We'll be back in FL tomorrow at 9AM
15 November 2006
13 November 2006
The Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City
First let me thank everyone who has offered us housing for when we get back into the states. Unfortunately, I haven't been feeling well since I got off the plane and feel its best if we just go straight home to Florida. We're trying to get a flight from Cal to Florida using some Delta credit we have. If we can't get a flight by tonight, we'll probably crash at the airport until we do.
We have gotten some presents but we're not 100% sure if they will get past customs. If they get stopped, we'll give pictures instead =P
We went to the Forbidden City and the Wall of China. The Forbidden city was indeed a cool place to see. We decided to rent an audio tour but the damn thing kept messing up and we either didn't get to hear part of the tour or the tour would start in the wrong place. Besides that little annoyance, we found the city beautiful. We also got to see an art exhibit by the local University's art classes. It included pieces done by students as well as teachers.
The Wall was amazing. It wasn't covered in snow like we had hoped =( but it was beautiful none the less. We picked up a guide along the way and were shown the old and new parts of the wall. We were also shown a little mountain pass that kept close to the Wall and took us through little farming villages and crops. It was a nice view that very few foreigners get to see. At the end of our walk along the Wall, we took a "cable car" down to where the parking lot is. By Cable car I mean a harness and a rope down a steep cliff and over a river. All in all, it was a fun experience. By the way, you have to pay to enter the wall and pay again to cross this rickity bridge to exit the wall.
Today is going to be a rest day... or as close of a rest day as we get. We'll be packing and getting everything situated.
-K
P.S.- Hey Grandpa and Grandma! Thanks for the advice but we already bought tickets to LAX. We would love to see the northern lights but don't have the money to change our tickets.
P.P.S- We think we'll be home by Thanksgiving.
08 November 2006
Goodbyte Tibet, Hello Beijing (Peking) and The Great Wall
Well, we had our fun here in Lhasa, time to move on. Note for any would be travellers, give yourselves about 2 weeks in Tibet, as the sights are 1-5 days away, so if you plan on seeing anything, you need to rent a 4wd and have the time to get to all of the remote locations. Nepal is a better starting place for Mt. Everest.
We are hopping on the new Tibet Railway (The Qingzang railway, Qinghai–Xizang railway, or Qinghai–Tibet railway) tomorrow morning at 8am (7pm Thursday EST) for Beijing. It's a 48 hour ride, so hopefully it will be better than our last one. We are both feeling better this time and will have plenty of food and drink with us. Plus we plan on eating in the dining car this time, we figure this one will have better service (meaning English menus).
We think we are going to stay at Templeside House Hostel. . It seems to be in a good location and offers tours to the Wall in 3 sections , the Forbidden City, a "crazy bar", and the "secret night life". If we dont like it there, we may splurge (if we have the money) and stay in a nice 4-5 star hotel.
If we are lucky, we should get to see the wall with snow on it. Hey, it looks cool in picutres like that, but how many of you actually go in winter time to see it in person, ey?
We are hopping on the new Tibet Railway (The Qingzang railway, Qinghai–Xizang railway, or Qinghai–Tibet railway) tomorrow morning at 8am (7pm Thursday EST) for Beijing. It's a 48 hour ride, so hopefully it will be better than our last one. We are both feeling better this time and will have plenty of food and drink with us. Plus we plan on eating in the dining car this time, we figure this one will have better service (meaning English menus).
We think we are going to stay at Templeside House Hostel. . It seems to be in a good location and offers tours to the Wall in 3 sections , the Forbidden City, a "crazy bar", and the "secret night life". If we dont like it there, we may splurge (if we have the money) and stay in a nice 4-5 star hotel.
If we are lucky, we should get to see the wall with snow on it. Hey, it looks cool in picutres like that, but how many of you actually go in winter time to see it in person, ey?
06 November 2006
Lhasa Tibet Travelling Tips
Lhasa airport and taxi's. First off, make sure you follow the crowd after you pickup your luggage. Although it may seem silly since they are all standing in line to leave when the exit is right there, security is checking baggage tags. Be thankful for this, and don't complain about not having a clue 
A taxi from the airport to downtown should cost you about 40 to 50 Yuan per person, it's faster and more convenient than the shuttle, but not necessarily less crowded, as the taxi driver tries to get their monies worth by filling the taxi (3 to 4 people). You should question the price if they want to charge you more than that, and get out if you don't like the price, there are plenty more behind that one. Oh, the taxi stand is across the parking lot, hard to see from the door. The shuttle will get you to town, but I don't know how much it costs or where it drops you.
Things to bring or get.
1) Altitude sickness pills. This is a must, don't be an idget, a lot of people get it, no big deal, just get the pills. There are really good Chinese herbal ones and standard. Both work just as well. Take 1 pill every 12 hours, for those of you who get the Chinese herbal ones, the directions are written in Chinese. One good herbal pill is called Rhodiola Rosea and it cost about 15 yuan.
2) Dust mask. Seriously, everywhere we have been the pollution has been horrible, if you don't think you will have breathing problems, think again. We are all human and have the same type of lungs, bad air is bad air and it is very bad for your lungs, sinuses and throat. You don't have to wear it 24/7 but at least wear it in the open markets and streets.
3) If it's cold, bring a scarf. Not only to keep our neck and throat warm on the outside, but cover your mouth to keep our throat warm on the inside. The cold air at this altitude will wreak havoc on your glands and throat, you will thank me or wish you had a bag of cough drops.
4) If you plan on trekking or taking a day trip further up, consider getting one of those small oxygen bottles readily available at the pharmacies. Don't worry about looking like a fool or tourist, your body is not used to the low oxygen content, and if you need O2 then you NEED O2, don't be stupid, just get one, they're cheap and it could be a life saver.
5) Light windbreaker / raincoat. You can carry it with you easily and it keeps the chill off. Get some gloves too, these go a long way to keeping you warm, why people don't see that I don't know.
6) Extra memory cards for your camera. Have fun finding a reliable place to upload or put our pictures on cd. Lots of great things to take pictures of, you don't' want to run out of memory.
7) Liquid!! I can't stress this enough. Stay hydrated. Between the cold and the altitude, your body will be using lots of water. Part of altitude sickness is fluid in the lungs, where do you think all that mucus you are coughing up came from. Drink lots of water, real juice or electrolytes. Always have a spare one in the room.
8) Antibiotics and/or Tamiflu and fever reducers (Tylenol or Advil). There are plenty of hospitals here, but why risk it. There are sick people all over, and the pollution doesn't help. If you get the flu, you will get not only waste travel days, but you will feel like crap. It's not very good to have the flu and fever for very long, as you know, and being in the middle of nowhere isn't helpful. These things will help you recover quickly and safely. Drink lots of fluids, eat warm soup and stay in bed. Don't take the antibiotics with Tamiflu, one of the other folks.
9) Toilet paper and tissue. Even if you get a room with western toilet, the rolls have like 40 pieces on them. Most toilets will be squatters and will not have toilet paper. Like always, used paper goes in trash, and WASH your hands every time. Preferably with hot water and soap, which is also scarce, so carry anti-bacterial hand wash. Also wash before EVERY meal.
Things to watch out for:
* There are beggars everywhere, no big deal most of the time. Here, its a very impoverished area, so they are a bit worse. You also have to realize that true Buddhist Monks, are only allowed to beg for food/money and are not allowed to have worldly possessions (cellphones, tennis shoes), so consider this if / when you give money.
The little street urchins children may look all poorly, but will gladly and quickly snag your wad of cash when you get it out to give them some. They will also attach themselves to your legs or hips and make you drag them, until they either get the stuff out of your pockets, you give them something, or you shake them off. Try carrying candy in your coat pocket and throw it on the ground and walk away fast. This may seem cruel, but if you are a backpacker, you probably don't have money to be giving to every beggar, much less be able to afford losing it to pickpockets.
The monks. Remember I said they are only allowed to beg for food/ money for food. So if you feel so inclined, at least look them up and down, it seems there is a bit of fake monks, as a lot of them are fairly young, wearing tennis shoes and sometimes jewelry, brand new robes and cellphones. These things are forbidden to monks so it's a good chance they are just trying to scam you. Also, if they follow you to an ATM and beg, good chance they are not monks, monks won't harass you in ANY form.
*English signs do not mean English speaking employees. There are a lot of good hotels and restaurants around that cater to westerns. They have English signs and sometimes English menu's, but don't expect good communication if any. It does not mean these are bad places, some of them are quite good, just have patience and communicate using small well known words. Consider getting the international pocket translator, its full of simple easy to understand pictures to point at. Also, don't stay in a 4 or 5 star hotel just because you can for about $200/night, there are a lot of really nice ones for $36 (for a standard room with western bathroom and free breakfast) with excellent service (the Yak Hotel for example)
*Street merchant prices. As Kristin stated in her haggling post. Don't be afraid to, and expect that the are going to quote you more because they can. Just offer a lower price.
*Power outages are daily, don't freak out, just bundle up in your room if it's night time as it will get cold. Make sure you have enough cash on you to eat for each day, as ATM's won't work without power Always have a drink or 2 with you or in your room.
A taxi from the airport to downtown should cost you about 40 to 50 Yuan per person, it's faster and more convenient than the shuttle, but not necessarily less crowded, as the taxi driver tries to get their monies worth by filling the taxi (3 to 4 people). You should question the price if they want to charge you more than that, and get out if you don't like the price, there are plenty more behind that one. Oh, the taxi stand is across the parking lot, hard to see from the door. The shuttle will get you to town, but I don't know how much it costs or where it drops you.
Things to bring or get.
1) Altitude sickness pills. This is a must, don't be an idget, a lot of people get it, no big deal, just get the pills. There are really good Chinese herbal ones and standard. Both work just as well. Take 1 pill every 12 hours, for those of you who get the Chinese herbal ones, the directions are written in Chinese. One good herbal pill is called Rhodiola Rosea and it cost about 15 yuan.
2) Dust mask. Seriously, everywhere we have been the pollution has been horrible, if you don't think you will have breathing problems, think again. We are all human and have the same type of lungs, bad air is bad air and it is very bad for your lungs, sinuses and throat. You don't have to wear it 24/7 but at least wear it in the open markets and streets.
3) If it's cold, bring a scarf. Not only to keep our neck and throat warm on the outside, but cover your mouth to keep our throat warm on the inside. The cold air at this altitude will wreak havoc on your glands and throat, you will thank me or wish you had a bag of cough drops.
4) If you plan on trekking or taking a day trip further up, consider getting one of those small oxygen bottles readily available at the pharmacies. Don't worry about looking like a fool or tourist, your body is not used to the low oxygen content, and if you need O2 then you NEED O2, don't be stupid, just get one, they're cheap and it could be a life saver.
5) Light windbreaker / raincoat. You can carry it with you easily and it keeps the chill off. Get some gloves too, these go a long way to keeping you warm, why people don't see that I don't know.
6) Extra memory cards for your camera. Have fun finding a reliable place to upload or put our pictures on cd. Lots of great things to take pictures of, you don't' want to run out of memory.
7) Liquid!! I can't stress this enough. Stay hydrated. Between the cold and the altitude, your body will be using lots of water. Part of altitude sickness is fluid in the lungs, where do you think all that mucus you are coughing up came from. Drink lots of water, real juice or electrolytes. Always have a spare one in the room.
8) Antibiotics and/or Tamiflu and fever reducers (Tylenol or Advil). There are plenty of hospitals here, but why risk it. There are sick people all over, and the pollution doesn't help. If you get the flu, you will get not only waste travel days, but you will feel like crap. It's not very good to have the flu and fever for very long, as you know, and being in the middle of nowhere isn't helpful. These things will help you recover quickly and safely. Drink lots of fluids, eat warm soup and stay in bed. Don't take the antibiotics with Tamiflu, one of the other folks.
9) Toilet paper and tissue. Even if you get a room with western toilet, the rolls have like 40 pieces on them. Most toilets will be squatters and will not have toilet paper. Like always, used paper goes in trash, and WASH your hands every time. Preferably with hot water and soap, which is also scarce, so carry anti-bacterial hand wash. Also wash before EVERY meal.
Things to watch out for:
* There are beggars everywhere, no big deal most of the time. Here, its a very impoverished area, so they are a bit worse. You also have to realize that true Buddhist Monks, are only allowed to beg for food/money and are not allowed to have worldly possessions (cellphones, tennis shoes), so consider this if / when you give money.
The little street urchins children may look all poorly, but will gladly and quickly snag your wad of cash when you get it out to give them some. They will also attach themselves to your legs or hips and make you drag them, until they either get the stuff out of your pockets, you give them something, or you shake them off. Try carrying candy in your coat pocket and throw it on the ground and walk away fast. This may seem cruel, but if you are a backpacker, you probably don't have money to be giving to every beggar, much less be able to afford losing it to pickpockets.
The monks. Remember I said they are only allowed to beg for food/ money for food. So if you feel so inclined, at least look them up and down, it seems there is a bit of fake monks, as a lot of them are fairly young, wearing tennis shoes and sometimes jewelry, brand new robes and cellphones. These things are forbidden to monks so it's a good chance they are just trying to scam you. Also, if they follow you to an ATM and beg, good chance they are not monks, monks won't harass you in ANY form.
*English signs do not mean English speaking employees. There are a lot of good hotels and restaurants around that cater to westerns. They have English signs and sometimes English menu's, but don't expect good communication if any. It does not mean these are bad places, some of them are quite good, just have patience and communicate using small well known words. Consider getting the international pocket translator, its full of simple easy to understand pictures to point at. Also, don't stay in a 4 or 5 star hotel just because you can for about $200/night, there are a lot of really nice ones for $36 (for a standard room with western bathroom and free breakfast) with excellent service (the Yak Hotel for example)
*Street merchant prices. As Kristin stated in her haggling post. Don't be afraid to, and expect that the are going to quote you more because they can. Just offer a lower price.
*Power outages are daily, don't freak out, just bundle up in your room if it's night time as it will get cold. Make sure you have enough cash on you to eat for each day, as ATM's won't work without power
Always have a drink or 2 with you or in your room.04 November 2006
Haggling Tips + Panda!
First, here's a picture of me petting one of the 1,000 Giant Pandas left in the world.
Now a word about haggling. The trick to haggling is estimating how much a product would cost you in the states and then taking into account the currency rate. For instance, if a handmade scarf cost you $10 in the U.S., your goal is to get the vendor to either match that price or go below it. This is quite easy in China since the currency is like 7.8 yuan to $1. Therefor you just need them to go down to 78 yuan to match the price.
A handy way to haggle is using a calculator to show the amount you are willing to pay. This will only work if they understand international numbers. While in Egypt, I had to learn the Arabic 1- 10 to get by. You can also use a cheat sheet. Just write down the countries number system (1-10) with the universal numbering system below it and point to the amount that you want.
Now some country's economy are not really up to par with places like U.K, U.S.A or Canada. So what's cheap for you might be a lot to them. So don't feel bad if the vendor has a smug look. As long as you are satisfied with the price and know the item you bought is worth twice what you paid, just be happy. Nothing like ending a shopping trip with a win-win situation.
How do you know the item can be haggled over? Usually the items without price tags are a good bet. Even if it does have a price tag, it never hurts to ask if there is a "discount". NOTE: Watch the locals and see how much they pay. If the prices get jacked up when you approach, walk away. In some countries, it is illegal for the locals to rip off the tourists. Find out the laws. If you are in a situation where you KNOW they are scamming you, threaten to call the police. Believe me, they all know that word.
Tips: Never let the vendors think you NEED something or you'll have a hard time of haggling. Keep in mind that its likely that there is another shop close by with the same products as the one you are looking at. Tell the vendor that another vendor quoted a lower price, even if they didn't (but make it believable). Walking away sometimes helps. DO NOT pull out a big wad of cash. Not only will the vendors see but also pickpockets.
To recap: figure out the price of an item from where your from then calculate the difference in currency rate. Then haggle until you are satisfied or walk away.
Now a word about haggling. The trick to haggling is estimating how much a product would cost you in the states and then taking into account the currency rate. For instance, if a handmade scarf cost you $10 in the U.S., your goal is to get the vendor to either match that price or go below it. This is quite easy in China since the currency is like 7.8 yuan to $1. Therefor you just need them to go down to 78 yuan to match the price.
A handy way to haggle is using a calculator to show the amount you are willing to pay. This will only work if they understand international numbers. While in Egypt, I had to learn the Arabic 1- 10 to get by. You can also use a cheat sheet. Just write down the countries number system (1-10) with the universal numbering system below it and point to the amount that you want.
Now some country's economy are not really up to par with places like U.K, U.S.A or Canada. So what's cheap for you might be a lot to them. So don't feel bad if the vendor has a smug look. As long as you are satisfied with the price and know the item you bought is worth twice what you paid, just be happy. Nothing like ending a shopping trip with a win-win situation.
How do you know the item can be haggled over? Usually the items without price tags are a good bet. Even if it does have a price tag, it never hurts to ask if there is a "discount". NOTE: Watch the locals and see how much they pay. If the prices get jacked up when you approach, walk away. In some countries, it is illegal for the locals to rip off the tourists. Find out the laws. If you are in a situation where you KNOW they are scamming you, threaten to call the police. Believe me, they all know that word.
Tips: Never let the vendors think you NEED something or you'll have a hard time of haggling. Keep in mind that its likely that there is another shop close by with the same products as the one you are looking at. Tell the vendor that another vendor quoted a lower price, even if they didn't (but make it believable). Walking away sometimes helps. DO NOT pull out a big wad of cash. Not only will the vendors see but also pickpockets.
To recap: figure out the price of an item from where your from then calculate the difference in currency rate. Then haggle until you are satisfied or walk away.
03 November 2006
Tibet at Last!!
Well, we made it to Lhasa, Tibet. It's the main holy city of Tibet. We ended up flying here, left at 5:30AM and got in about 1pm, had a delayed flight. The outskirts are pretty run down, and the pollution is horrible. The taxi driver tried to rip us off, but I argued with him, and came to a compromise. The air is thin, and Kristin and I are slowly getting acclumated, she's a bit tired from the flight and delays, so she's resting for a bit. My sinuses are still clogged from Chengdu, horrible pollultion and smog, was hoping it would be a bit better here, it is, but wanted it to be a LOT better
We plan on seeing some temples tomorrow, and Mt Everest the day after or so. Not really sure where we are going first, just have to look around. The important thing is that we ARE IN TIBET, yay. Very beautiful mountain scapes on the flight here, we got some good pictures that we will upload later. The computer harddrive crashed, so I have to work on it first.
Oh yea, we are staying at Phuntsok Khasang International Youth Hostel, for now. Sorry the website isn't in English, I will look around for another link. We may move to a hotel, for english speaking employees and a little bit more secure feeling, but this place is ok for now, I think...
Write more later.
Brian
We plan on seeing some temples tomorrow, and Mt Everest the day after or so. Not really sure where we are going first, just have to look around. The important thing is that we ARE IN TIBET, yay. Very beautiful mountain scapes on the flight here, we got some good pictures that we will upload later. The computer harddrive crashed, so I have to work on it first.
Oh yea, we are staying at Phuntsok Khasang International Youth Hostel, for now. Sorry the website isn't in English, I will look around for another link. We may move to a hotel, for english speaking employees and a little bit more secure feeling, but this place is ok for now, I think...
Write more later.
Brian
02 November 2006
Things to See in Chengdu
Chengdu has been a blast so far.
We went to the panda breeding center a couple of days ago. This particular center has the biggest success rate in breeding and raising pandas. We got to see some newborn pandas and I was allowed to pet one! (I'll try to upload pics later).
We went to the Wenshu Temple the day after that. We spent about an hour walking around in the gardens there. Beautiful place. You could really tell how the trees affect there air... outside the temple wall, there was smog as thick as heavy fog but inside the temple the air was as clear as...well, air. After our stroll, we drank some floating Jasmin tea and then ate a meal of turtle, shark fin and rice. We visited the buildings on the temple's ground. All of them had beautiful carved railings and statues. Inside of many of the buildings were painted with beautiful designs.
The next day, we decided we'd check out Computer Street. It is exactly what the name implies. At the beginning of Computer Street are two buildings, one on each side of the street. Both are 5 stories high and packed with the newest technology and old equipment. The prices are amazing! Not only because of the economy but because the place is a whole sale market. A word of warning: Do NOT buy the DVDs here. They are bootlegged and certain countries will bust your ass for trying to bring them home.
We also went to the Clothing wholesale market. It was an interesting place but I'd only suggest going there if your looking for something. Again, the prices are great.
Todays, we visited Qin Tai Lu. This street is a replica of ancient China. A beautiful place. There are tea shops and wine shops along with some nice restaurants. It is a great place for shopping or just looking at the buildings.
Tomorrow we jump on a plan to Tibet. We might stay there for a week.
More later
-K
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