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| 58 days: China and SEA | |
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| Topic Started: Apr 29 2017, 04:31 PM (1,865 Views) | |
| blizzard | Apr 29 2017, 04:31 PM Post #1 |
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Gold Star Member
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You're Doing What? (Imagine a kitty looking shocked) Perhaps the most important trait to possess when considering a trip is a bit of craziness. Without it snap decisions can become bogged down by overthinking, mass lists and subject to doubt. My recommendation is to decide to purchase that cheap airfare first then work on the lists, overthinking and doubt. So much easier to eradicate the negative when in possession of a non-refundable ticket! Which brings me to my most recent travel decision. Although I may sound like s stuck record there is reasoning behind my madness. I am returning to China. What is important to note is that it is impossible to see the country in only a few weeks. However, there are few people who can take a year off to discover just one country. Even when living in China and taking two 4-5 week long trips with my children we barely scratched the surface. A rough average indicates approximately 20-25 weeks of strictly adventure and discovery over the years I lived there and visited after I left. Of course, travelling with children is very different from going it solo. Excluding the days of departure from and to home I will have 54 days. I came to the decision when Air China had a weekend fare sale - Vancouver, Canada to Shanghai, China return - for a mind boggling 499.50 CAD! To put that into context, It is rare to find a ticket to Ontario for such a low price. Extremely rare. The deciding factor was no extra checked in baggage fee. I am ecstatic. Even if I hope to have only carry on. No easy feat as I will need clothing, read that as a coat and sweater, for the northern sections I plan to visit plus light clothing for far south. As I consider my options I must consider, yes again, the National Day holiday, a Golden Week, Sep 30 - Oct 8. I already know how difficult it is to get train tickets and accommodation during that time. Therefore, I am looking at possibly heading to Vietnam to do a motorcycle tour (following in the dust of my daughter) from Saigon to Hanoi, or going north to do the Beijing Loop on one of the Trans-Siberian Railway routes. Before, in between and after those trips will be visits to grottoes, villages, temples and at least one former, favourite city of mine and my children. Also where we were the family chosen by Mozzy - who turned 15 a week ago. |
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| Trotsky | Apr 29 2017, 11:34 PM Post #2 |
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Big City Boy
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Sounds exciting, blizzard, like the trip of a lifetime. Is Mozzy Siamese or Burmese? |
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| sooty | Apr 30 2017, 02:52 PM Post #3 |
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Blue Star Member
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Go for it and keep us posted. |
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| Delphi51 | Apr 30 2017, 03:12 PM Post #4 |
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Member title
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Shocking, isn't it? Kind of like our milk prices. I wonder if government is somehow manipulating our air fares, too. Oh, yes, they aren't allowing any outside competition in passenger flights either. Already I have heard of people travelling from Alberta to the maritimes via US and Mexican cities to get a lower cost flight. Pretty soon it will be cheaper to go around the world to get to the other side of Canada. |
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| blizzard | May 1 2017, 01:32 PM Post #5 |
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Gold Star Member
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Mozzy is from Nanning, China. |
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| blizzard | May 11 2017, 02:39 PM Post #6 |
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Gold Star Member
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Recently I have been read that travellers are encountering problems with visa applications to China. Enough changes to wonder what is going on. I do hope it does mess my trip up. Fortunately I have my itinerary for my first ten days sorted out, trains, planes and automobiles. (I think I walked out on the movie) Also accommodation. Then off to Vietnam for 11-15 days. The test will be when I want to re-enter from Hanoi to Nanning. |
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| goldengal | May 11 2017, 11:43 PM Post #7 |
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Mistress, House of Dogs
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How exciting Blizzard. When does the trip take place? Is your flight so cheap because it is a last minute booking? Kim and her friends are going to Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand in September but I know their tickets were not inexpensive. Of course they book nearly a year in advance for all their major trips. Not sure if that is a good idea or not. Sounds like a marvelous trip and the experience of a lifetime. Take care, Pat |
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| blizzard | May 12 2017, 08:19 AM Post #8 |
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Gold Star Member
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Goldengal, I leave on Sep 17. The fare was a special offer from Air China. They seem to make such offers every month or so. I just tryvto keep an eye on what is out there and snapped this one up after a day of doing pros and cons. I spent the majority of the morning working on my first 25 days. Going solo is great except for all the pre-trip work! So far I believe I have managed to keep my daily expenses at about $60 CAD per day, not including meals. Entry fees to places in Vietnam is included in the tour. |
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| sooty | May 12 2017, 01:00 PM Post #9 |
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Blue Star Member
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Looking forward to your posting, holidays are great to read. Puss is amazed Mozzy is from China. Australian quarantine would make it an expensive transfer here. Friends are off to China on a posh packaged holiday in May and they have just got their visas. |
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| blizzard | May 14 2017, 06:44 AM Post #10 |
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Gold Star Member
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I would be interested to hear how different a posh trip compares to a solo, budget trip. My posh might be one mid-level hotel if I am in need of a major break. I did do some five star hotels when travelling with my daughters in China. Saved my sanity and prevented mutiny. I do think being thrown into a group of people I do not know would possibly lead me to thoughts of least likely to be discovered murder. |
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| erka | Jun 19 2017, 01:04 PM Post #11 |
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Gold Star Member
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Blizzard: You mentioned in one of your posts, that you would like to stay in a yurt. How about a meal in a "real" yurt? A friend sent me this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUZfY-pvHJ8&ab_channel=TheFoodRanger |
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| sooty | Jun 19 2017, 05:55 PM Post #12 |
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Blue Star Member
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" posh China trip" . Catching up with friends tonight and will hear about the trip highlights. Have had a few emails. Two points I remember 1) beer is considered a soft drink and free in their package 2) they had 40 seconds each to sit next to a Panda for photos. |
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| Trotsky | Jun 20 2017, 12:59 AM Post #13 |
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Big City Boy
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It really WAS a wretched movie. laugh123 |
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| blizzard | Aug 11 2017, 03:29 AM Post #14 |
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Gold Star Member
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This is exactly where I was last year - when I suffered altitude sickness. The bridge is one I crossed and took a lovely photo of from a distance of people standing in their colourful rain ponchos. The water is usually a see to the bottom aqua hue. I cannot imagine the immediate chaos - not how quickly everything was handled. Much like Churchill with the rails devastating for tourism even once deemed safe. Who would have thought my first post would be of an earthquake 40 days before I leave. (Link below) once I relearn how to copy straight from the blog the extension should be there. http://unattendedgrandma.wordpress.com http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4778112/Images-damage-caused-Chinese-earthquake.html |
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| agate | Aug 11 2017, 05:10 AM Post #15 |
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I will be looking forward to your travels. You certainly are on very well travelled WWS 038 |
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