I would like to add to Long-Dragon's list...Events that happen at the Kunming International Convention and Exhibition Center outside of the auto show are usually not listed.
I went to an excellent SE Asian Trade Fair last year where vendors from Thailand to Afghanistan showed up to sell goodies to the general public. No mention in GoKunming (with previous management/owners).
A very large Puer Tea Trade show occurred in April of this year at the convention center, and again no mention.
3) There is no official rule guide that details the rules of the road,
in English anyways. Didn't exist electronically or in paper when I
asked my examiners in Kunming. So, mostly you figure out the logic of
the rules from the q&a.
4) I took the exam on a computer in English. It was only available
once a week. There are 100 questions, 60 multiple choice and 40 true
and false. I was allowed two attempts. Any score of 90+ means you
pass. The first time I took the test, I just glanced over the
materials and was only able to score around 85. I studied a moderate
amount for the next attempt a week later, and passed with 90 on my
first attempt.
You just need your passport to buy a prepaid China Unicom 3G card.
There are plenty of China Unicom stores. For Kunming, staff capable of speaking a little English might only be found in the larger/largest store.
China Unicom works for the iPad. You have to do your own research if it works with the Tab. Coverage and speeds for Unicom is decent in most urban areas. China Mobile has the absolute best coverage, but their 3G network is non-standard so you have to make sure your Tab supports it.
300 rmb buys you a prepaid sim from Unicom. That's the lowest amount available. I forget the exact amount of data it provides you, but it's a few gigs worth and good for six months.
If you need a good mountain bike for a day or three, then the place debaser suggested is excellent, but at 40rmb a day plus your passport or 1000rmb for deposit. They do have excellent well maintained bikes and are 100% honest. Their English isn't great, but they've rented enough bikes to foreigners, communication isn't a barrier.
However, at 6 weeks stay, I suggest you buy a affordable/cheap bike and sell it at end of your trip, that is if the bike thieves of Kunming have not solved that problem for you.
Regarding the roads, my impression was the opposite. I left Vientiane for VV via bus and found the road ok. From VV to Luang Prabang the road was quite miserable.
Nothing better than floating down the river with some of your friends; however, avoid the bar with the giant concrete slide. A Swiss guy drowned last year after using the slide, and it's cause innumerable other injuries to party-goers. Also, the tube doesn't make up for not being a good swimmer.
Very happy that poor kids are getting a free meal at school...Very sad they are forced to eat spoiled food at times.
I think the children should be given 3rmb food vouchers to be spent with the local chefs and vendors outside the school. No more troubles for the schools to operate a kitchen, and the children can decide with their pocketbook (aka vouchers) which vendors food tastes best. If no food vendors can make decent food for 3rmb per child, then the gov't knows why the schools are forced to use rotten stuff at times.
Never gotten sick once at Sals. Their food is TexMex, so yeah, not authentic Mexican food, but pretty authentic as TexMex goes. Burrito wrap has improved a lot. Like the draft beer option now.
If you haven't had dairy products in a while, and do eat here, best forgo the sour cream. Nothing wrong with it, in fact it's the best sour cream in Kunming, but if you've eaten Chinese for month or months with no dairy intake, your system will react to sour cream or probably any liquid dairy product not so well. Maybe that's what happened with nailer and tallamerican.
It's now 5 working days for regular processing. So I submitted my application a bit before 5pm on a Friday and was told to pick it up next week Friday after 5pm.
Cost is now 400rmb for a single 30 day entry. Or that was what I was charged anyways. There are no posted prices and its cash only with no receipt except for your passport pickup. That's like $65 USD.
You can pay another 150rmb for 2 day or 100rmb for 3 day processing. For 400rmb, they should process it in three days like they used to before, but now you'd pay 500rmb. The office is still like deserted most of the time, so why does it take longer now and cost extra. If you opted for 2 day, thats like $90 usd. All other neighboring countries charge like $25usd.
The rest of and cope review is still good for hours and location.
Snapshot: Grand Canyon of the East
发布者I think you guys went back for the food! Man that last picture is making me hungry.
Getting Away: Vang Vieng
发布者Regarding the roads, my impression was the opposite. I left Vientiane for VV via bus and found the road ok. From VV to Luang Prabang the road was quite miserable.
Nothing better than floating down the river with some of your friends; however, avoid the bar with the giant concrete slide. A Swiss guy drowned last year after using the slide, and it's cause innumerable other injuries to party-goers. Also, the tube doesn't make up for not being a good swimmer.
Safety concerns plague national school lunch program
发布者Very happy that poor kids are getting a free meal at school...Very sad they are forced to eat spoiled food at times.
I think the children should be given 3rmb food vouchers to be spent with the local chefs and vendors outside the school. No more troubles for the schools to operate a kitchen, and the children can decide with their pocketbook (aka vouchers) which vendors food tastes best. If no food vendors can make decent food for 3rmb per child, then the gov't knows why the schools are forced to use rotten stuff at times.
First-hand account: Setting up a guesthouse in Xishuangbanna
发布者Has The Balcony Guesthouse opened for business? Would be very curious if there was an update to the article, which was excellent reading.