if you aren’t cool enough to have a Chinese bank account linked to your WeChat (see Without Technology TPOL’s the Creepy Old Guy in Shanghai).

I used Sherpa’s twice while in Shanghai. The first was for Indian food which was not a good idea for my belly. The second was for Joe’s Pizza. I was skeptical that it would be NY style but was pleasantly surprised at the taste and size. For 160RMB ($23) I had a huge pepperoni and mushroom in the comforts of my Renaissance king size bed.

Overall, Sherpa’s is the easy way to go if you want food delivered to your doorstep/hotel lobby.

Renaissance Yu Garden Shanghai: A Comprehensive Review

thepointsoflife

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January 3, 2020

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Renaissance Yu Garden Shanghai Hotel Review is part of the TPOL in Shanghai Trip Report.

Getting There: Take the Maglev if open. Otherwise, go to the authorized taxi line.

After one night in a dated room with no view (see Unhappy Upon Check In? Don’t Let Buyer’s Remorse Sink In), Renaissance made good on its promise and moved me to a huge room with a view on par with my views from G rand Hyatt Shanghai, Park Hyatt Shanghai, and Hyatt on the Bund. This was luxury that I was used to and commensurated with the view I have in Puerto Rico. It also has become the standard for the type of accommodation I require when I’m back in Shanghai resuming my expat lifestyle, also known as TPOL in Shanghai.

an aerial view of a city — The previous view

Room

Give me a small kitchen and I could live here.

Soap

The best hotel soap is the W, the Westin, and Waldorf. The worst soap has to be this Renaissance. The shampoo smelled like sushi.

Bathroom

Soap aside, the bathroom was just fine: good pressure and hot water.

Long-Term Stay

I usually don’t stay in hotels long enough to use the amenities. I ended up staying at the Renaissance for 8 nights to take advantage of the 4th-night free offer (see Prestige 4th Night Free: My Last Great Use). In between the first batch and the second batch of nights, I stayed at the Courtyard Marriot. With so much time at one place, I ended up knowing many of the staff and became friends with one of the managers. Shout out to Lefteris who always had a table ready for me at the club lounge.

a machine with a screen on it — If the staff is busy, consider placing an order with the creepy robot.

Club Lounge

The Club Lounge was a blessing and a curse. It was great because coffee, soft drinks, and snacks were available all day. In addition, there was food aplenty from 5:30PM to 7:30PM. From 5:30PM to 9:30PM, alcohol was also available. This is is a bad thing is because I kept eating and eating. I tried to offset the intake with a trip to the hotel gym. My ten-minute session did nothing to counteract my Fat Guy in the Lounge persona. It did prompt me to join a TRX and spin gym, albeit too late on my expat assignment (see Z & B Fitness: TRX Training in Shanghai).

Espresso

I could go to the lounge for espresso but sometimes I enjoy having it in my room. This begs the question, why am I only given one Nespresso capsule with caffeine?

a white container with a gold object in it — Useless decaf capsule.

Gym

I can’t workout at hotel gyms. I don’t know why I try. For the average weakling, this gym is more than sufficient.

Pool

Instead of working out, I went to the pool which is adjacent to the gym. The view isn’t as good as the suite but impressive nonetheless. It reminded me of the Park Hyatt NYC. The hot tub was perfect for Shanghai’s typically rainy days.

Breakfast

You can have breakfast in the main dining room or the club lounge. Both serve too much food.

a group of donuts on a wooden box — All kinds of donuts

a kitchen with many containers of food — All kinds of breakfast

a group of bowls of food — Make all kinds of soup

a plate of food on a table — Versus Lounge Plate

Location

The Renaissance Yu Garden is in a decent location close to many attractions.

Next door is Yu Gardens. While I’m not a fan of Yu Gardens, the fake Chinatown in China, there is a nice dumpling place within it (see Yu Garden: Go Only for the Dumplings).

people walking on a sidewalk in front of a building — A quick stop at the dumpling place before you’re back safely in the Renaissance .

There’s also a great rooftop bar at the hotel for seeing Pudong by night (see World’s Greatest Skyline: The Best Views of Shanghai).

It is close to the Fabric Market (see Fabric Market Shanghai: How to Bargain) and minutes away from the Bund and nightlife (see TPOL’s Guide to Libations in Shanghai). It is also walking distance to People’s Square and West Nanjing. Still, whether on vacation or to live, I prefer the French Concession to those locations (see Twelve at Hengshan Shanghai: The Best Breakfast in the World).

Overall

I was initially disappointed with my room at the Renaissance. The staff resolved that problem and made me feel welcome. It’s not the newest hotel in Shanghai but the service made up for it.

Renaissance Yu Garden Shanghai Hotel Review is part of the TPOL in Shanghai Trip Report.

Chasing Status in 2020: A Worthless Pursuit?

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January 2, 2020

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Chasing Status in 2020: A Worthless Pursuit?

There was a time when I was Hyatt Diamond (see Hyatt Kills Gold Passport). Now, I’m holding on to Explorist. I requalified for Marriot Titanium Elite thanks to upgrading my Chase Marriott card (see Why I Upgraded My Chase Marriott to Bonvoy). Today, I logged in to see that I have 15 nights earned for the near year. The climb to 75 is daunting. I will aim for 50 which will give me Platinum Elite which still includes 4PM late checkout, the perk I use the most. Unlike SPG, under Marriott suite upgrades are less automatic and more a result of negotiation (Unhappy Upon Check In? Don’t Let Buyer’s Remorse Sink In). For that reason, I don’t see an incentive to try and accrue the extra 25 nights.

4PM checkout notwithstanding, I’m questioning if I want to stay loyal to Marriott. The days of affordable points redemptions like the Aloft Bangkok have been killed since the merger. Cash and points is virtually nonexistent (see Are Marriott Cash + Points a Myth?). And customer service is not at the SPG level.

Hyatt is the last brand that has not devalued (see Hyatt Regency Toronto: Please Don’t Devalue!) making it the most intriguing. But, as I wrote before, I’m not going to stay at 50 Hyatt Houses just to qualify for Globalist. This makes upgrading my Chase Hyatt card in an effort to buy status a possibility.

Hyatt aside, could this be beginning of the end of points for hotel stays. If so, what will I do? I’m not a fan of Airbnb (see Airbnb Long-Term? Never Again: My Shanghai Experience). I am not a fan of using my own money. And I have no brand sponsorship. Fortunately, I don’t have to answer that question in the short term as I have hoarded my Hilton, Bonvoy, and Radisson points. With Hyatt as a Chase transfer partner, I can take solace in that as well. This new year has me asking if it is time to pray for another recession (see We Need Another Recession).

What are you doing in 2020 to maintain your impostor lifestyle?

conrad maldives rangali island review — TPOL pondering how to keep this hustle going. Remember when it was so easy (see 30 Days to Maldives: Step 5)?

Happy New Year from TPOL: The Year & Hindsight Is 2020

thepointsoflife

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January 1, 2020

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Happy New Year from TPOL. Hindsight is 20/20 and the year is 2020. Looking back at this decade, I’ve made three mistakes.

Moving back from Shanghai to Scottsdale in 2010 after starting my law career in Asia (buy my book, Everyone’s Advice Is Wrong . . . Including Mine, to read about that duck up).
Should’ve stuck through the fog.
In 2011, I moved from Scottsdale to Michigan to work for one of the poorest run companies in the world, General Motors, for a record-setting 80 days (buy my book, Everyone’s Advice Is Wrong . . . Including Mine, to read about that duck up).
My Cadillac to take me to my cubicle.

3. That Time TPOL Moved to Mongolia in 2014

a man sitting on stairs in front of a statue — Apart from the hot water issues in my apartment (it either scalded me or was nonexistent), not being paid my salary, being fired while on a visa run in Osaka, and constructively being deported, I had a great time.

While those mistakes left me busted, I have made three great decisions to make up for it:

I started The Points Of Life in March 2014 (see Simply The Best: 5 Years of T-P-O-L).
Look mom, I’m on CNN!
In August of 2016, I made good on my promise not to work for anyone again by only working for the best boss (visit Bachuwa Law if you have a consumer dispute).

3. In April of 2018, I moved to Puerto Rico and declared Victory Over Life #vol (see Despacito! TPOL Is Moving to Puerto Rico! Effective Inmediatamente).

a golf cart and a helicopter — How I commute to work now. Who needs a Cadillac when you have a golf cart?

There’s still a long way to go, and I’m sure there will be more duck ups along the way, but in the interim, I will enjoy the view from the top.

Happy New Year.

Kindly,

TPOL