I have made this trip twice. My recommendation is to not take the infamous night bus from Kunming! Not only is it uncomfortable, but as noted it is plagued with thieves. I also got ripped off on that bus.

Instead take the 9:40AM day bus and you will arrive in Hekou at 5PM. The border is open until 11 PM, not 6PM as said in the article. China time.

Do not deal with the hustlers at the Hekou bus station. Buy your train tickets in Lao Cai and change money there.

Proceed to the train station by taxi or motor bike taxi 10,000 dong. Get a ticket for the night soft sleeper to Hanoi about 400,000 d leaves Lao Cai at 9PM, arrives Hanoi 6AM. There are some nice cafes in front of the train station to eat and drink while you wait for the train.

Return to Lao Cai from Hanoi on the 9PM SP1 train. Arrive Lao Cai at 6AM. Have your guest house or an agent get tickets for the soft sleeper a couple of days in advance.

Border opens at 7AM VN time. Try for the 8:45 bus back to KM. If it's booked you will have to hang around Hekou until the 10:50 and I have nothing nice to say about Hekou.

Addendum: my 2 female friends just arrived back [home] to complain that they were harassed to buy more alcohol and food.

My female friends wanted Tsingtao beer, to be told that they would not be sold Tsingtao as it's too cheap (12 yuan). They were arm-twisted to buy a more expensive beer. Then after they bought Sol beer, not only was the beer room-temperature, but they constantly badgered to buy food, inquiries asking if they were hungry, etc.

They left to go to Aoma's after that, and had a much better experience in a much more relaxed atmosphere.

Camel Bar 滚蛋！

Just came back from Camel Bar after experiencing one of the most bizarre and retarded 'rules' for being 'allowed' to watch a World Cup game.

There is effectively a table fee of 180 yuan (which includes 12 bottles of beer and some popcorn, and a little bit of other food) which you have to pay if you wish to sit and watch a game.

Here's the kicker: I and two others met some (4) friends who already had paid this fee and were happily watching the game. We went to sit with them only to be told that we could sit around the table i.e. in front - thus obscuring the view for them of the game - but not alongside as that would necessitate another 180 yuan table fee!

Admission / seating fees to watch a World Cup game in a bar is retarded at best, as one will buy drinks anyway, but then to be told that effectively a table can only hold 4 people (sitting the other side - and thus in front of the other 4, blocking their view of the game - defeats the purpose of wishing to watch the game ..) when the bar was empty besides one or two others, was the final straw.

I decided to take my custom elsewhere, as there are plenty of other places showing the game - and with projectors.

The other insult was that the projector was slightly fuzzy, distorting the image.

I shan't be going back either during or after the World Cup.

Very nice report .
The worst thing is the thieves .One i was taking the same route and as i don't sleep well in buses i felt the thief tiring to steal from my bag .I went to his place and shouted to him no one from the Chinese care!! or open his eyes or ask what happened even the thief hold a knife later.I was dirty horrible experience to use such bus

2010.6.14 UPDATE

Kunming F.C. has a website through which you can find out about matches and other team info:

kunmingfc.shutterfly.com

email: kunmingfc@gmail.com

The official Uprock re-opening party is next Friday, 18th.

This Sunday and throughout next week Uprock will be running a soft opening to work out all the kinks before we fully open.

Everybody is welcome to come down for Sunday's event (the Norwegian DJs + Xiao Kris party).

Please be aware that we will not be fully stocked with all of the beers on our menu. Some of our staff may be beyond useless. At the time of writing our TVs can only be hooked up to internet feeds as our TV signal is too weak, the speakers aren't fully levelled, the place smells of paint and bleach, and a whole host of other aesthetic issues.

We're working really hard to get the place fully ready by 18th June so, please, if you do come over the next 6 days, be patient with us but feel free to give us any feedback. This is the week when we fine-tune.

Uprock Reopen on Sunday!
www.douban.com/event/12033204/

Welcome to LiJiang city~We'll provide guide service & free for map and try Chinese tea for free...Please connect us
williamsjohnson@live.cn

@ Elizabeth: The interview was done in Chinese.

wasn't Uprock supposed to re-open this weekend?

Was your conversation in English? Or did you translate from Chinese?

If we could only get as much excitement around here about real football...美式橄榄球 that is!!

[insert whistle here]"你就回来了吗"

We all need a 'Qin Benhui' at some stage. I need someone to repair the repairs carried out by a rouge 'builder'.

+++++ Qin Benhui Builders Ltd. All building work guaranteed. +++++

Please Mr Qin, expand. Start a business, maintain the standards. Make a fortune.

秦本辉万岁!!!!