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Published: April 25th 2012
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Kids
No matter where you go, the kids are great. MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS AND NOTES ABOUT TRAVELING IN CHINA
Most buildings (business, government, homes) are made of concrete, so when it’s cloudy, it’s REALLY gray. From the train, ChangSha looks like the beginning scenes from Blade Runner or another post-apocalyptic movie. Streetlights are few and far between and buildings are not lit inside or out unless they’re in use, so the cities are DARK. When we were in Shanghai, we saw that even the neon-lit buildings in the Pudong district went dark at about 10 p.m.
We took the “hard seat” train for a 5-hour trip, remembering our hard-seat trips in India a couple of years ago. I’m happy to report that they’re nothing alike! In China, hard seat means an airline-type seat that’s not as plush as first class, but much more comfortable and with much more room than a similar seat on a plane.
Chinese people are cautious with strangers – we’re just stranger than most. Our guides and friends tell us that Chinese travelers prefer to stay with their friends or family and prefer to tour in “herds”. We’ve noticed at hotel breakfasts (usually buffets), they’ll get their food and sit with strangers
NOIKA?
Fake phones are "legal", I guess, if the name isn't quite the same. at one of the big round tables, but they never look at each other – even if they’re all attending the same meeting and wearing the same uniform. This seems to be especially true of people who are traveling outside their comfort zone for the first time.
However, we’ve found that EVERY time we offer a smile and a “ni hao”, we get a smile in return, unless the person is uncertain and feeling unsafe – and you can tell when that is. One morning, we left an overnight train in ChangSha and spent a few hours in the station McDonald’s, along with other (Chinese) travelers. Tom had bought four mangoes the day before, along with some “French” bread, butter and jam. We ate one baguette, but not the rest of the food. It all sat on a nearby table, until Tom took two mangoes and asked (in English) the couple next to us if they’d like them. I gave the rest to an old man who seemed to be hungry and maybe homeless, as he seemed to have all his belongings with him and didn’t buy any food. Well … the couple next to us used all of
SAMSUNG?
This one says "SVMSNUG". their limited English to thank us, ask where we were from and where we were going, to help us get to our train, and to give us two Chairman Mao pins – a great honor. What a great experience and it’s happened over and over. The old man was VERY pleased.
We ordered all our railroad tickets from the US, on the internet, from China Train Tickets (CTT). They promise delivery to the location of your choice whenever you need them to arrive. Good in theory, but in fact, you must watch their emails carefully as your delivery date approaches. They sometimes deliver days earlier than promised, causing the hotel to refuse to accept them because you haven’t yet checked in. Also, the tickets will arrive in your name, and if your tour company made your reservations, the hotel may not be able to recognize you as a customer.
We took Tom’s iPhone with us, and it was a life-saver! The best app is an off-line translator called Jibbigo. Write simply, and it will translate accurately, making that request for heat or hot water possible. Two other handy apps: “Maps” (that’s the name!) and “Maps to Go”, which
Chicken Soup
Asian folks believe the soup tastes better if you use every part of the chicken. Look at Tom's expression. is an off-line program and great when you need to make sure you’re getting off at the correct train station.
Chinese people were very impressed by Tom’s iPhone 4, but they REALLY liked our New Trent Power Pack rechargers. Model number is IMP1000. We bought them through Amazon.com, and they’re good for about 50 hours. It will completely recharge a dead iPhone in a couple of hours. Everyone wanted to take photos of the back of the New Trent, I guess so they can buy them – and yes, they’re made in China.
We bought our unlocked iPhone 4 directly from Apple, as you can’t buy them through the US telecom companies. We are able to get AT&T coverage near Knoxville, TN, an hour away, but nothing near Tellico Plains, and AT&T refused to allow us to activate the network extender we bought so we could use the phone at home because the phone uses a sim card and we don’t have a contract with them. Ah, private enterprise …
We bought sim cards in Vietnam and China and have had no problems. In China, we have a China Unicom sim card, which is only good for
Northern Yunnan
It was minus 7 degrees celsius one morning -- and we couldn't get over the mountain pass due to snow. 30 days unless you keep money on the card – in that case, it’s good for 90 days. We bought our card in Kunming and have had some problems checking our balance because it’s local (we don’t know whether we bought the wrong type of card), but we have not had trouble recharging it. It is sometimes hard to find recharge cards, so we kept a used card and just walk around asking to buy another.
Chinese people yell into their cell phones – and they don’t need to. China has a great, high-quality, cell phone network, much better than in the US. Are they showing they are important enough to have a phone or are they just worried they can’t communicate correctly?
We were riding down a street in Nanjing and I noticed a man who was talking to a passerby. He was relaxed, smiling as he chatted, and I suddenly realized that he was very rare. We almost never saw a Chinese person who seemed relaxed and happy – never! People would yell on the walking paths in parks, trying to be loud in order (I guess) to gain attention, but they were never acting out
Yaks
Much better adapted to living in the cold climate of northern Yunnan. of joyous spirits. Why is everyone so serious? It’s a big unanswered question.
Pollution! We’ve had about 4 blue-sky days in the six weeks we’ve been traveling across southern China. This problem is going to get worse unless the government and private enterprises agree that clean air is more important than profits and production – and then it will take 30-50 years to clean the air and water, unless it’s already too late.
Domestic tourism in China is big and growing. These are the tourists who travel within China to see the sights. As one travel agency manager explained to us, many companies are offering cheap, even below-cost vacations to people who have never traveled outside their neighborhood or town. They travel in groups on big buses and follow guides with flags. If you’re unfortunate enough to stay in a hotel with one or two of these groups, make your plans to eat breakfast (usually included with your room) VERY late. The hotel will usually keep replenishing the supply of food and you won’t have to do combat to get your food.
Linked to domestic tourism: western manners. I’m not talking about how you hold your fork.
WalMart in Kunming
The Evil Empire is spreading everywhere. I’m talking about being aware of the people around you and not pushing to be first. I’ve puzzled over the way people walk, drive, and ride motorbikes or bicycles. Apparently, you are responsible for making sure that your front end (or that of your vehicle) does not come into contact with anything else. The people around you worry about their front ends – and it seems to work – usually. The exception is the person who is simultaneously riding his bike or walking, talking on a cell phone and looking around at the scenery or the signs. They’re totally unaware of anyone else in the world, especially unaware of a western-trained person who expects people to SEE the people around them. I was appalled at the number of times that young people simply walked on top of old people.
Coming to China as a western tourist is very doable. You can buy airline e-tickets on the web and go to the airport with only your passport; you can buy rail tickets on the web and have them delivered to your hotel usually on the day you specify; you can make hotel reservations on the web and confirm them without
Chicken Feet in WalMart
Both layout and merchandise are changed to meet the needs of the local market. trouble. Your iPhone and translator can resolve MOST language problems, especially if you smile. However – a local guide is invaluable if you want to see the sights that are not outlined in detail in the
Lonely Planet guide.
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