Easter Island - Budget Lodging

Easter Island has a reputation for being an extremely poor value when it comes to accommodations.  You don't need a degree in economics to realize why.  Supply is limited on the most remote inhabited island on earth and demand is high as many people have a visit to this tiny island on their bucket list.  Even a simple guest house will cost you as much as a 4 star resort elsewhere. 

I was able to make an award booking on LAN airlines using American Airlines miles.  Given that the flight was free, I wasn't too keen on ruining my cost savings on an expensive hotel.  After exploring all the options I ended up opting for Camping Mihinoa.  Now, I realize that camping isn't for everyone but if you are willing to opt for a tent instead of a hotel room, this is an excellent option.  The cost is $12 per person per night if staying 3 or more nights and 14$ per person per night if staying 1 or 2 nights.  That price includes transportation from the airport, a tent already set up on your arrival, a sleeping bag and a foam pad.  Wifi is also available for 5$ for the entire stay.  The campground is located right on the ocean and it is about 2 miles from the center of town (walkable).  They also have a car that is available for rental at a cost of 50$ a day.   

I will post more about my time on Easter Island soon!



View up the shoreline from the campsite



My tent



Rental car - 50$ a day

Photo of the week: Happy Easter Island

Easter island was first discovered by Europeans on Easter Sunday 1722. Of course the island was discovered long before that by the seafaring people of the South Pacific who named it Rapa Nui. A unique culture arose in conditions of extreme isolation. The moais pictured here are the most famous and mysterious surviving example of this early culture. I will post more about my visit to Easter island as soon as I get a chance.

Hotel Status Matches

Hotel status matches are a great way to leverage status with one hotel chain into status with another.  Status matches generally take one of two forms.  Some chains offer you a trial period or a "challenge" where you have a certain amount of time to try out their status.  Often they can be obtained simply by emailing and asking.  You will often be asked to send a screen shot of your account summaries.  It is helpful if you actually have some stays with the chain that you are asking them to match, however you might be able bypass this at the beginning of the year when every ones year to date stays are at 0.

Hilton Gold to Hyatt Diamond Trial

Email goldpassport@hyatt.com and ask about the Diamond Trial.
Here's the reply I got:

Dear Mr. XXXX:
Thank you for contacting Hyatt Gold Passport Customer Service. I
appreciate the opportunity to assist you.
Regarding your inquiry, currently a Diamond Trial Offer is available.
You will receive trial Diamond membership for 60 days with proof of top
tier status with one of our competitor programs.  However, you must
complete 12 nights in 60 days to maintain Diamond membership through
February of 2014.  You will also receive 1000 bonus points on your first
six eligible nights within 60 days, up to a maximum of 6000 bonus
points. Please be aware that the earning period for the promotion begins
at the time of enrollment.
Please note the list of competitors that Hyatt Gold Passport will match:
Hilton Gold VIP or Hilton Diamond VIP
Marriott Gold or Marriott Platinum
Starwood Platinum Preferred Guest
Priority Club Platinum
Please email or mail a statement of your membership activity with a
competitor to us for processing at:
PO Box 27089
Omaha, NE 68127-0089

To find more details on our exclusive Diamond membership, please visit
us online at:
http://goldpassport.hyatt.com/gp/benefits/membership_diamond.jsp
I appreciate your support of Hyatt and the Gold Passport program. Please
let me know if I may assist you further.
Sincerely,

SPG Gold to Priority Club Gold

Email PriorityClub@ihg.com and ask about status match.
Here's the Reply:

Dear Mr. XXX,
Thank you for contacting Priority Club Rewards regarding your account. We appreciate the opportunity to assist you with your concerns.  We are pleased you have chosen Priority Club Rewards and would like to match the status of your Starwood Preferred Guest account. In order for us to make this change, however, we need you to send us the most recent Starwood Preferred Guest statement reflecting the current status of your account.  You may reply to this email with a scanned image of your statement or fax it to our service center using the appropriate number for your region found here. You may also mail this information to:
 Priority Club
PO Box 30320
Salt Lake City, UT 84130
Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you and being of further assistance.

Hilton Gold to Club Carlson Silver

Email goldpointsplus@carlson.com and ask about status match.
Here is the Reply I got:

Dear Dr. XXXX,
You may copy your statement from Hilton and attach the statement into
the body of an email or fax the attachment to 402-501-9166 and we will
respond to you promptly.
Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to assist you.

Hyatt Diamond to Kimpton Inner Circle

Email GuestLoyalty@kimptongroup.com, ask about status match. 
This is the reply that I got:

Hello Mr. XXXX,
Thank you for your email request to gain status match with Kimpton's Inner Circle level.
We would love to welcome you to Elite Status. In order to process your request, would you be able to send a copy of your status with any of the rewards programs as we will match any status that is Platinum or Diamond equivalent? Please join our Kimpton InTouch membership program. I would also need your Kimpton InTouch membership number.
Upon receipt we will have your status updated and you can begin to enjoy the additional benefits that come with our Elite status level.
Regards,

Accor Platinum to Best Western Diamond.

Best western matches almost anyones status.  All they ask for is a copy of your membership card.  There is also a form that you need to fill out.  That form can be found Here.

Marriott Platinum Trial

Marriott offers a trial status of their top tier status.  You can ask for it by calling 1-801-468-4000.  They might try to push you to a gold trial, but if you are persistent you can generally get the Platinum one.

Deep Vein Thrombosis - How flying coach could literally kill you

Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT for short refers to a blood clot in the deep veins of the legs (or less commonly arms).  This disease has also been called "Economy Class Syndrome" because of its propensity to occur when people sit in cramped spaces for an extended period of time without moving around.  Symptoms of DVT include pain, swelling and redness in the leg.   

To understand how DVT relates to travel one must first understand how blood circulates in the body.  Blood in our arteries moves away from the heart to the rest of the body and is propelled by the force of our heart beating.  Blood in our veins on the other hand drains back towards our heart.  The force of our heart contracting does not affect the movement of blood in our veins.  Instead the venous blood is propelled by the surrounding muscles contracting and squeezing against the vessel walls.  There are one-way valves in our veins which prevent the back flow of blood.  When we sit in one place for an extended period of time, our muscles are not contracting and the blood in our veins does not circulate.  Blood staying in the same place for an extended period of time is called venous stasis.  This blood has a greater tendency to form clots than blood that is circulating. 

A blood clot in the leg however is not where the real concern about DVT arises.  The reason why DVT is a potentially life threatening condition is because the blood clots (thromboses) in the legs can break off or dislodge and travel to the lungs.  Once in the lungs the clot is called a Pulmonary Embolism or PE.  If a PE is large enough death could result while smaller PEs may only present with shortness of breath or rapid heart rate.  DVTs are diagnosed with an ultrasound of the legs which looks at blood flow and PE is diagnosed by a CT of the chest which looks at blood flow in the pulmonary arteries.  Both DVT and PE are treated with blood thinners such as coumadin (warfarin) or heparin.

There are several things that you can do to help prevent DVT.  If you find yourself in a cramped seat in coach on a nonstop flight to Asia (or any other similar situation) it is important that you periodically get up and move around.  You can also do calf raises and stretches while in your seat.  The goal is to get your muscles contracting and your blood flowing. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed above represent my personal opinion, they are not intended to be taken as medical advice and should not replace a visit to your primary care doctor. While DVT is a serious condition, it is uncommon in otherwise healthy people and should not stop you from enjoying your next great adventure!

Travel Medicine

As both a doctor and a traveler, my hope is that this is a topic where i can distinguish my blog from the multitude of other travel sites out there.  I have to admit that I would much rather write about travel than medicine so these posts might not come with the same regularity as my other posts.  Below is a short list of topics I hope to cover in the near future.  If there is anything else you would like me to discuss, please leave a comment.



-Deep vein thrombosis - aka Economy Class Syndrome
-Altitude sickness
-Motion sickness
-Tips for jet lag
-Travelers diarrhea
-Vaccinations
-Scuba diving injuries
-Pre-trip medical screening
-Medical help abroad
-Cruise ship medicine
-Wilderness medicine topics
-Bedbugs


*Please remember that any medical topics discussed here represent my own personal views.  They are not to be taken as medical advice and should not replace a visit to, or the advice of your primary care doctor.

Trip Overview: Paris and Brussels

Summary:

Round trip flights and 7 nights hotel for $296 per person

My girlfriend and I flew economy from Philadelphia to Paris on USair, stayed 1 night in Reims, the capital of the Champagne region, stayed 4 nights in a suite at the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome with free breakfast daily, took a bus from Paris to Brussels, and stayed 2 nights at the Novotel Brussels off Grand Place.  We then flew home on USair from Brussels.

For our flights we used miles from our credit card sign up bonus.  Off peak round trip flights to Europe can be had for 35,000 miles.  In addition, if you have the us air MasterCard you get a 5,000 mile discount on award flights.

For the 4 nights at the Park Hyatt we used free nights from our credit card sign up bonus.

For the other nights we took advantage of a 50% off promotion that Accor Hotels was running

Pre trip prep/ What you need:

Before this trip I signed up for the USair MasterCard which gave me 40,000 frequent flyer miles. 
I also signed up for the Hyatt visa credit card which gives you 2 free nights in any Hyatt in the world.
For the Novotel bookings i took advantage of a 50% off sale.
I had also emailed Hyatt to ask for a "Diamond Challenge" using my Hilton Gold status.  This meant that our free nights would be in a suite and that we would get free breakfast daily.

Total cost per person (transportation and hotel):

Flights:                 Free + $130 in taxes and fees
Reims hotel (1nt):             $32
Train in France:                 $56
Paris hotel (4nts):             Free
Bus to Brussels:                $8
Brussels Hotel (2nts)        $69
                                                          
                                        $296





From the top of Notre Dame



The Louvre

Sacré-Cœur

Le Grand Place, Brussels

Photo of the week

 Although it might officially be spring, winter isn't quite over yet here in the north east.  I figured I could get away with posting a snowy picture at least for one more week.  I shot this out the side of a train in Southern Bavaria on my way from Munich to Fussen. 

While my blog is still in its infancy, I noticed that I have been getting quite a few views from Germany.  I picked this picture this week to say thanks for checking out my blog out and hopefully you enjoy what you see and read.