munitalP
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- Oct 10, 2006
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It is 25 point something days till we head to China for our Christmas holiday. The first time on mainland China for both of us, so we are getting quite excited at the prospect of new sights, sounds and importantly, food... Our trip was originally going to take the following meandering path across China, Shanghai, Beijing, Harbin, Xi’an, back to Shanghai with maybe a quick overnight to Taipei, but…
After careful consideration of just not spending enough time at each port we decided for the following:
• Shanghai 3 nights
• Beijing 5 nights
• Harbin 3 nights
• Shanghai 2 nights (or Taipei if I can get cheap flights in China)
Our flights were booked using QF frequent flyer points – MEL/SYD/Shanghai in Business both ways and presently have HARBIN/SHANGHAI flights held by my corp TA, however, this again is another flight I may purchase on the ground in China as from what I can understand, only Y class flights are available ex Australia and the cost is quite steep!
Through the Accor website, we have booked hotels in Shanghai and Harbin, and I booked Crown Plaza in Beijing (and paid) through Asia Rooms – we have used Asia rooms previously and had reasonably good service.
Last week, our passports arrived with a shiny new visa stuck inside and the realization has finally set in that our holiday is just around the corner…
We will be taking a train from Shanghai to Beijing – 1st class with hopefully our own bathroom (!) even if I have to pay for a sleeper, and the same applies to Beijing to Harbin. We have heard horror stories of the bathrooms on Chinese trains – how much truth, I don’t know, but am not prepared to risk it!
This week is shoe week. I have located a source of Sorel Caribou cold weather boots in Melbourne – not cheap, but I believe they will pay for themselves in Harbin – a fashion statement (not) and I am sure I will get into night clubs wearing them that a pair of Prada sneakers wouldn’t get me into (
).
Next week is jacket week. Unless someone can tell me that the “The North Face” jackets available in China will suffice in Harbin temperatures, a trip to Kathmandu or Anaconda is on the cards and a couple of jackets will be on the card! My only problem here is cost. The goods we need to buy will get used once or twice in their lives, $700 each for a jacket seems over the top – on the same token though, I made the mistake of going “cheap” on a trip up to Sweden in Feb a few years ago and spent the first day hunting Stockholm for a jacket to buy before I went north – the temperature dropped to -25 to -30 where I was in Sweden for the following week or so and climbed to a balmy -15 the week after, I swore then that I wouldn’t make the same mistake again…
My final dilemma at this stage is because of the train travel, should trusty Samonnite cases be abandoned in favour of back packs? I would feel quite agricultural lugging a back pack around however I can see some practical side to this. Some advice from fellow travelers here would be handy!
So, this is my week 3 and a bit update and I’ll keep it coming!
Mr!
After careful consideration of just not spending enough time at each port we decided for the following:
• Shanghai 3 nights
• Beijing 5 nights
• Harbin 3 nights
• Shanghai 2 nights (or Taipei if I can get cheap flights in China)
Our flights were booked using QF frequent flyer points – MEL/SYD/Shanghai in Business both ways and presently have HARBIN/SHANGHAI flights held by my corp TA, however, this again is another flight I may purchase on the ground in China as from what I can understand, only Y class flights are available ex Australia and the cost is quite steep!
Through the Accor website, we have booked hotels in Shanghai and Harbin, and I booked Crown Plaza in Beijing (and paid) through Asia Rooms – we have used Asia rooms previously and had reasonably good service.
Last week, our passports arrived with a shiny new visa stuck inside and the realization has finally set in that our holiday is just around the corner…
We will be taking a train from Shanghai to Beijing – 1st class with hopefully our own bathroom (!) even if I have to pay for a sleeper, and the same applies to Beijing to Harbin. We have heard horror stories of the bathrooms on Chinese trains – how much truth, I don’t know, but am not prepared to risk it!
This week is shoe week. I have located a source of Sorel Caribou cold weather boots in Melbourne – not cheap, but I believe they will pay for themselves in Harbin – a fashion statement (not) and I am sure I will get into night clubs wearing them that a pair of Prada sneakers wouldn’t get me into (
).Next week is jacket week. Unless someone can tell me that the “The North Face” jackets available in China will suffice in Harbin temperatures, a trip to Kathmandu or Anaconda is on the cards and a couple of jackets will be on the card! My only problem here is cost. The goods we need to buy will get used once or twice in their lives, $700 each for a jacket seems over the top – on the same token though, I made the mistake of going “cheap” on a trip up to Sweden in Feb a few years ago and spent the first day hunting Stockholm for a jacket to buy before I went north – the temperature dropped to -25 to -30 where I was in Sweden for the following week or so and climbed to a balmy -15 the week after, I swore then that I wouldn’t make the same mistake again…
My final dilemma at this stage is because of the train travel, should trusty Samonnite cases be abandoned in favour of back packs? I would feel quite agricultural lugging a back pack around however I can see some practical side to this. Some advice from fellow travelers here would be handy!
So, this is my week 3 and a bit update and I’ll keep it coming!
Mr!
