Rapid Travel Chai

On my mind: My first only prior visit to Taiwan was in 2005. Compared to the buzz and boom of mainland China, the run down look of Taipei did not then do much for me. With the perspective of years, the quiet hum of the city have new appeal to me. I’ll be back to see more. This time I had quick island hops to Matsu and Kinmen. Matsu I enjoyed more than sprawling Kinmen.

Hacks:

• How to book flights for someone else with miles (rules for 20+ programs).
• How to fly around the world in first & business class using 129,000 credit card points.
• Drastic Drop spending app changes: new cap & other terms added.

Travels:

• List of airlines that offer free transit hotel.
• Priority Pass guide with complete list of 52 US lounges.
• Famed Nuorilang Waterfalls completely devastated by Jiuzhaigou quake, now just a heap of mud.

Events:

• The painful search for China’s missing children slowly gains momentum.
• ‘This is awesome’: Watch this dude nail the first-ever monster truck front flip.
• A remote Pacific island awash in tons of trash.

Ideas:

• The Tiger of Mysore.
• Jeff Flake: We need immigrants with skills. But working hard is a skill.
• Sportscaster John Saunders’ quiet battle with the demons of depression.