“Free Text Msg: Citi Cards Fraud Dept. Did you attempt a charge at WALGREENS in the amount of $155.95 on 05-13?” Had they said CVS or Target, I would’ve had to think twice but Walgreens in New York, that wasn’t me. Credit card fraud is no laughing matter but this is only the second time that my card was hacked and I wasn’t the one being accosted by the fraud prevention department. The other time was someone purchasing some garbage jewelry from Jared. We all get annoyed when our gift cards, vanilla reloads, or redBIRD transactions don’t go through. We complain to the agent who is trying to protect us that they are interfering with matters of [inter]national [travel] security. Then days like today happen making me feel guilty about berating the agents time and time again. I’m sure my kindness will dissipate the next time my card is declined for a $3 suspicious purchase as it was a week ago and I’m stuck on hold forever waiting to clear it up. That’s almost as bad as booking multiple tickets in Asia only to have the 5th transaction being the one that sets off the fraud trigger. Where were you on the first four? Finally, call me paranoid, call me Middle-Eastern, or call me a lawyer, but I can’t help but wonder if writing article upon article about the Citi Prestige is somehow related to this fraud attempt. If so then I would like to tell the fraudster that I appreciate his efforts of spending money in order to stockpile my ThankYou points but if he applied on his own he too could fly SQ with new pajamas.
TPOL’s Email List: Under Construction
Sign up today for TPOL’s email list and never miss the point of life. Get it? One email a day MAX, always original, never spammy. Please bear with me as I come up with an opt in page that isn’t so ugly/intrusive. Let me know your thoughts…
Cathay Pacific First Class HKG-ORD
This is part of the Trip Report So Long Mongolia, Hello SE Asia (December-January 2015) which covers:
- Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Chiang Rai, Thailand
- Yangon, Myanmar
- Ngwe Saung, Myanmar
- Mandalay, Myanmar
- Bagan, Myanmar
- Hong Kong
- Orlando, Florida
67,500 AA miles to fly first-class from Hong Kong to Chicago is a sweet deal. Finding out that I received a 6,750 rebate for having the Citi AA MasterCard made it even better. Add in 15 hours of first class luxury and I was in for a real treat which I felt I deserved after all the headaches of Mongolia. Much of the flight was a blur as I had glass after glass of Krug champagne, though I did manage to take a few pictures. Overall, Cathay was Cathay. It reminds me of a road trip with my parents where I sit back and relax and they do the hard work of getting me from point A to point B. In terms of flying first versus business, besides the selection in champagne and the wider seats, business is not that much of a downgrade. That speaks to the quality of this airline. But for my belief that AA miles will soon be devalued and the rumor that Cathay will limit the number of first class seats, I would gladly chose business over first and be a happy man.
<==Back to Cathay The Wing First Class Lounge – Onto Admirals Club O’Hare==>
Cathay Pacific’s Champagne Bar And Lounge
This is part of the Trip Report So Long Mongolia, Hello SE Asia (December-January 2015) which covers:
- Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Chiang Rai, Thailand
- Yangon, Myanmar
- Ngwe Saung, Myanmar
- Mandalay, Myanmar
- Bagan, Myanmar
- Hong Kong
- Orlando, Florida
Singapore Airlines’s Private Room is the best lounge I have visited. While flying Emirates, I missed out on the lounge in Dubai because my connection was in business though I did enter an alternative first class lounge. Cathay Pacific whether it be in business or first is the go to lounge of choice. Along with the usual showers, open bar, and food, Cathay’s The Wing First Class Lounge features a Champagne Bar with never-ending bubbly. My only regret was arriving at the lounge later than I should have. Though I enjoyed the à la carte breakfast, I was a bit rushed and couldn’t go back to the champagne retreat.
<==Back to Hong Kong Travel Guide – Onto Cathay Pacific First Class HKG-ORD==>
Chungking Mansions Hong Kong, A City Within A City
- Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Chiang Rai, Thailand
- Yangon, Myanmar
- Ngwe Saung, Myanmar
- Mandalay, Myanmar
- Bagan, Myanmar
- Hong Kong
- Orlando, Florida
After my pampering at the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, it was time to get back to real life. It was time for my stay at the Chungking Mansions Hong Kong, a city within the city. Walking into this massive building, I am overwhelmed at the sights and sounds of this fascinating ecosystem. I turned to my friend and said wouldn’t it be remarkable to live here and write a social study on life in the mansions? A quick Google led me to a man who did just that. The building is divided into various blocks with elevators servicing each block separately. Those in the know understand how to maneuver within the maze and bypass the elevators which are programmed to go allĀ the way up or all the way down. For example, if you are on the 6th floor and want to go to the 9th, you must go down to the ground floor then head back up. Each block has a few hostels with varying rates. Rooms can be booked online at hostelworld/hostelbookers or simply by standing in the lobby of the mansions and waiting for a suspect representative of each hostel to approach you.Ā My brand new hostel was $30 a night for a tidy little fort that had a small bed, a mini fridge, a safe, and a hot shower. It even had a window and rooftop access which provided tremendous views of Hong Kong. The tiny rooms aren’t the main attraction of the mansions. Staying there is worthwhile because of what you learn by observing the people who come and go. After waiting for the elevator, arrive at the lobby and go to the nearest mom and pop shop that sells beer, ethnic food, and retro cell phones. Crack open a can and either take a seat or walk around. There are clothing vendors, money exchange kiosks that trade at better rates than anywhere in the city, and without fail someone getting arrested for something.Ā Later in the night, there are prostitutes propositioning, drug mules slanging, and bootleggers selling ‘bags, watches, purses.’ I never felt that the mansions weren’t safe or that my personal stuff wasn’t secure. All the activity whether legal or illegal seemed normal. After days of repeating this routine, I finally left Chungking for the airport. Emerging from the underworld, it took some time to once again become a functioning member of society.
<==Back to Hyatt Regency Hong Kong – Onto Guns & Butter: Hong Kong Travel Guide==>
Please No ThankYOU Partner with American Airlines
Guns & Butter: Bagan Travel Guide
This is part of the Trip Report So Long Mongolia, Hello SE Asia (December-January 2015) which covers:
- Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Chiang Rai, Thailand
- Yangon, Myanmar
- Ngwe Saung, Myanmar
- Mandalay, Myanmar
- Bagan, Myanmar
- Hong Kong
- Orlando, Florida
Bagan is the reason to visit Myanmar. The pagodas go on for kilometers and the stories behind each are equally as remarkable. Here is the Bagan Travel Guide using the Guns & Butter methodology:
- A trip is composed of two factors: Labor And Lazy
- Anything on the line (Production Possibilities Frontier for my fellow economists) is an efficient use of your time depending on your tastes and preferences.
- Anything inside the line is inefficient as should be avoided.
- Anything outside is aspirational but may be impossible to do given the constraints of time and resources.
- 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 Bicycle: The Best Worst option
- The Car: The Worst Best option
- The Electric Bike: The Middle Ground Option
- The Horse and Carriage: The Best Best Option
- Sunset Pagoda
- Sunrise Pagoda
- Hot Air Balloon
The Hell Boat to Bagan
- Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Chiang Rai, Thailand
- Yangon, Myanmar
- Ngwe Saung, Myanmar
- Mandalay, Myanmar
- Bagan, Myanmar
- Hong Kong
- Orlando, Florida
Tired of taking the bus, I thought it would be a great idea to float down the river from Mandalay to Bagan via the Irrawaddy River for ten hours. The cost was $50 per person while the cost of all the bus rides reported up to this point (RT Yangon to Ngwe Saung, Yangon to Mandalay, and finally Mandalay to Yangon) was only $85. Sailing down to Bagan was described as a pleasant, romantic journey that included breakfast and all you could see nature. The first few minutes were tranquil as the ferry left port and began the trek. We were seated on the middle deck which provided many opportunities for taking photos. Hours later the sights and sounds were the same and the snail speed was maintained. After an endless assault by mosquitoes, we went down below and sat idle staring out the window hoping that the itching, sweating, and general nausea wasn’t a result of malaria running through our veins. Finally, night came and we disembarked from the hell boat and arrived in Bagan. Personally, I love boats and thought this experience would be a lot more rewarding and peacful. It ended up being interminable and insufferable. I would not recommend anyone take this rickshaw of the river. Stick with JJ Express VIP.
<==Back to Mandalay Travel Guide – Onto Guns & Butter: Bagan Travel Guide==>
Travel Guides Are Coming Around
A unique feature of TPOL is the Travel Guide Directory. Points are great but getting you to a new place is only the start of the journey. The more daunting task is knowing what to do you when you arrive at a new location and only have a 3-4 days to see it all. Now you can easily break out your TPOL app (coming in 2020) and get to drinking, eating, and sightseeing. The guides take a little longer to write/upload photos but having them all in the palm of your hand is far more convenient than the Lonely Planet guide of things I don’t have time to do. If you didn’t click the link above, here’s where I am to date. Mandalay and Bagan are up next.
Guns & Butter Travel Guide Directory
The Americas
Guns & Butter: Liberia, Costa Rica Travel Guide Guns & Butter: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Carnaval Travel GuideAsia
Guns & Butter: Bangkok, Thailand Travel Guide Guns & Butter: Chiang Rai, Thailand Travel Guide Guns & Butter: Yangon, Myanmar Travel GuideEurope
Guns & Butter: Helsinki, Finland Travel Guide Guns & Butter: Stockholm, Sweden Travel Guide Guns & Butter: Riga, Latvia Travel GuideGuns & Butter: Yangon Travel Guide
This is part of the Trip Report So Long Mongolia, Hello SE Asia (December-January 2015) which covers:
- Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Chiang Rai, Thailand
- Yangon, Myanmar
- Ngwe Saung, Myanmar
- Mandalay, Myanmar
- Bagan, Myanmar
- Hong Kong
- Orlando, Florida
Welcome to Yangon. You’ll immediately notice two things: 1) Those beautiful structures made of gold are pagodas. 2) That odor you smell is garbage. Here is the Yangon Travel Guide using the Guns & Butter methodology:
- A trip is composed of two factors: Labor And Lazy
- Anything on the line (Production Possibilities Frontier for my fellow economists) is an efficient use of your time depending on your tastes and preferences.
- Anything inside the line is inefficient as should be avoided.
- Anything outside is aspirational but may be impossible to do given the constraints of time and resources.
- 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.
- Padonmar Restauraunt:
- Truly on the Street
- Biryani & Cold Drinks