quarter life crisis...

[PeterM]

so i'm finally taking a break from school to do some travelling. i just bought a one way ticket from san francisco to beijing for $406. i'm planning to go from beijing down to shanghai, hang zhou, and a few other cities. from there i'll be going through vietnam, cambodia, thailand, tibet, then finally india. if i have enough funds, i might get myself into europe.

so basically, i want to ask you guys. anything i should worry about in china because i've already been through vietnam, cambodia, and thailand but never china. i really don't have a plan, and this is usually the way i backpack the world:smile: . i don't even know when, where, or how i'll be coming back to the states.

feel free to chime in with any info. thanks.

peter

 

[12AMNSX]

I applaud your free spirit. Wish I had done that when I was younger.

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: The real worry

Naw, you don't need to worry about China, you need to worry about who's gonna take good care of your car. How about a nice stable elderly gentleman in Sacramento with a nice dry tidy garage? I've got just the guy for ya !! :wink:

 

[PeterM]

I applaud your free spirit. Wish I had done that when I was younger.

thanks, med school is looming closer...1-2 years and the voices in my head keep telling me to run while i still can, so i'm running. kinda sad though, i just picked up my 91' black/ivory 2 months ago and now i'll be leaving her in the garage waiting for me to come back.

 

[PeterM]

Re: The real worry

Naw, you don't need to worry about China, you need to worry about who's gonna take good care of your car. How about a nice stable elderly gentleman in Sacramento with a nice dry tidy garage? I've got just the guy for ya !! :wink:

hahahah i would take you on your offer but, my dad's retired and so he's home all week long to keep a close eye on my baby. haha.

 

[sahtt]

China is a little less tourist friendly than places that have had significant American influence. For better or worse most Asian countries from Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and especially Taiwan, have been involved in major foreign relations with the U.S. If you stay near more international cities like those you mentioned, Shanghai, Beijing, etc.; you'll find similar experiences as the other places you mentioned. For the record Shanghai and Beijing are near polar opposites in character besides both being big, heavily populated, and containing a lot of great schools.

I can speak/read/write Mandarin at a middle school level due to years of punishing chinese classes in college, so I've been wanting to spend more time there but unfortunately haven't had the chance to yet. A good friend of mine grew up in the "East Camp" off the Yellow River, I'd probably like to go there most.

 

[steveny]

Be leery of really hot girls in Amsterdam who are in your room when you get their.

 

[NeoNSX]

Be leery of really hot girls in Amsterdam who are in your room when you get their.

Please elaborate...

 

[S-TO-8K]

Be leery of really hot girls in Amsterdam who are in your room when you get their.

^^ :biggrin:, unless you send them there yourself!



I applaud your adventurous sense as well!

There really is not too much to worry about when travelling in China other than keeping your papers safe and in order just like anywhere else. Although not necessary, it could be a good precaution to inform your country's embassy (US I presume) of your general travel plans whether you plan on including Tibet autonomous region, Xinjiang autonomous and/or Uzbekistan or not. Cross border visas from PRC into Vietnam, Laos can at times be a hassle, but it depends on whether the guys are having a good/bad day.(Maybe it has been streamlined little more in recent years.
If you do not already, try to definitely learn some Mandarin/Cantonese- on the go if necessary. It helps facilitate certain transactions (judging from your name perhaps not an issue)

With regards to PRC, personally I enjoyed my stays in Shanghai alot more than Beijing. All depends on what you enjoy. If you are venturing South, definitely recommend from Shanghai area catch a flight to HK, Macau. If you've been to Northern Vietnam (Ha Long) you know to expect similar scenery there (Guangdong) and great food.

I've travelled through most of Asia and SE Asia the last 10 years both for leisure and business. These trips are priceless for the adventures and memories they provide for a lifetime.

People often ask what that grin is on my face sometimes :biggrin:

Enjoy your trip!!!

 

[loNfastNSX]

Please elaborate...

Watch the movie Hostel.......

I think thats what it is called

Have a great trip man!

 

[BioBanker]

Good for you!

You're young, be young.

Enjoy.

 

[Meeyatch1]

so i'm finally taking a break from school to do some travelling. i just bought a one way ticket from san francisco to beijing for $406. i'm planning to go from beijing down to shanghai, hang zhou, and a few other cities. from there i'll be going through vietnam, cambodia, thailand, tibet, then finally india. if i have enough funds, i might get myself into europe.

so basically, i want to ask you guys. anything i should worry about in china because i've already been through vietnam, cambodia, and thailand but never china. i really don't have a plan, and this is usually the way i backpack the world:smile: . i don't even know when, where, or how i'll be coming back to the states.

feel free to chime in with any info. thanks.

peter

Very cool. I wish that at that time in my life I had the extra funds to do that. Way to go!!

 

[PeterM]

Be leery of really hot girls in Amsterdam who are in your room when you get their.

to reply to some of you guys' comments and concerns. i'm really careful with my paper work. when i go out at night, i bring enough money to spend and this is also the ammount i'm willing to lose. i would have to say the sketchiest country i've ever been in is laos. i didn't think cambodia was too bad, whereas vietnam, so far, is the safest country and also the best country to party in.

i'm lucky with the money issue, i did well in the market when it was skyrocketting in the 2000's and i used to teach a little bit of elementary school and they pay fairly well, and working in the ER a year or two ago helps. but truth of the matter is that, i usually take close twice what is considered fulltime units heading towards med school. being this busy with school, my dad's actually paying for most of my living expenses. when it comes to expensives toys, it's on my own.

truthfully, the only thing expensive about travelling asia is the airfare. considering a night in a nice hostel is heartwrenching 5 usd:wink: . also, when i was in vietnam, a beer is roughly 80 us cents, and the food sold on the streets are amazing and they go for pennies. basically, work like a donkey here and live like a king in asia.

about the above quote above, maybe if we meet in person i can share some "interersting" adventures with girls i've met and travelled with...

 

[steveny]

to reply to some of you guys' comments and concerns. i'm really careful with my paper work. when i go out at night, i bring enough money to spend and this is also the ammount i'm willing to lose. i would have to say the sketchiest country i've ever been in is laos. i didn't think cambodia was too bad, whereas vietnam, so far, is the safest country and also the best country to party in.

i'm lucky with the money issue, i did well in the market when it was skyrocketting in the 2000's and i used to teach a little bit of elementary school and they pay fairly well, and working in the ER a year or two ago helps. but truth of the matter is that, i usually take close twice what is considered fulltime units heading towards med school. being this busy with school, my dad's actually paying for most of my living expenses. when it comes to expensives toys, it's on my own.

truthfully, the only thing expensive about travelling asia is the airfare. considering a night in a nice hostel is heartwrenching 5 usd:wink: . also, when i was in vietnam, a beer is roughly 80 us cents, and the food sold on the streets are amazing and they go for pennies. basically, work like a donkey here and live like a king in asia.

about the above quote above, maybe if we meet in person i can share some "interersting" adventures with girls i've met and travelled with...

I was refering to the movie Hostel. I was only kidding around. Have a good time and post some pics.

I have to agree with you about the live like a king in Asia comment. We have an investor/friend who lives in Thailand. He rents a house there for the equivalent of 800USD. The house would rent for 4-5k a month here. He also has a staff of people which take care of the place for what I consider close to nothing. I will be going over to visit him in a year or so. I can't wait to eat some of the great food he talks about all the time.

 

[KooLaid]

Good luck on your travels! My brother is actually traveling to Laos next month to scope out his "arranged marriage" (almost) future wife. Then my sister with her husband and 2 kids will be going out there in december. Me, I have no real desire to go at this point.

The work hard in america, live like a king thing is very real in Laos. My sister here pays for our niece's university in Laos, it's only like $200/month! We'll send them a few hundred here every month or two, to our half brother who used it to open up his own business. Which is pretty successful at this point. Even he came to america on a sponsored work visa for a year or two, worked hard and went back home to support his wife and kids with it for a long time. We're now working on if we can buy some farmland in Laos so that our relatives back at home can grow their own crops. Pretty crazy though how my sister that works for only $11/hr can not only take care of her own 2 kids that went through private school, cook and clean for her husband, put up with my bull$hit spoil my daughter, manage 3 rental properties, their own home, AND overseas still put our niece through college, feed/clothe them, help keep a roof over their heads, and help them with business ventures and grow financially. My sister's husband makes considerably more to help out with expenses here, but the overseas thing is completely on her. That's pretty amazing what an american dollar will do in a poor country.

 

[robr]

Be leery of really hot girls in Amsterdam who are in your room when you get their.

My brother married one of those a few years back, he's actually over in Amsterdam right now. He claims she worked behind the counter at the hotel though .

 

[PeterM]

i'm so excited, i wish my departure date would come a little sooner. by the way, any of you guys know where in beijing does all of the back packer stay at. i'm looking for a cheap hostel. i'll get out of the airport in beijing at 10pm so i don't want to roam around too long exhausted and cold.

 

[mickeylex]

I have to agree with you about the live like a king in Asia comment. We have an investor/friend who lives in Thailand. He rents a house there for the equivalent of 800USD. The house would rent for 4-5k a month here. He also has a staff of people which take care of the place for what I consider close to nothing. I will be going over to visit him in a year or so. I can't wait to eat some of the great food he talks about all the time.

Lisa and I are going to Thailand for two weeks in April w/ 10 of our best friends :smile: . I'm going mostly for the food :wink:, but we are thinking about looking into vacation property while we are there. We are hoping to score a decent place for a few hundred bucks month, and your post gives us a pretty good feeling.

PeterM,
Your free spirit approach to life is awesome. Never lose that and your life will always be full. Have a great time in China.

 

[Ben]

I goto both urban and rural areas of China a few times a year. Some parts are quite safe, some parts are like the wild west.

In general, you should always follow basic safety precautions.


A few tidbits (that don't necessarily apply to any one city/area):

- Always be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times

- Watch your pockets, carry your wallet in a front pocket

- Carry your passport in a secure place, keep copies at home, on your person, and in your hotel room.

- Always carry your bag in the front

- Never talk on your cellphone in the open, even in clean well lit areas

- If you are talking on your phone in the open, and are the victim of "grab and run", just let it go

- Never put your cellphone or camera on the table in a restaurant.

- If paying by credit card in a restaurant, never leave the tip amount and total amount unfilled, lest they fill it in for you. True story - the restaurant added a 0 to my friend's brother's bill, because he failed to fill it out.

- When walking out of the train station, airport, or border crossings, always walk out the exit with authority, like you know where you are going, even if you have no clue. If you look lost, in many places you will be bombarded by offers for cabs, transport, etc. Many of these are scammers, and will even follow you around as you try to find your way. If you look like you know the way, they will leave you alone.

- Always get a cab at the designated taxi stand, or better yet, take public transit (like the subway), if it exists.

- Be careful of young attractive girls that you meet in bars, clubs, and KTVs. They all have a sob story to tell you about how they are trying to get through school, supporting the entire family, etc., and how just X dollars will help them immensely (until the next time she wants another X dollars). If she says that she really loves you and wants to be with you, don't fall for it. She really loves and wants to be with 3 other guys too.

 

[BATMANs]

U know how they say that finding single hot and un-stuck up gals in teh Bay area is tough?

Prepare for hot ones that throw themselves on u......... when u break out ur passport and CA license.

Needless to say, I was depress when I came back....

 

[Ben]

Prepare for hot ones that throw themselves on u......... when u break out ur passport and CA license.

Most of them are probably "working" girls. :tongue:

 

[PeterM]

i have had many girls throwing themselves at me during my previous travels, but my rule of thumb is to stick to the european ones, it's safer this way...haha.

mickeylex,

my approach to life is, if it works, it works, if it doesn't, it doesn't. move on, no need to dwell.

 

[Ben]

So, what cities/areas do you plan to visit?

 

[PeterM]

So, what cities/areas do you plan to visit?

i'm going to definitely see beijing, shanghai, hong kong, and macau. but the majority of the time, i will be out in the rural towns such as hang zhou, guan zhou and a few others. i'm more interested in the country side.

 

[Ben]

i'm going to definitely see beijing, shanghai, hong kong, and macau. but the majority of the time, i will be out in the rural towns such as hang zhou, guan zhou and a few others. i'm more interested in the country side.

I'd hardly call Hangzhou and Guangzhou "countryside", as both of them are comparable in size to a major US city, but they are somewhat off the beaten path, and the surrounding areas do have some nice things to see. Either way, you've got enough to keep you busy for weeks!