D'ya wanna be a spaceman? - Dali, Kunming & Hekou Border Crossing

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After the gorge we are looking for somewhere to sit back, relax and chill out for a few days, the guide book swears this place is Dali.

What a disappointment! China's 'hippest' town boasts one main street, dubbed 'Foreigner Street' that obviously stole the building plans from Magaluf but failed to attract any customers. Before long we get the itch to move on again.

Kunming is the provisional capital of Yunnan Province, again another place that does little to inspire us, maybe we've been spoiled in the previous 3.5 weeks! It's a nice enough city, but a lack of sights means it just resembles any average city! However the main reason for being here is, the World Cup and England v Paraguay are playing tonight GTFI! We find the biggest TV we can find and plant ourselves complete in our England shirts in prime seats amongst all the Chinese students. 1-0 to the En-ger-land, but what an awful game...get it sorted Eriksson!

Leaving China
Departing for the border town of Hekou we had two choices 9am for a day bus, or 7pm for the sleeper bus. Of course with the game the night before we plan for the 7pm one! What an weird experience, beds on a bus, fully reclined while driving through Kunming.

It's 4.30am, it is raining outside, unbearably hot, and pitch black as we stop in the middle of nowhere, we have no idea what is going on but 2 people get off the bus and collect their luggage. Is this the border? Have we arrived 2 hours early? Where is everyone? A policeman gets on the bus, and no-one moves - bar me! Who decides that Yes this is the border and we need to get off the bus NOW. So off I go, Elaine is not in the mood to move - so thinks I am mad.

We get off, stand in the rain half asleep while the bus driver beckons us to get back on. But I "know" this is the border, so I ignore him for a while but then wet thru we get back on after more beckoning and laughter down this bus. This is not the border, we ARE in the middle of nowhere! Thank God we got back on the bus!

So fully awake now off we go to the "real border". The roads became dirt roads as we try sleeping when being bounced 3 feet in the air! We arrive in Hekou at 6am, tired and sit outside the border crossing for 2 hours waiting for it to open.

We go through Chinese exit procedures, they stamp Elaine through, then disaster, they ask us to move to the side... 30 mins later and we're still waiting as 6 border control people crowd round my passport. They can't even figure out where the passport is from - oh dear.

We find out that the passport no. on my visa doesn't reflect my passport number! Another 20 mins of anxiety and they finally return, stamp the visa and send us on our way across the bridge to Vietnam, still unclear if the Vietnamese will accept us. We have been stamped out of China, if I can't get into Vietnam then Elaine is off and the bridge may become my new home for a while! Still we are joking about it - somewhat tiredly and nervously.

Next stop Vietnam, well hopefully!

After 4 weeks in China we have only good things to say about the place. Wonderful people, absolutely amazing history and sights and great food. Having only done the West side we think a whole new trip is necessary for the East side - we will be back!

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Comments

[Angela]

Hello!!!
You guys sound like you are having the most amazing time, I am soooo jealous!! Really enjoying reading about everything you are doing, try to keep it up! Love the photo's too. Look forward to your next one. Cheers Angela.

[Steve]

Re: Get out of China already
Month in one place? Get going!!!!!!! I think Paul should do his Open Water Diving as well.

[deleted_19639]

Re: China still?
You still in China? Hurry up, plenty more to see!