New Year, New Plans...

Happy New Year!

Its 2011, and the year that we really get our asses in gear and go travelling!

There have been some early hiccups though,

After a bit of research, it became clear that the China visas are going to be a little harder that we orginally thought.

We were hoping for a 6 month multiple according to advice, the most we are going to get is a double entry visa valid for 60 days at a time.

Giving us only 4 months in China.

Even this visa might not be doable, because apparently China are constantly changing their visa rules...we might only be able to get a double entry 30 days at a time, giving us only 2 months!

So, this is going to make a big difference to our trip...

If we can only get a double entry, it will mean that we will have to do Taiwan first before we enter China, and leave out South Korea, so our 1 exit can be to Mongolia.

Really stressed about it when I found out, because I'd been looking at our planned China trip in minute detail and this might mean cutting out the majority of places we planned to go to.

BUT, the truth is we always said we would be flexible about our route and stuff, so we will have to adapt.

If we cant get the Visa we want, we’ll just have to agree to come back another day and do the bits we missed out on!!

AND, it frees up some money to spend more time elsewhere- like the Philippines or Indonesia! OH YEAH!

Mid- Autumn Festival

I walk through China town everyday on my way to and from work...

This week, I noticed they have put up loads of lanterns that look amazing, and after a bit of googling I found out it is for the mid- autumn festival, which falls on the autumnal equinox- when the moon is at its fullest.

There is a weird story associated with the festival about Houyi and Chang'e...

it goes a little like this...

Once there were 5 suns in the form of 5 three legged birds (so far, so strange) they one day clubbed together and started to burn the earth,

A prince ( Houyi) was commissioned to shoot down the suns with a bow and arrow, and he shot 4 of them leaving only one (our sun)

As a reward the king gave him a pill of immortality, but warned him to break the pill up and only take a small piece at a time, he took it home and hid it in a box.

One day his wife (Chang'e) came across the box containing the pill and decided to take it to see what it was (never a good idea)

Because she took the whole pill, she overdosed and floated high in to the sky until she reached the moon, as the pills effects wore off, she was stuck there.

So, now she is still stuck, and there is this rabbit on the moon (duh?) who is trying and trying to make a new pill so she can get back.

(pic above-The princess with the rabbit on the moon!)

How random eh?

Anyway, so people put up lanterns and eat mooncakes...

already some added extras...

After proudly posting my 'finished' route through china, it was only inevitable that I would make changes right?

After doing a bit of research, I have decided that it might be worth doing more of the North West, on the Silk Road route.

So, we will be visiting the one province I hadnt included in our plans, Xinjiang.

There is a 20 hour sleeper train that goes from Lanzhou to Urumqi (fact: the furthest city from the ocean in the world) which also stops in Turpan.

And after adding Xinjiang,

I thought, seeing as we are passing so close by, why not venture into Mongola?

So with that I decided to add a whole new country to our trip!!!

These two detours should only add a few weeks to our trip.

And it may mean that we dont bother travelling up to Har'bin, which I was uming and ahhing about anyway.

But we'll see!

China route map

Ive finally completed the rough guide to our route through China,

Starting in Hong Kong,

and leaving China to visit Taiwan, Japan and South Korea and then finally leaving China for the last time into Vietnam at the friendship Pass...

This picture isnt that clear, but you can see the general route,

Also, this isnt set in stone, it will change and evolve as we travel...

It exciting!

Matsu Island

Ive been getting quite deep into routes this week.

Ive had a re think about the China route,


Firstly because Ive figured out that its probably a lot cheaper and easier to fly in to Hong Kong,
And secondly, with the news about the floods in Southern China at the moment, it would be very unwise to be in southern china next summer (rainy season)


So, Ive decided to start in Hong Kong, and do some of the south, before heading to the northern provences for the summer months.
(Ill put a map up on here when I get round to doing one)


Also, been looking at getting to Taiwan...
and (kinda excitedly) discovered (thanks to that reliable man in seat61) that the best way to get there from china is to get a ferry from Fuzhou to Matsu (a tiny island off the coast of china) then to Taiwan.
It looks very cool!!!
see....

Matsu Island...

It doesnt look like there is much there, and even googling doesnt bring up much...

(these pics are from google maps)
But I just like the idea of going somewhere totally out of the way and where not many people go!

streetview continued...

ok, this is getting addictive...

hong kong streetview

As ive mentioned before I totally heart streetview,

Check out what I just stumbled across...

where to begin?

So,

time for a bit of positivity!!!

Looking at flights made me feel a bit better (even if they are SUPER more expensive that I originally thought)

I've discovered that actually Chengdu is pretty expensive to fly into (doh)

so I think it might be better/easier/cheaper to fly in to HONG KONG!

The route Ive looked at will probably still work but just in a slightly different order.

and since we might be going in March now (ugh) it might work out well that we avoid the coldest bits at the coldest time.

I heart Streetview!

Hong Kong now has streetview!....
I am stupidly excited about this!

Teaching English...

With all my worrying about money,
I started thinking a lot about working whilst travelling.

I have thought for a while that it might be a good idea to do a Tefl before we go to give us an option of teaching English when we're there.
I think in China particularly, it might be cool to settle for a few months in one place and earn some money.

Not sure I really have the confidence for it though!
I know JW would be great, he is really good with kids, and did a few years in a US summer camp, but I can be a bit shy in 'stand up in front strangers' type situation.
I would really love to do an art teaching thing or at least incorporate art into it somehow.
I think I would be more confident teaching really little kiddies, and using art a lot to teach them.

I stare at this advert every morning across the platform at the train station...

Having a down day...

wow, Im in a really shitty mood today.
So I need to think of stuff to cheer myself up with some stuff Im looking forward to....

1. Sleeper trains in China
I know to some these may be nightmarish journeys on horrible beds, but it one of the things Im weirdly looking forward to, Ive always liked train journeys and the idea of travelling overnight and sleeping on one is really exciting and pretty cool.
We'll probably end up doing quite a few of these on our travels.

2. Tokyo

3. Diving
I really want to learn to dive, and am super excited about doing it either in Thailand (might be a bit touristy and expensive) or indonesia.

4. Discovering random little places, things and people that arent on the tourist map.

5. Not working for a WHOLE YEAR AND MAYBE LONGER! WHOOOOP!

China routes (kinda) sorted

As JW has been in SA this week (30 degrees everyday there!- so jealous) Ive been doing quite a bit of late night research on China routes,
I'm pretty much sorted on how we will be travelling through, although every little place or festival I read about I want to go to!
I know, i know, I cant do EVERYTHING, but you know, I feel like the world is out there, and I wanna grab it with both hands and get everything I can out of it.
Also, I'm not sure if Ill ever have an opportunity to go back to China and explore properly, and I should try and see everything I wanna see NOW!

Sometimes I worry that I'm being terribly selfish wanting to travel, travel, travel.
As I know JW is really the settling down type.
But I suppose that I have never been one to settle and stay still for too long,
I would (totally) travel for the rest of my life if I could (you know what why cant I???- Oh, yeah- Money)

I guess we have to compromise.

New Route ideas

New Plan- Fly into Chengdu, travel around China from there( not sure what route yet), include trip to Seoul in S.Korea for a week or so (there is a boat from Tianjin to Close to Seoul)
And head to Japan (by boat) for around 2 months, before heading back into china and then South to Vietnam.

Lots of planning needed, but I feel a little better now I don't have to worry about tours from Kathmandu and Tibet visas!

So, its quite exciting that we'll go to Seoul, that I never really factored in before. Its kinda compensation for not doing Kathmandu!

Seoul, S.Korea

Ok, ok, ok, So I keep changing my mind

I have been researching routes almost every day this week.
I sadly have come to the conclusion that to travel to Tibet through Nepal is just toooooo awkward and expensive ( you need special permits, guides, to join a tour and then it effects your china visa)
So Ive come to the conclusion that after all that, I'll have to kiss goodbye to Kathmandu (for now) and start back at the drawing board again!
I think what the easiest thing will be is to fly directly into China (Possibly Beijing, or another major airport) and travel from there, hopefully still getting a chance to travel in Tibet at some point. I think it might be good to get a multiple entry visa, and then we can head intro S. Korea and Japan from China, instead of doing them later in the trip (might be good because I was worried about missing the Japanese blossoms in spring, but this way it might work.
Its weird how these things evolve over time eh?
Anyway, rather more important things are going on as JW's Dad is very ill, so JW is going out to Cape Town this weekend ( I wish I could go, but with saving money and work, its just not possible)So his focus is on that.

Harbin Ice sculptures

How cool is this?

Snow

Whilst London transport is going nuts with the snow, and people everywhere (but not me) are being sent home from work early,
Other parts of the world are covered in lots more snow, and coping ok (with less press coverage I'm sure!)
Saw this great pic in the Guardian of police in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.... Looks cold!

2010 is the year I start travelling

So Im thinking seriously about routes and stuff.

JW bought me a great Lonely Planet book on China to get my teeth into,

I have decided it will be cool to Start in Kathmandu, then travel to Lhasa, Tibet with an organised tour, From Lhasa, the plan is to get a train to Golmud in Qinghai province...then head East.

Map of China's Provinces

Also still mulling over the order, was thinking I might do Japan a little earlier, but I think Ive settled on...

China-Taiwan-China-Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore-Indonesia-Philippines-Japan

where, when, how?

The plan is to start in Tibet, travel through china for a few months.
Then through
Cambodia
Vietnam
Laos
Thailand
Malaysia
Singapore

Then spend a few months exploring Indonesia

Through the Philippines, Taiwan.
Explore the Islands around Japan, then spend a few months travelling through Japan.

Then, possibly travel to Australia and New Zealand to do a working holiday for a few months

(possible detours through Northern India, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and North and South Korea?)