Apart from the packing, I think we're ready! For me, nothing more than a trip to the supermarket for consumables, but for Sue who knows, there's probably still a full new wardrobe to buy before the packing starts.
China was on the original itinerary, a train, three trains actually, from Ha Noi Vietnam through southern China to Hong Kong. Long story, but after three refusals to process our visas at the Chinese Consulate in Brisbane I gave up. In short; if you're an independent traveller and don't have a confirmed flight in, confirmed accommodation and a confirmed flight out you're not welcome. Totally unreasonable, but that's communism I guess. There's a lot I could say, but instead of political comment I'll just say that I feel sorry for the people who live there and want out, but can't. We'll be flying over China instead.
No big deal not getting the visas processed, there's plenty of other places to go, but in trying to satisfy the requirements I booked some stuff which we're now locked into.
So, here's the itinerary:
March
10th - Bangkok
12th - Kathmandu
16th - Pokhara
21st - Bangkok
25th - Chiang Mai
April
18th - Ha Noi
20th - Hong Kong
23rd - Singapore
27th - Brisbane
It's ended up that there's only 3 weeks of wandering. Not quite the original plan, but it probably would have turned out much the same anyway.
Skeeter Defeater
There's been another endorsement! Noel The Cat this time. Must be a lot of skeeters in the spare room. Not a set up, he chose to be in there.
4 comments:
aaargh the cat is so cute.
WIERD about the Chinese visa?? Jonny and I got a multiple entry with no flights booked at all, a mere...um...7 years ago?
Chiang Mai - Ha Noi, you could do some MAD overland stuff here from northern Thailand through northern Lao (totes rural, take the skeeter defeater! and a sleeping bag liner for icky sheets!) and again through to northern Vietnam! Visa on arrival in Lao at the border and possibly even visa on arrival for Vietnam? Or you could get your Viet visa maybe in BKK.
Can I suggest in your free time in Chiang Mai... MAE HONG SON, MAE HONG SON! It's so cute, and I met lots of couples doing it on the one scooter. Gotta pack super light and carry one backpack. You can go from CM to Pai in one day, and then Pai to Mae Hong Son. You could keep going around the whole loop as well. It could be kinda hot and super super smokey...but it's lovely, and the roads are great. Get yourself a GT riders map.
Yeah, the Chinese visa drama was totally unexpected. Also unexpected was that neither the visa center or the embassy answered any of my e-mails (over a period of weeks).
Except for the security guy who eyeballed your documentation at the door, the staff at the visa center were very unhelpful and obviously didn't understand. One guy insisted that I get a visa for China in Hong Kong, even after I explained twice that we wanted to first travel through China from Vietnam to get to HK. I even considered booking some random cheap room to meet requirements, but I get the feeling a backfire could be nasty.
The Vietnam visa is sorted. It was very straight forward.
We're seriously considering doing "The Loop". It looks like fun. And while we have the scooter, it'll be Nu's every night.
BTW Leon the cat (no points for working out why I call him Noel) is not so cute. He's huge; taller at his back than two Coke cans one on top of the other, doesn't like to be touched and is mostly agressive.
Leon sounds AWESOME. Cat idiosyncrasies are so "cute," especially the hissing, biting and the creepy looks through narrowed eyes.
I don't wanna sound as if I know anything at all, or sound dismissive, but maybe you're not missing out on much without your Chinese visa. that part of China, from what I remember from doing it overland, is often kinda...grey...like lots of China I suppose... lots of factories, apartment blocks, no birds cos no trees. Chinese people live a super hard life and have to be really tough, because often the environment they grow up in is really depressing, not to mention all the weird political shit that goes on. it can be a bit... deflating.
Yay Nu's!
The Loop is adorable, and you could visit the cutest village in the world at Mae Lana... they have caves there which are apparently very cool, with big chunks of crystal-ish coral-ish stuff and weird stalactites and shit, but I was being all sookie and lonely and didn't explore.
Have a great flight Mr DudePa sir!
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