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| 100CAD - 100CNY A Day: 30 days in China | |
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| Topic Started: Jan 25 2014, 02:43 PM (1,503 Views) | |
| blizzard | Jun 26 2016, 03:56 AM Post #16 |
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Gold Star Member
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Kind of you to say Agate. I am beginning to think I am more of a one tune traveller! Update: My youngest daughter wants to join me. I am fine with that so long as we have a lot of time when we can do our own thing. I asked her to send me a list of places she would like to visit. She did so fairly quickly. Too bad she did not include at least the provinces! Cities would be better. This trip could be a test of mental fortitude. She is planning to head back to Thailand, or possibly Vietnam first, after going to China. A train or bus trip is possible. When we were in Nanning it was possible to go to the border with North Vietnam and just walk across. I might research that just to be able to say I was in Vietnam! |
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| blizzard | Jul 21 2016, 05:20 AM Post #17 |
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Gold Star Member
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Yet another update - all positive! I now have my ten year visa for China, hurray! I have no idea how many trips I might make in that time but it means less money and less work for each trip. My D is heading to Vietnam mid-Aug so will most likely not join me in China. However, I might meet up with her in the northern regions of somewhere south of China. I can do that now I have my new visa. As I only have a month I need to consider if there is anywhere I could cut out, or if I want to. Maps! I now have a waterproof map of southern China. Not that it needs to be waterproof, I am not doing any research. Bought it at a place called Wanderlust, also one of Vietnam for my D. Great little place, maps, travel books galore plus another section for travel accessories such as packing cubes for backpacks. It was suggested I bring my pack in to play with cubes - not really cubes - stuffed with plastic bags. As for 100CAD a day, we shall see. I booked my first hostel, in Shanghai, 3 nights, a place I have stayed at before. Nasty shock, just noted there is a 15% service fee which pushes the daily amount to 56CAD father than around 47. Grrr. Reluctant to cancel as it is right at the beginning of the National Day golden week. (Ok, nearly all positive) |
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| Kahu | Jul 21 2016, 12:52 PM Post #18 |
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Excuse me for being a bit dumb. I was looking at your notes about chinese currency. If CAD = Canadian$ and CNY = Chinese Yuan ... What is a Renminbi? |
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| blizzard | Jul 22 2016, 05:24 AM Post #19 |
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Gold Star Member
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Kahu, RMB is the same thing as CNY. Renminbi is Mandarin for their currency whereas CNY is for Chinese yuan - I assume for financial markets. Like THB for Thai baht, pretty sure they only say baht, or NZD for New Zealand dollar, which you would just call dollar. I had to learn all sorts of these when I worked in a currency exchange. I decided I should go with CNY for writing whereas when in China I do as the Chinese do - spoken it is renminbi. ¥ is the character. Not at all a dumb question |
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| sooty | Jul 25 2016, 01:42 AM Post #20 |
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When do you go? Do they have areas with free wifi? Do send a travelogue for we armchair travellers. |
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| blizzard | Aug 2 2016, 08:37 AM Post #21 |
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Gold Star Member
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I leave Sep 27, very early in the morning. This means remembering to head to YVR the 26th. As Blogs, FB, and whatever the government may deem necessary to block at the time, I will most likely have to resort to sending updates via my daughter. She does an excellent job of editing my photos etc for my write ups for my Blogs. If nothing else that should be available to anyone interested. A bit of an aside, I am struggling with wanting to prepare an itinerary, I have my map and w link for trains, while still not knowing if I am just suffering from nothing to worry about or otherwise. So damn frustrating. |
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| Not That Esme | Aug 2 2016, 02:26 PM Post #22 |
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You sound so happy! I am so happy for you!! Looking forward to reading all about your travels. Hope you will report back often. |
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| Olive Oil | Aug 2 2016, 03:46 PM Post #23 |
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Sounds like exciting times ahead, Blizzard! Sounds like everything is falling into place. |
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| Olive Oil | Aug 3 2016, 04:36 AM Post #24 |
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Blizzard, have you considered writing a magazine article about your trip when you return? One idea would be your voice and also your daughters with your different takes on your experiences. I think readers of a magazine such as Chatelaine would eat it up! Material could also be incorporated into a book at a later point. |
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| blizzard | Aug 4 2016, 06:32 AM Post #25 |
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Gold Star Member
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OO, I have considered an attempt at a book although these days everything seems to be so in the moment. At one time I asked my daughters to write some memories, it did not get very far. Fortunately I saved everything I wrote to family via email over the years. I would need an excellent editor as I am guilty of not catching my own errors. My expenses so far are $975.00, not taking into consideration dividing up my visa and some other expenses. I think keeping pre-trip at no more that 1000CAD, including my airfare is a great start. Edited by blizzard, Aug 4 2016, 06:42 AM.
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| blizzard | Aug 6 2016, 07:14 AM Post #26 |
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Gold Star Member
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Now into spending money for while in China. What a mess. Never travel in China during a Golden a Week - and it is only August! I do have a hostel booked for Shanghai. Robbery. I have stayed there before with the main difference booking on my own for major holiday when I was there ahead of time. More accommodation dollar fright for Chengdu, nearly as expensive as Shanghai. The final shock was just how little the Canadian dollar will purchase in China. 100CAD = 500RMB (I rounded down) Knowing I would have a problem getting a train ticket out of Shanghai I finally tried to book online through an agency. It is not possible for foreigners to book tickets through China Railways unless holding a Chinese bank account and have the ability to read Mandarin. I closed my account and cannot navigate the site easily. I suppose I could have asked my daughter to do it for me or asked a friend in China. I was attempting to do everything g solo. Ha! I sent a request to Chinahighlights.com with specific dates, departure and destination, simple. Well, not exactly. I discovered that although the request may have been sent there is no indication on the site it has been and the delay for an automatic response to, fortunately working, my email made it difficult to determine where things might be at. So, impatient me started over, then cancelled it when a response was received for my first request. Except my cancel went awry and sent in another request. Another delay. I had a request for payment, not realizing it was for the second request. By the time I confirmed my passport number was correct, ascertained I could make the payment using debit visa, filled everything out and hit send I received another payment request for my first inquiry - it was then I realized that not only had I paid for my ticket, it was for the incorrect date. I flipped. (In retrospect it was a reminder to never, never try to do anything with money after 7:00pm) Three emails and one call to China to ensure the, now expensive ticket, would not be purchased for Aug 7, I fell into a fitful sleep. I had barely woken up to put on my glasses at 6:00am, grab my iPad to check the status of my booking. Good news is that the date will be Oct 1. Not so great is that there might not be any tickets left. My choices will be a refund, a standing ticket - I am not even going to consider that for a 15 hour train ride - it really does mean standing as on trains, especially the faster ones, it is practically abnormal to give up a seat to some poor sucker who paid the same price to stand as for a seat. Or I can do a slow train for less money, hard sleeper, over 25 hours or try to figure out where to go once I arrive in Shanghai. I cannot cancel without losing the 133CAD I paid until I am informed there are not any seats. All this just to see some pandas. |
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| Not That Esme | Aug 6 2016, 01:29 PM Post #27 |
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Blue Star Member
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Oh my, travel arrangements always fill me with anxiety ridden excitement. Even if I’m just catching a commuter flight up the coast. I mainly worry that I’ll forget my smartphone/plane tickets at home. I know you will have a great time during your travels to China!! (Next time you want to see some pandas come to San Diego. I always have guest passes to the zoo on hand. :-) I had to google Golden Week. Now I'll forewarn, don’t visit San Diego during Comic-Con! |
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| blizzard | Aug 7 2016, 03:50 AM Post #28 |
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One of my Ds and SIL have gone to Comic-Con twice, I thought they were bonkers. They loved it. I was in San Diego for a conference a couple of years ago and found that too busy. (I know that sounds ridiculous from someone who lived in Shanghai and Beijing) The SD Zoo is a must visit! I would certainly return.We did see the pandas, very busy space and I was rather worried about the pandas which makes me worry about the ones in Chengdu although I have heard the facilities where they are cared for are well kept. I have also been to Chinese zoos where they are not. |
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| blizzard | Aug 12 2016, 06:11 AM Post #29 |
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I am looking for help to come up with a catchy name for the blog I will have for my trip to China. I have usually come with something to catch readers but not this time. If anyone has a suggestion I would love to hear it/them. I hope to start the blog by mid- Sep. it will most likely be the best way to read about my adventures and see pictures. |
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| blizzard | Aug 17 2016, 05:11 AM Post #30 |
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Gold Star Member
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My eldest came up with 'unaccompanied Grandma'. I rather like that one except I keep wanting to say Unattended Grandma, which, when I think about it, seems more fitting. I have managed to figure out an itinerary for about ten days so far. Still no confirmation on my train ticket to Chengdu although I did receive a response to half of a query I had sent. I will post the itinerary in the next few days - I want to see if I will follow it and thought some here might be interested if I should be travelling unattended once they read my thought process. Oh wait, many of you have. |
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