Travel Guide - ThePointsOfLife

Guns & Butter: Colombo Travel Guide

thepointsoflife

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October 6, 2015

The Colmbo, Sri Lanka Travel Guide is part of the Trip Report: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World which covers 5 Continents, 13 Countries, and 17 Cities.

Find the nerdy planning here. Find the picture preview here.

Colombo, Sri Lanka just sounds like a cool place to visit. It is.

Here is the 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.

Sri Lanka is a country rich with history, culture, and people. The capital of the teardrop island is Colombo, a crazy city that has been described by the author Cherry Briggs as follows: “If Bangkok is Asia’s city of sex and drugs, Calcultta the city of death and poetry, and Tokyo the technotropolis of innovation, then Colombo is their immature sibling, still trying to find and assert its identity.”

Colombo is a mishmash of all countries in the region. This eclectic, colorful mix is what makes Colombo worth visiting even if it is only for a couple of days before heading off to the beaches of Sri Lanka or an atoll in the Maldives.

Here’s a breakdown of how to organize the chaos:

Street Shopping

Looking for a headache, head to the local market where everything is on sale. Fruits, bootleg Beats by Dre, and clothing all are sold in one jam packed area. I suggest doing this first thing in the morning while you still have energy to deal with the crowds and the bargaining.

DSC00616 (Copy) (Copy) — The grapes of wrath

DSC00626 (Copy) (Copy) — The colorful market trucks

DSC00623 (Copy) (Copy) — The old school bus

DSC00611 (Copy) (Copy) — Dude mean muggin

The City

There’s lots to do and see all over the city from temples to snakes.

DSC00590 (Copy) (Copy) — The metered tuk tuk! He was honest but other friendly ones try to pull at your heartstrings so beware.

Beira Lake

DSC00604 (Copy) (Copy) — Beira Lake in the heart of the city

DSC00603 (Copy) — Simamalaka shrine, on an island in Beira Lake

Gangaramaya Temple

DSC00595 (Copy) (Copy) — Gangaramaya Temple

DSC00599 (Copy) (Copy) — Poor elephant at Gangaramaya Temple

DSC00607 (Copy) (Copy) — Said I could hold the snake and that it had no venom

Train to Mt. Lavinia

Ask many people and they’ll say the best thing about Colombo is getting out of Colombo. It is that hectic. While you could take a taxi to the beach, I recommend taking the open air train. It moves slow enough that you feel safe but having no door between you and death makes it a somewhat dodgy experience.

DSC00640 (Copy) (Copy) (Copy) — Somehow I paid for the ticket to Mr. Lavinia

DSC00641 (Copy) (Copy) — And followed the signs

DSC00643 (Copy) (Copy) — Next to Myanmar, Sri Lanka has the coolest trains

DSC00653 (Copy) (Copy) — Hop on, hop off

DSC00658 (Copy) (Copy) — The tracks lead to the beach

The Beach

You’ll notice the graph has the beach as the most restful activity in Colombo. That all depends on how much you feel like kicking back and relaxing or if you’d rather do push ups, pull ups, and dips on the makeshift gym at the beach.

DSC00661 (Copy) (Copy) — First I got sidetracked by a luxury hotel

DSC00660 (Copy) (Copy) — And crashed a local wedding

DSC00662 (Copy) (Copy) — The beach from the hotel

DSC00663 (Copy) (Copy) (Copy) — The national beer (shown here poured by the waiter)

DSC00672 (Copy) (Copy) — Next to the beach gym is the bar.

DSC00675 (Copy) (Copy) — The friendly locals

Drinking & Eating

The amount of energy you expend on drinking, eating, and exploring is up to you. It is also best told by me using photos:

Street Food

DSC00676 (Copy) (Copy) — Street food curry

Traditional Food at Pagoda Tea Rooms

DSC00631 (Copy) (Copy) (Copy) — The famous Pagoda Tea Room

DSC00633 (Copy) (Copy) (Copy) — The delicious rice curry

Famous Food at Ministry of Crab

DSC00682 (Copy) (Copy) — Ministry of Crab: Make reservations!

DSC00685 (Copy) (Copy) — A bottle of white all to myself, yes please

The Bar Next Door

In order to get a table, patrons have to buy a vat of beer, so I did.

As you can see Colombo was an awesome time. Everything here was done in one day meaning I must return to so an do a lot more.

<==Back to Hilton Residence Colombo – Onto British Airways Business to Maldives==>

The Award Balance Drinking Game

Food & Drink

thepointsoflife

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October 6, 2015

0

By far my favorite drinking game is the 7-11 game which I invented as a way to explore Hong Kong on foot. Today’s discussion of how many frequent flier account numbers I could recall by memory has inspired me and my new Twitter drinking buddy @Ahall41116 to combine two things I enjoy: points and drinking.

There are a few variations of the game that will be fun for the whole family.

Points War: My cousin George and I used to play War with the loser having to take a drink if he lost the best of 7 challenge and a shot if he lost a War. The same concept applies here. Randomly scroll down your Award List and challenge your balance of that program to that of your friends. Alternatively, you could challenge his status in that program. Loser drinks.

If you really want to get sophisticated, create your own valuation system for what each program is worth. With a valuation of .000000000001 for SkyPesos his 200k would come up short against your 25k SWA RapidRewards.

Points Poker/Points UNO: Have a cocky friend who thinks he has more points than you, challenge him to Points Poker. Create playing cards with the popular points programs and create a valuation system for evaluating which programs are worth what. Here is mine:

Ace: Alaska
King: Singapore
Queen: American
Jack: Hyatt
10: British
9: United
8: Hilton
7: Southwest
6: Lufthansa
5: IHG
4: Club Carlson
3: Frontier
2: Delta
Joker: LifeMiles

Not really sure how this is different from normal poker/uno nor would I be motivated to create the playing cards but it was fun to assign Joker’s Wild to LifeMiles- a little points humor for your Tuesday.

Points Memory: Switch Award Lists and challenge your friend to recite her frequent flier number, balance, expiration date for various programs. Mistakes means drink.

Preferred Venues:

Airplanes: Emirates, KoreanAir, and Virgin Atlantic all have open bars at 30k feet.
Lounges: This doesn’t work so well in lounges in the US like the Admirals one in Chicago but may overseas will do the trick. Consider Cathay’s The Wing.
Hotel Lounges: My favorite has to be the Regency Club in Mexico City, the Hilton Istanbul, or Le Royal Meridien Shanghai.

That’s the best that I could come up with but I welcome any ideas and any challengers. I will update the rules as the game is played and improved.

The Award Balance Drinking Game: Bottoms Up

Awards Numbers: How Many Do You Have Memorized?

Professor

thepointsoflife

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October 6, 2015

8

Awards Numbers: How Many Do You Have Memorized?

We walk up to the Southwest self-help kiosk. I don’t reach for my wallet as Ms. TPOL does to check-in. “No checked bags, print boarding pass, I win,” I boast with great satisfaction. I have my Rapid Rewards number memorized. Seinfeld would be proud.

Heading to the Admirals Club, I didn’t take out my Citi Exec card, I recited my AAdvantage number by heart. Even worthless Delta is no match for my memory as I login to verify that I have indeed drained my SkyPesos account to zero.

This brings me to SPG, a number that is too long and has no pattern. Every day it seems SPG has a promotion, targeted or not, that requires me to input my SPG number to register. I never remember it and have to go back to AwardWallet to look it up. The same can be said about the ugly Hyatt GoldPassport number whose use of a letter at the end throws of my rhythm. Finally, there is Club Carlson with enough digits to resemble a nuclear code. Even if I can remember one, there’s another for my business account that I have just forgotten.

The nerdiness of the points game is apparent by the number of accountants, lawyers, and financiers who blog on the topic. That is why I don’t feel ashamed to say that I feel cool when I can recall account numbers to agents and excel through the check-in process while fellow travelers bumble around for a credit card to swipe.

Any other nerds out there willing to admit to the satisfaction of knowing their frequent flier numbers?

Hilton Colombo Residence: The Japanese Penthouse

thepointsoflife

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October 6, 2015

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Hilton Colombo Residence: The Japanese Penthouse

The Hilton Colombo Residence Review is part of the Trip Report: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World which covers 5 Continents, 13 Countries, and 17 Cities.

Find the nerdy planning here. Find the picture preview here.

Getting Here: I braved life and limb and took a taxi from the airport. The driver took me to another Hilton. I discovered this at check-in where I had a welcome drink then was told I was at the wrong hotel. Even though it was late at night and I had just arrived after a long day of traveling, the Hilton wouldn’t use the courtesy vehicle to take me to my hotel. Instead, I hate to wait a half hour for a taxi to come and pay again to go to my hotel located a few minutes away.

In reviewing the Conrad Tokyo, I said that Hilton Gold is the best status abroad for the effort required to maintain it. The Hilton Colombo Residences is another reason why this is true. For 16,000 points and $82/night I had the three bedroom Japanese Penthouse with an unbeatable sea view.

The Staff

The staff was very friendly and helpful providing tips on where to go eat and drink as well as arranging transport.

The Room

The room was ridiculously large for one person if not ten. It was so big that it had its own router. Walking in, I was given a tour of all the amenities and provided with a welcome fruit basket along with a bottle of wine. The best feature by far was the enormous balcony. With a bottle of wine in hand and the Jambox, I had a nice time watching the sun go down from the balcony overlooking Colombo.

DSC00580 (Copy) (Copy) — The living room

DSC00578 (Copy) (Copy) — The welcome table

The Location

The Hilton Colombo Residences is located in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Colombo. It is a train ride or tuk tuk away from the beach but is walking distance for exploring the city’s attractions and near many restaurants and bars.

DSC00583 (Copy) (Copy) — The Hilton Colombo Residence

Overall

This was a great bargain for points especially because of the penthouse upgrade. I would definitely return/live at the Residences if I was back in Colombo.

<==Back to Malaysia Business Class Lounge – Onto Colombo Travel Guide==>

Review: Malaysia Business Class Lounge

thepointsoflife

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October 5, 2015

2

The Malaysia Airlines Business Class Lounge Review is part of the Trip Report: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World which covers 5 Continents, 13 Countries, and 17 Cities.

Find the nerdy planning here. Find the picture preview here.

While Kuala Lumpur’s International Airport is first class, it doesn’t have the soul of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi or swag of Singapore’s Changi. The same can be said of Kuala Lumpur as a city. Sure, it has the Petronas Towers which are the tallest twin towers in the world but there’s little else in the capital that makes it a city worth seeing.

To pile on the negativity, the Malaysia Airlines Business Class Lounge was also mediocre. It had the amenities of a modern business class lounge: a chef, premium drinks, a masseuse, and plenty of comfortable seating but it didn’t have the pizzazz. Though I wasn’t expecting the over-the-top Cortez gaudiness of the Emirates lounge, perhaps some flair to make me feel a level of excitement that comes from being in an international hub would be appropriate. (see Cathay Pacific Arrival Lounge.)

Eh, I guess they can’t all be winners. Despondent, I had my warm bowl of soup and double espresso and was ready to board another drab Malaysian Airline flight to Bangkok. At least the flight from BKK-CMB would be back on the best airline for quality consistency, Cathay Pacific.

<==Back to Malaysia Airlines SYD-KUL – Onto Hilton Colombo Residence==>

Old Biz Metal: Malaysia Airlines Sydney to Kuala Lumpur

thepointsoflife

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October 5, 2015

0

Old Biz Metal: Malaysia Airlines Sydney to Kuala Lumpur

The Malaysia Airlines Sydney to Kuala Lumpur Review is part of the Trip Report: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World which covers 5 Continents, 13 Countries, and 17 Cities.

Find the nerdy planning here. Find the picture preview here.

In the United States, more flights go through Atlanta than anywhere. It’s been said that on the way to heaven, worthy souls still would have to connect through Atlanta. The same can be said of Kuala Lumpur. Too many of my passport pages have been used transiting on AirAsia flights through KL.

When I booked my RTW ticket, the airline with the greatest availability was Malaysia Airlines on dated planes. With no other routing choices, I was forced to fly Malaysia business aboard a 777 from SYD-KUL. The flight was at 8:50AM and I was ready to get to my window seat and fall asleep. Upon receiving my boarding pass, I was informed that my seat was changed to a middle one.

The configuration was a 2*3*2 old school business class. I had someone to my right and someone to my left. The angle flat seats weren’t comfortable and the food was nothing special. I ended up sleeping the majority of the eight hours, purposefully neglecting to take pictures.

At least on the way out, I had some good breakfast in the Qantas lounge. Next stop Bangkok en route to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

<==Back to Sydney Travel Guide – Onto Malaysia Business Class Lounge==>

Guns & Butter: Sydney Travel Guide

thepointsoflife

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October 5, 2015

0

The Sydney Travel Guide is part of the Trip Report: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World which covers 5 Continents, 13 Countries, and 17 Cities.

Find the nerdy planning here. Find the picture preview here.

Here is the Sydney 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.

Sydney, Australia is a city that everyone wants to visit. Out of the three cities I went to in Australia & New Zealand which included Melbourne and Wellington, it was definitely my favorite. It combines the city life with beach life and features one of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed at, the Park Hyatt Sydney.

What makes it great? The countless things to do and see even if you only have three days.

The Beach

The beach is graphed on both sides of the spectrum, labor and lazy because it takes some effort to get to Manly Beach but is divine when you arrive at either. Manly Beach is accessible by boat and I recommend taking the fastest boat to get there. Bondi is accessible by bus and is less of a chore to reach. Next time I’m in Sydney, I probably will skip the city center and stay at the beach the entire time .

The best part of going to Manly Beach is the amazing photo-ops along the way.

20131217_203429 (Copy) (Copy) — Take the speed boat if possible

20131217_232108 (Copy) (Copy) — Surfers’ Code Dude

House Hunting

It won’t take long till you convince yourself that you could live in Sydney. It is an expensive city and housing is not cheap. Furthermore, getting a long term visa is pretty difficult unless you want to pick fruit. Still, it is fun to walk around the beach towns pretending that this waterfront condo is your home.

Nightlife

Nightlife in Sydney was not the best in the world. Granted, I was not there during the weekend but an international city should have something big going on every night. A nice bar was The Establishment which was packed to the brim on salsa night. Another was Ivy which was four floors of festivities. The Pool Club located within had a Christmas party when I was there.

Kings Cross is a tourist trap of strip clubs that may be worth checking out for laughs but there’s nothing great in that area.

DSC00523 (Copy) — The infamous Kings Cross

City Tour

Walk down George Street for as long as you please. There will be bars, restaurants, and life to see. For $300 you can climb the Sydney Bridge but I believe just going to the lookout point was good enough.

DSC00490 (Copy) — If you can leave the Park Hyatt

DSC00463 (Copy) — The Harbour and Park Hyatt

DSC00467 (Copy) — That could be you on the bridge

20131215_210346 (Copy) — Perfect day in Sydney

20131215_211559 (Copy) (Copy) — The Lookout is a cheaper alternative

DSC00441 (Copy) — A view from atop the Rocks

DSC00447 (Copy) — One more of the opera house

DSC00451 (Copy) — Don’t climb the bridge

20131217_175313 (Copy) — Cruise ship by Park Hyatt

20131217_184912 (Copy) — One more of the bridge

Food

Sydney had great food. One of my favorite pho restaurants was somewhere along George Street though I didn’t think to write down the name or address. Gimmicky restaurants that had kangaroo burgers are a tourist must along with a glass of Shiraz. The restaurants near the Park Hyatt in the Rocks were decent but a little overpriced for my budget. While they provided great views of the Sydney Bridge and Opera House, I am sticking with my rule of advising against eating in the city center.

Or just relax and enjoy the view from the Park Hyatt

Sydney Opera House

Besides taking your iconic photo in front of the Sydney Opera House, consider going to the opera. I’m a classic man but not that classy to be bothered.

<==Back to Park Hyatt Sydney – Onto Malaysia Airlines SYD-KUL==>

Week 12: Marathon Update

thepointsoflife

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October 4, 2015

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Twelve weeks of training is done for the Athens marathon and in order to keep myself honest and motivated, here’s my weekly diary of all things marathon.

Here’s what happened this week:

Today was distance day and I hit 9 miles in 81 minutes around the track. This is getting boring.
Yesterday was carb load day which was an excuse to eat delicious food bringing me back to my days in Mexico City.

4 more weeks to go. Like last week I ask, “Are you going to watch the shitty Lions lose on Monday Night?”

4 weeks. 4 weeks. 4 weeks.

Qantas Business Lounge & Flight Review: Wellington to Sydney

thepointsoflife

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October 4, 2015

4

Qantas Business Lounge & Flight Review: Wellington to Sydney

The Qantas Business Lounge & Flight Review is part of the Trip Report: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World which covers 5 Continents, 13 Countries, and 17 Cities.

Find the nerdy planning here. Find the picture preview here.

As I discussed, I don’t think it’s worth 40k Avios for a round trip to New Zealand from Australia. It is better to pay cash for coach and save your points. Still, it was interesting to see what flying Qantas business is like. As a company, Qantas has had a rough time competing with Virgin, the ever expanding number of competitors flying into Australia, and discount carriers. Qantas’s prices are usually higher than their competitors despite nothing too special about their domestic product. I’m including SYD-MEL and MEL-WLG-SYD in this analysis.

Overall, this government subsidized airline needs to make serious changes in its operations if it’s going to remain a player in the future. It can’t just rely on its rich history and its past dominance to get it through the turbulent times. Qantas is a symbol of pride throughout the country though the people recognize how mismanaged the airline has become. In many ways it reminds me General Motors in the United States.

Here is the happier photo review:

IMG-20131216-00474 — The gloomy future of Qantas

Wellington-20131216-00475 — A little Aussie breakfast

Wellington-20131216-00476 — Care for some cloudy apple juice?

Wellington-20131216-00477 — And bad champagne

<==Back to Wellington Travel Guide – Onto Park Hyatt Sydney==>

Guns & Butter: Wellington Travel Guide

thepointsoflife

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October 3, 2015

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The Wellington New Zealand Travel Guide is part of the Trip Report: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World which covers 5 Continents, 13 Countries, and 17 Cities.

Find the nerdy planning here. Find the picture preview here.

Here is the Wellington, New Zealand 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.

Windy Wellington! Do you know that Wellington is the capital of New Zealand? Seriously, it isn’t Auckland. I’ve traveled near and far and have to say that Wellington is far. Just look at the Great Circle Mapper to see how far it is from the hometown of Flint.

I felt isolated and somewhat abandoned in New Zealand. The remoteness was unlike anything I’ve experienced. Even the Maldives felt more accessible. Not to belabor the point but Australians don’t go to New Zealand with great frequency.

Having said that, I had a great time in Wellington. While other cities like Queenstown and Christchurch are more scenic, there was still plenty to do for the three days that I was there.

Drink

Wellington is a party city. There is drinking along Cuba Street and clubs in the party area of Courtenay Place. By day there are pub crawls and by night there are more pub crawls. Saturday night was just as lively as Sunday night.

Botanic Garden

Take the cable car up to the Wellington Botanic Garden for great views of the city and the beauty of New Zealand. After a night out, it’s nice to enjoy an organic buzz.

DSC00353 (Copy) — Virtually straight up!

DSC00368 (Copy) — Wellington Botanic Garden

20131213_215126 (Copy) — And more flowers

20131213_214712 (Copy) — Nice place for a picnic

City Tour

Walk through the botanic garden down to the city to observe the capitol and other weird buildings.

DSC00372 (Copy) (Copy) — This was happening

DSC00379 (Copy) — The Beehive which is the Executive Wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings

Oriental Bay

Looking to go to the beach? Wellington is not the city for that. Oriental Bay is a small strip of sand right on the harbor suitable for a day of relaxing.

Sleep

I have regrets about my time in Wellington because I spent too much time asleep as a result of certain activities outlined above. I would have liked to have gone wine tasting like I did in Melbourne and lost less money sports gambling at TAB. Coming all the way from the United States to New Zealand and getting sidetracked by partying isn’t what a world traveler should do. Alas, it happens.

<==Back to Novotel Wellington – Onto Qantas Lounge & Flight Review==>