Give Me the Vaccine And Put Me on a 737 MAX

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Give Me the Vaccine And Put Me on a 737 MAX

Vaccine is part of the Covid Trip Report which hopefully ends soon leading to the Punxsutawney TPOL Trip Report.

The world is upside down, plagued by conspiracy theories purported by a troll and his minions (see Social Distance Yourself from Misinformation). On the one hand, they say that everything that the government is involved in is corrupt. On the other, they laud Operation Warp Speed for finding a vaccine for a virus that was a ‘complete hoax.’ On the one hand, they say that the heads of government agencies are working to undermine America. On the other, they say that we should trust the FAA who says that the 737 MAX is safe to fly.

So which one is it?

I’m going with blind trust even if it leaves me blind or dead by sticking my arm out for the vaccine as soon as it becomes available en route to the airport to fly on the first 737 MAX out of here, hopefully bound for a carnival celebration with tens of thousands of people somewhere (see Recap: Trinidad Carnival (Good), Injured (Bad), 737-Max (Worse), Home (Safe)).

The alternative is to remain in my basement, watching the never-ending drama of power-hungry politicians and pundits preach on how who should run my life. No thank you.

a man taking a selfie with a crowd of people
Take me to the crowds.

 

No Turkey Trot This Year, But Still Thankful for Trolling

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No Turkey Trot This Year, But Still Thankful for Trolling

No Turkey Trot is part of the TPOL Moves to PR Trip Report and The Covid Trip Report.

For two years, TPOL has been dominating the competition at the Turkey Trot race in Puerto Rico. In year one, I held off last-second competition (see Puerto Rico Turkey Run: TPOL Wins, Then Trolls). In year two, I requested a rematch but was not given one (see Cyberbully? TPOL’s Puerto Rico Turkey Trot (2nd Edition)). Year 3, Covid has entered our lives and the Turkey Trot has been canceled. That has not stopped me from trolling my nemesis by inviting him to Rio Mar for a one-on-one race. As far as safety goes, no mask is required as there will be plenty of social distancing as I leave him and anyone else who shows up in the dust. The starting gun goes off at 6AM. Will you be here?

a group of palm trees in a park

a screenshot of a social media post

Take the Train to St. Petersburg!

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Take the Train to St. Petersburg!

Moscow St. Petersburg Train is part of the Quest Around the Globe Trip Report.

Take the last train to Clarksville. Take the first train to St. Petersburg.

With St. Petersburg the next stop on the trip, the choice was either to fly or take the train. TPOL loves trains (see The Great Train Adventure to Machu Picchu & The Oriental Express to Chiang Rai) and hates airports and taxis (see “Taxi my friend?” The Worst Places to Hail a Cab). With the help of the St. Regis Moscow, I had tickets for the four-hour journey.

TPOL’s TIP: Booking through the hotel is advisable to make sure payment is accepted and to secure a time in advance.

a group of people walking in front of a building
Take Komsomolskaya Metro
a building with a clock tower
To the Moscow Railway Station

a large screen with a clock on the top a train at a train station a window on a train a train with people on the sidea seat on a train a train with seats and a person standing in the background

a man standing in a hallway
115mph, not bad

a menu on a table a man leaning on a bar

two cans of beer next to each other
Toast to the train

TPOL’s TIP: The other option is to take an 8-hour overnight sleeper train which would save you the cost of a hotel night’s stay.

St. Regis Moscow: Setting the Standard

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St. Regis Moscow: Setting the Standard

St Regis Moscow Review is part of the Quest Around the Globe Trip Report.

St. Regis is my favorite hotel brand. My love started with the unforgettable St. Regis New York, the picturesque St. Regis Mauritius, the heaven-sent St. Regis Osaka, and the best hotel in Asia, the St. Regis Shenzhen. Though I can only compare the St. Regis Moscow to the Park Hyatt Moscow, an excellent hotel in its own right, it would not be out of turn to say that the St. Regis Moscow is the best hotel in Moscow. Here’s why:

Location

The hotel is within walking distance from the Park Hyatt and in the city center. st regis moscow review

Hotel Itself 

The hotel is for dignitaries. st regis moscow review a black and white rug on a marble floor st regis moscow review a car parked in front of a building a chandelier in a hotel lobby a circular table with a circular design on the floor St Regis Moscow a large room with a large staircase and a large chandelier a staircase with chandeliers and a marble staircase St Regis Moscow a large staircase with a chandelier and a chandelier a large room with a large chandelier and chairs a chandelier with crystal lights from the ceiling

Hallways & Elevators 

I don’t make it a point to take pictures of hotel hallways or elevators, but I felt compelled to this time.

St Regis Moscow a glass doors with a mirror on the wall a chandelier with crystal balls from the ceiling a hallway with a light fixture a chandelier from the ceiling a white door with gold trim

Suite

The room was not a suite in the traditional sense. It was two separate rooms not separated by a door. Though not spacious, every centimeter was elaborately decorated.a bed with pillows on it a bed with pillows and a lamp in a room a framed picture of a ballerina on a walla chandelier in a room a bed with pillows and a bench in a room a bed with pillows on top of a bencha framed picture of a ballerina on a walla statue of a woman in a tututwo framed pictures on a wall a painting on the wall a painting on the wall

Bathroom

Who doesn’t like mirrors? Every corner had one.
a mirror in a bathrooma bathroom with a mirror and sinka mirror on a walla bathroom with a sink and mirrora bathroom with a mirror and sinka tray with toiletries and a gold handletwo glass jars on a countera bathtub with a gold rope from ita bathtub with a towel from the walla gold and glass light fixturea shower with a gold shower head

Courtyard 

The courtyard looks like something out of a Disney movie.a window with curtains and a vase in the background a building with columns and a fountain a courtyard of a building with a glass dome

Breakfast 

Breakfast could have been the only meal of the day. The selection was limitless.
a group of bottles of liquid in a bowl

a glass container with food in it a table with different kinds of food on it a buffet with different food on it a table with food on it a group of small bowls of red caviar in a glass dome a group of bowls of fruit on ice a group of jars with crackers and candy a plate of vegetables and tomatoes a plate of food in a container a plate of food in a microwave a plate of food on a stove a group of food in containers a tray of food on a counter a plate of food with a bowl of caviar a plate of food with sauce

Spa

The best part of the hotel is the underground spa. There was a heated pool, a hot tub, a sauna, a cold pool, and – the best part – it was open late into the evening.
a group of water bottles on a table a group of bottles of water and a bowl of green apples a pool inside a building a swimming pool inside a buildinga ceiling with a glass dome a swimming pool inside a building a swimming pool inside a buildinga pool with chairs and a wall with a fan on the walla pool inside a building a stairs leading to a pool a white tiled bench with round objects a pool in a room a wooden stairs in a sauna a tiled bench in a bathroom a urinal with a black and white tiled wall a wooden chair in a room a small metal container with rocks inside a water falling into a pool a man in a pool with a waterfall

Overall 

Though I thoroughly enjoyed the Park Hyatt Moscow, I would recommend staying at the St. Regis, the best hotel in Moscow.

St Regis Moscow Review is part of the Quest Around the Globe Trip Report.

JetBlue Business Card App: More Info Required

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JetBlue Business Card App: More Info Required

I applied for the JetBlue Business card expecting a struggle (see JetBlue 100k Business Card App: The Wait Begins). And here we are. Barclays is asking for the following:

a white envelope with black text

The KYC rules necessitate asking for these documents, but I’m not sure if I sound more or less shady if I explain my situation. My residence is Puerto Rico, my mailing address is in Houston, and my law office is in NY. I’ll give it a shot and report back. It’s worth the 100k points if I am approved.

Park Hyatt Moscow: Luxury Inside & Out

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Park Hyatt Moscow: Luxury Inside & Out

Park Hyatt Moscow Review is part of the Quest Around the Globe Trip Report.

I like to count how many Park Hyatt’s I’ve visited. Apart from the Park Hyatt NY, Park Hyatt Toronto, and the Park Hyatt Melbourne, they have been great. The Park Hyatt Moscow continues that tradition.

Location

The Park Hyatt Moscow is located in the city center, walking distance to Red Square (see Red Square: The Best Photo Op If You Can Handle the Drama).

Hotel Itself 

Some Park Hyatts are small and quaint (see Park Hyatt Saigon). Some are modern and massive (see Park Hyatt Guangzhou). This one was the latter from the inside but unassuming from the outside.

Park Hyatt Moscow Review a building with many windows Park Hyatt Moscow Review a glass stairs in a building a glass roof with a bar and flowersa building with multiple floors a glass elevator in a building a building with blue lights a city at night with cranes a city at night with buildings and cars

Amenities, Small Touches, and Welcome Gifts

This is what I have come to expect from high-end hotels. Squirrel sculptures and overgrown broccoli are a must.

a glass bear sculpture on a marble surface a green flowers in a glass cup a tea kettle on a counter a book with a horn on it a group of coffee cups and chocolates on a glass table a bottle of wine and two wine glasses on a tray a plate of fruit on a table a box of chocolates on a table

Bedroom

The bedroom was standard park. Even if you’re only staying in a standard room, you can expect a great sleep.

a bed with pillows and a lamp in a room a tv on a table in a room a mirror in a room a couch next to a lamp a glass bottle and a phone on a table

a sign with blue circles and green lights
I need this in my home.

Suite

The suite was massive. a mirror with purple lightsa living room with a couch and a coffee tablea couch with pillows on ita living room with a couch and a tva living room with a couch and a tvBathroom

And the bathroom was full of mirrors. I did my best to hide, a sign of a great blogger. Can you spot me? a bathroom with a white robe on a hook a bathroom sink with a mirror and a sink a sink with faucets and a mirror a group of toiletries and towels on a counter a bathroom sink with a mirror and a counter topa white rectangular object with black rectangular object in front of a mirrora white robe on a door a bathtub in a bathroom a bathtub with faucets and a shower head a shower with a marble wall a shower head in a bathroom

Breakfast 

Breakfast is how bloggers rate hotels (see Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome: Overrated Breakfast). The buffet was not exceptional but the menu items were.

a table with different types of cheeses a table with plates of pastries and pastries a table with different types of pastries Park Hyatt Moscow Reviewa plate of food with scissors and tongs a plate of food and a glass of juice a sandwich with eggs and fish on top Park Hyatt Moscow Review Park Hyatt Moscow Review

Overall

While I prefer the St. Regis Moscow over the Park Hyatt, this hotel is luxury in a luxurious city.

Park Hyatt Moscow Review is part of the Quest Around the Globe Trip Report.

 

Moscow’s Metro: A Living Museum

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Moscow’s Metro: A Living Museum

Moscow Metro is part of the Quest Around the Globe Trip Report.

If you know TPOL, you know I don’t care to visit museums. As an eternal optimist, I think of it as something to do when I’m old and fragile. If you know TPOL, you know that I enjoy visiting living museums like the Cu Chi Tunnel in Vietnam. Another tunnel of great significance and great beauty is Moscow’s metro system. Shanghai’s metro is clean and efficient, New York‘s is full of rats, Prague has the longest escalator, while Moscow’s is alive with both people and art. I spent an afternoon going from one famous stop to another.

a building with a sign on top of it

a red machine with a screen
What other museum costs $0.65 to visit?

people on an escalator

a wall with signs on it
Can NY put up signs of its stops?
a sign with text and a line of directions
Great for practicing your Russian

a group of people in a tunnel a sign on a wall a group of people standing on a staircase a group of people walking in a tunnel a ceiling with lights on the ceiling a group of people on an escalator a group of people walking in front of a buildinga group of people walking in a tunnel a stained glass window in a wall a mosaic of a woman holding a child a stained glass window with a star in the middle a statue of a man with a beard and a man holding a gun

a hallway with many arches and lights

 

 

Chase, Where Is My Damn UR Balance on Desktop!

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Chase, Where Is My Damn UR Balance on Desktop!

My favorite part of the month is when I receive a bill from Chase saying my next payment is due. That means that the URs I earned from the last cycle have posted. On desktop, there used to be a nice box that showed the total of all my UR points accumulated from using my Freedom and Ink Cards. Now, there is no box and the only way to find the balance is to click around or go to the UR homepage. There, the points are shown per account and not as a grand total. That is inconvenient.

On mobile, all the points show up in one spot. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to complain about the stupidity of a bank’s website (see Amex Website Goes from Bad to Worse & Why Can’t Chase Alerts Specify the Account!).

Why is Chase doing this?

a screenshot of a credit card

Red Square: The Best Photo Op If You Can Handle the Drama

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Red Square: The Best Photo Op If You Can Handle the Drama

Red Square is part of the Quest Around the Globe Trip Report.

I travel today so I can have memories tomorrow. And nothing, beyond blog posts, is better for capturing these moments than the perfect picture. It is stressful to secure the perfect photo. It’s not always organic. It may lead to tears with your traveling companion who you demand take the photo over and over again. But when it works out, it justifies the public tantrum that I throw.

While I have been all over the world (see Country Count List), one place I’ve always wanted to go was Moscow. As an avid lover of Tetris, I always wanted to visit Red Square and take a photo at St. Basil’s Cathedral. Leaving the Park Hyatt Moscow, I began to feel anxious as I always do when the mission of the day is photography. What if it starts raining? What if the sight is closed? What if I forgot to charge my phone?

To calm myself, I took many photos along the way. a street with people walking on the sidewalk a building with a gold dome a mosaic on a walla large red building with towers and people walking around with State Historical Museum in the background a large building with towers and people walking around a large red building with towers and people walking in the middle with State Historical Museum in the background a man standing in front of a large brick wall a brick wall with a flag on top a large brick building with a clock tower

So far, everything was going smoothly. Then came the time to take photos with the cathedral. The trouble, I discovered, is that I was not the only one who wanted a photo with the same backdrop.a building with colorful domes and trees a large building with colorful domes

a large building with colorful domes with Saint Basil's Cathedral in the background

The game of posing, taking a photo, and finding out that it was mediocre went on and on. By the time there was a clear shot, the natural joy had turned into a manufactured pose. That required many retakes before I finally had suitable photos. a man standing in front of a large building a building with colorful domesSaint Basil's Cathedral with many towers

After leaving Red Square, I took more photos of the surrounding area in an effort to take my mind off of that stressful event. a boat on a river a road with cars and buildings a man standing on a ledge in front of a red brick wall

To not drive myself crazy, I do not review photos beyond the moment they are taken. It will only lead to more drama and more tears for all parties involved. Instead, I hope for the best and wait till I’m back home to see if the pictures are National Geographic worthy. For insurance, I made the smart decision of returning to Red Square at night. There was no one there, leaving me the perfect chance for an impromptu photoshoot. Here are the highlights: a statue of men on a pedestal in front of a buildinga building with colorful domes a building with colorful domes at night a man standing in front of a building a man jumping in front of a building

Looking at the photos now, I will declare mission accomplished. Even if there are minor changes that could be made, I don’t have the desire to use PhotoShop and fix them. Instead, I rationalize that the imperfections better reflect the mood of the moment.

Do you force your traveling partner to take photos of you? Have you lost traveling partners or lovers due to this?

JetBlue 100k Business Card App: The Wait Begins

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JetBlue 100k Business Card App: The Wait Begins

Applying for a Barclays business card is always a struggle. It was two years ago that I applied for the JetBlue business card (see JetBlue Business Approved! Yes, Alexander Bachuwa Owns Bachuwa Law). I subsequently cancelled that card and now have applied for it again because of the 100k offer. The days of instant approval are long gone as is the motivation to call recon. Even checking online provides no updates as I receive an error message prompting me to call. Obstinate, I will wait and see.

How about you? Any luck on the business side?

a screenshot of a phone number

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