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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Oct 31, 2010 07:00 PM Bring your sandwiches to the plane :))
The sun was rising when I embarked LOT flight to Warsaw. In the internet advance purchase it can cost only 70 zlotys - like 25 USD.
Then, in the early afternoon I had Air France flight to Paris CDG expecting excellent lunch. Forget it! "La cuisine francaise" they
served now is a glas of juice and "le petit sandwich". I know that on the low cost airlines they do not serve the food. But this was
Air France!
In Paris I was forced to change the airport: Charles de Gaulle to Orly. They have direct buses airport to airport and the ticket cost 19 euro. But it is worth to know that
if you fly all over the way with Air France on the same reservation they provide a free transfer voucher for the bus - just go to the "Air France Customer
Service desk in the arrival hall. The buses depart from exit no 3. Orly airport is much smaller and cramped then CDG. Sorry, no free
WIFI internet, like in Warsaw. At 9 pm we started for the 11-hours flight to Reunion.
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Oct 30, 2010 02:00 PM New, fascinating expedition!
Maybe it is hard to believe, but only 8 days from my return from China I am departing for the new, fascinating expedition to the islands on the Indian Ocean.
I was qualified for the expedition aboard French ship "Marion Dufresne" to the islands of French Subantartica! They appreciated my achievements in traveling and journalism...
The ship is sailing from the French Island of Reunion. Fortunately I saved enough miles on the Air France frequent flyer program to get a free ticket from Poland to Reunion.
Before and after the expedition I will seize the opportunity and spend also few days on the tropical islands of Reunion and Mauritius (I have been there long time ago) and to visit unknow to me Rodrigues. The success of the expedition depends a lot on the weather. Seasick is unknown to me, but we will need a calm sea for landings. So, please: keep your fingers crossed!
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Oct 22, 2010 02:00 PM Sunny Gdansk on the horizon!
I took China Southern domestic flight to Shenzhen. In the airport arrival hall you will find many agencies offering transport to the Hong Kong airport. Sorry - no ferries today due to the typhoon... I paid 180 yuans for the bus + microbus transfer. Departures are every 15 minutes!
There are border formalities on the China - Hong Kong border, but it goes quite fast. It took me 2 hours to get HKG airport.
BA fligt to London was on time. 12,5 hours in the sky and 7 hours time difference... Then BA flight to Warsaw, and change to LOT Polish Airlines for the fourth flight to Gdansk...
It was sunny afternoon when I landed in my home town with the baggage of new experiences, thousands of pictures and hours of video recording. The great expedition to the East is over... Don't you think I should plan the next one? :))
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Oct 21, 2010 02:00 PM By bus, by plane, by ship - on a budget...
Sanya, Hainan Island, China. Hot (32 deg) sunny and humid.
It is worth to know, that Hong Kong is quite expensive for the transit passengers. Flights are expensive and apt taxes too... So I decided not to fly from Hainan to HKG airport but to Shenzhen - just accross the border and to continue by bus or ship to the new HKG airport for my night flight to London. This should be the cheaper alternative for the budget traveller... So it is time to pack again my backpack and to walk to the city bus no.8.
It will take me to the airport just for 5 yuans. The taxi from the hotel area to the airport area costs 60 yuans. The savings will give me a chance to travel further and to see more... Let's go!
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Oct 20, 2010 02:00 PM Chinese tourist traps...
In Sanya, Hainan you will see more advertising in Russian, then in English. A lot of Russian vacationers are coming here. I did not expect that it will be easier to communicate here in Russian than in English. If the shopkeeper speaks foreign language, it is Russian.
I took a regular tourist bus to the tourist attractions west of Sanya. For 6 yuans they took me from Dadonghai where the hotels and hostels are, to Taniya - some 20 kms west of the town. There is scenic park with a interesting rock formations on the beach. If you saw The Baths on Virgin Gorda it is like that (plus a thousand of Chinese tourists...). They charge 65 juan entry fee and I think it is worth if you love the nature...
Another 15 kms west by the same blue bus there is Nanshan Cultural Centre: recently built Buddhist temple with a staue of the Goddess of Mercy on the little island connected to the mainland by the short causeway. They want to pay you here 150 yuan. I think it is overpriced tourist trap...
Fruit sellers are giving the price not for the kilo but for the pound - this could be for you another surprise. The beer in the street shop cost 4-5 yuans, but the same in the beach restaurant - hefty 25 yuans... It is better to avoid such a tourist places - they are milking tourists as much as possible...
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Oct 19, 2010 02:00 PM Hainan - enjoying The South Seas...
Tropical typhoon Megi is closer and closer. You can see it here:
http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/currwx/tc_pos.htm
I am lucky - it is turning to the north now.
The big voyage is coming to the end. I plan to fly home on Friday. I do hope that they will not cancel flights due to the typhoon.
But so far here, in the south of the Hainan island I enjoy the hot (32 deg) and sunny weather swiming in the warm sea.
People call Hainan Island "The Hawaii of China". In Sanya, where I am the scecery is really similar - white beach with green hills in the background. Many high hotel and apartament buildings along the beach. Palm trees, the voice of the waves. In the evening they play western music in many beach restaurants, there are lanterns, laser lights over the bay - nice atmosphere. Like in Honolulu (but much cheaper). Last evening a charming local lady on the beach promenade asked me if I want a massage - only 400 yuans - like 60 USD... Well - as you know I am the budget traveler and and the response was: No thank you!
But maybe I should bargain a little bit and try? :))
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Oct 18, 2010 02:00 PM "Hainan braces for typhoon" !!
There are competing airlines in China so it is worth to shop around. Don't buy China domestic tickets abroad: even on the net you will pay approx twice more then here... I paid for the ticket to Hainan 430 yuan - like 70 USD only incl taxes...
Traveling long time across China without the knowledge of the local language you are pretty well isolated from the news. But boarding my plane in Guangzhou impressive airport I got an english edition of "China daily". I opened it on board already flying to Hainan and I rode: "Hainan braces for typhoon"...
Strong typhoon Megi is on the Philippines now heading to South China Sea.
It was raining when we landed in Sanya. They have already flooding due to the heavy rains but only in the central-north part of the island...
I found the minibus shuttle going to the Dodonghai beach quarter. Blue Sky Hostel is almost empty - everybody escaped... How about me? Please keep eye on the typhoon forecast! Thanks...
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Oct 17, 2010 02:00 PM Hard sleeper, but not too hard...
The lower cathegory of the sleeper on Chinese Railways are hard sleepers. There are open compartments with 6 beds on 3 levels in every one. They provide clean pillow and sheets with thick blanket. Bud it is true that the bunks are hard...
It is very socializing style of travel - everybody is looking what you are doing and during the day all pax sit on the lower beds. That's why it is better to buy the middle bunk, if available...
I travel on a hard sleeper from Yongding to Guangzhou - like 9 hours only. And this will be the end of my rail odyssey through China. From Guangzhou I plan to take inexpensive domestic flight to Hainan Island.
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Oct 16, 2010 02:00 PM Strange houses of Hakka people
I am in Yongding - Fujian Province. And I know that it was a good choice to make a stopover. It is stunning rural area of rolling hills. Hakka people live here in their strange tulou - the roundhouses. I must tell you that I did not see such a buildings in the world. Can you imagine the building of the size and shape of Roman circus? Made of mud or earth if you wish... It is like little round castle 3-6 storey high with one gate only.
Inside there are galleries made of timber and rooms or flats on 3-6 levels where the Hakka still live... 200-300 flats in one tulou... People are cooking, cleaning, washing - the buildings are avlive!
I went by bus to Lulian (13 yuan from Yongding) and rented there the motorbike with a local driver - he took me to different tulou. I paid him 120 yuans - like 20 USD but it was worth... But... Chinese authorities established a post on the only road to tulou - they charge 100 entry fee for 3 places - you are receiving ticket with a UNESCO World Heritage Sign...
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Oct 15, 2010 02:00 PM Did you hear about Piano Island?
A bowl of sweet peanut soup and xialongbao dumplings for the breakfast - all cost me 5 yuan (less then 1 dollar) in the Xiamen street eatery...
Just opposite the old part of the city you will see little island of Gulang Yu. It has a Chinese nickname of Piano Island. Why? They say that many famous China's pianists learned and worked on this island...
Gulang Yu in the past was the place of the first European community, settled here in 19th century. A lot of houses from that era remained and the island still has its charm with narrow streets, banyan trees, colonial mansions and flowers.
I took a ferry to get to the island - it takes only 10 minutes each way and 8 yuan for RT ticked paid on return leg. It is worth to pay 1 youan more and get to the upper dack for the view of the skyline of Siamen and the roofs of Gulang Yu... Unfortunately catholic church - probably the nicest on the island was closed during my visit... Maybe you will be lucky to see it inside...
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