Prepping for the Au Revoir

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When the feelings of being like Sisyphus finally lifted and changed into the feeling of being like Titan instead, everything finally started to fall into place. The initial summer plan was: Shanghai – Yunnan Province (1 week) – Vietnam (2 weeks) – Japan (Tokyo and Fuji Rock, 1 week) – Shanghai. Since I’ve had to abandon Japan, and my Yunnan plan was already complete, I thought, why not start from there and see what else I could fit into my itinerary. Before I realised it, I managed to include Guanxi Province. And well, I was hyped about Vietnam all along, so I began bulldozing through Lonely Planet’s “Southeast Asia on a Shoestring”. Those 2 weeks I mentioned before would not do Vietnam any justice, at all! The new plan became: Shanghai – Guangxi Province (~6 days) – Yunnan Province (~8days) – Vietnam (~40 days) – Beijing (7 days) – Shanghai; two months all together… Insanity.

While planning my epic summer, I also had to take care of a lot of other boring business, which was mostly regulated by bureaucracy (happens everywhere, huh?), which, in turn, made it all so much more boring! Since I will start studying Chinese in September (again… my first attempt was in 2005), I had to take care of some fascinating visa related piles of paper, and walk ‘em all around town... It had to be done, though. Without it I wouldn’t have been able to put a departure date on my calendar. And guess what! June 30^th is the epic day!

While the planning stage was incomplete, I still couldn’t really believe that I’ve decided to go on my own, for almost two months. Not anymore. I bought my train ticket last Thursday, my return ticket to Beijing (from HCM for 24^th of August), and today I’ve finally completed all my thorough planning for Vietnam. It’s all done, the outline is complete – I am leaving in 5 days. And I’m already packed!

For future reference, here is a list of what I thought I’d need for my trip:

1. My hat, a.k.a. the Navigator. My other fashion items for this season include: 4 t-shirts, 2 pairs of trousers, 2 pairs of socks, lotsa undies and a couple of bras (in case I forget what a shower is), swimsuit, summer dress (for those extra special days), flip flops, uber trekker sandals, raincoat, sweater, stockings (never know!), and my green scarf.
2. Towel and toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, tampons, wet wipes, contacts (with solution and case, of course), q-tips, mozzie repellent, sunscreen and some after burn soothing lotion (Langkawi has taught me many lessons), tweezers, nail cutter, razor, roll-on deodorant, emergency toilet paper – I think this little bag weighs the most!
3. Document/money pouch and a water-proof bag for documents (my passport loves swimming), return ticket print out, train ticket, passport.
4. Pain meds, flu meds, cough meds, diarrhea meds, condoms (always wear a hat), band aids and whatever other aids I could think of.
5. Electronics and such: mini tripod, camera, charger, 4GB and 16GB x 2 memory cards, iPad + charger (with all the music and PDF plans/guides I’ll need), phone + charger, adaptor.6. Flashlight.
7. Swiss-knife (thank you Przemo!).
8. Sewing kit.
9. Sunglasses + glasses.
10. Playing cards.
11. Walkabout bag.
12. Matches.
13. Blanket.
14. Southeast Asia on a Shoestring Lonely Planet (thank you Marta S.!).
15. Trusty water bottle (which also accommodates coffee and tea).
16. Batman. Oh wait… don’t need Batman on this trip!

It seems like a lot of stuff, but it really isn’t that much. All fits nicely into my backpack. I just tried it on and I doubt it weighs anything over 10kg. I’ve also calculated that my trip (including all sorts of transportation, sightseeing, sleeping, eating, drinking, and shopping for the trip before departure) will cost me no more than 12,000RMB (for those interested, that’s about $1,800 and 6,000PLN). I’ll keep an eye on my daily expenses as I go, and I’ll post my findings when I return.

All I've got left to do is exchange money into USD and maybe some VND, and get my insurance sorted. And then I'm off! Five days and counting...

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