woaiJING you seem to come from a country where the government trusts and respects its citizens' judgement. Where the interview and subsequent judgement of the interviewer overrules the spurious rules that can make life impossible.
The rest of us appear to come from countries where the government distrusts and thinks all its citizens are morons that can't make intelligent decisions. Therefore they have to put onerous and dubious rules in place to ensure they weed out people trying to cheat the system. Guilty to proven innocent is the policy of most western countries immigration systems in respect to Chinese/Asian people. The fear that pervades the Western world when looking at Asia is obvious in their immigration policy. And we were the ones that encouraged globalisation...
The reason is because when you try to take transport after crossing the border, the transport operator will usually accept either currency (local or from the country you just came from). This was the case when I crossed from Malaysia to Thailand and Thailand to Cambodia (they preferred USD or Thai baht in Cambodia!). Don't worry, the transport operators at small crossings understand your dilemma! This is in the out of the way border crossings i.e. smaller border crossing posts without a major town around it.
At the major border crossing posts, they will almost always have international ATM's where you can withdraw money and/or they will have money exchange places. Money exchange places on border crossing posts usually give you terrible rates, but sometimes its worth it if you have lots of currency you aren't going to use. But I would advise holding onto the currency until you get to the next big town for better rates!
The last bit of advice - get about $100 in small USD notes (I would advise five $10 notes, six $5 notes and twenty $1 notes. This will cover you in cases on the rare occasion where the above doesn't work (i.e. ATM machine is broken, you cross early/late and buses aren't available - only taxis and they will only take local currency but if you flash USD they will probably accept!). Don't worry if you get to Vietnam and haven't used your USD at all - its a second currency in Vietnam and your accommodation will quote you rates in USD! You will be able to pay for lots of stuff in USD in Vietnam so can use it up.
OK OK OK... heres an idea. Who is up for an afternoon ride in the North on Friday, followed by a visit to the new Irish bar which is having its opening night on Friday in Beichen walking street. Possibly followed by a slightly drunken ride home. Sounds dangerous, I know, but I like danger :-) (plus I live in the North)...
You've got me interested in you new trail now! The loop I did with Omgiri the other day was pretty fun so I would be keen to see others in the area! How about we try and organise a 4 person ride then this week with Selman (I am sure you read these Selman!) Omgiri, you and I? Would be good to get together as a group and scare some locals... and then maybe ourselves on the trail!
Give us a yell if you get some free time during the week. I am on self directed study so can do whatever whenever and organise other stuff around riding (see where my priorities lie!).
And for the love of god, prioritise the currently useless line that should run all the way to the airport! Anyone notice that it doesn't look like they have left enough room for the train just West of the East Bus station? The raised bridge appears to be a little close to the vehicle bridge above it... maybe this was why they haven't done anything, somebody screwed up and nobody wants to take responsibility?
I saw what I am almost sure was a black bear in Cangshan about 3 weeks ago. I was walking the cloud path, the northern part past Zhonghe temple towards the road leading down to the 3 pagodas. The first thing I heard was a loud angry grunting sound from something LARGE, as I was rounding a bend, the sound from behind. Being by myself (not making much noise on the lookout for birds) and not knowing what it was it was a bit of a brown pants time. So I legged it for a few hundred metres and got to the point where I could look back, to see a large black shape through the first line of forest through the trees. A couple of days later I saw a sign on the southern end of the cloud path that said black bears roamed Cangshan...
I aren't in Kunming for the foreseeable future, just left.
Clearly you aren't interested in answering the question, I withdraw it in the face of the inane/inept responses that you have provided. I suggest you stop telling others how to think/behave if you can't provide thoughtful, respectful advice/experience yourself.
Wow, just wow. Possibly the best Chinese food I have had in Kunming. And in one of the nicest, traditional courtyard style restaurant I have been in. A woman dressed in traditional qi pao playing a gu zheng just adds to it.
We had okra, mushroom soup, dried beef and chou dofu. All top notch with the bill coming in at just over 250 kuai. But we could have fed 3 people for that so not too bad at about 80-90 kuai each. Not the cheapest but for the quality, it's damn good.
If you have people visiting and want to take them to a traditional Chinese style restaurant with Yunnan style food, or want a romantic night out with a gal, you can't go wrong here. Close to Green Lake (down a little alley) for a romantic walk... Just perfect.
Pretty good place for getting all your documents translated and/or notarised. Note that there are a number of notaries in the building which you can find by going up the stairs (the elevators are impossible). But you have to find the stairs to do so... go in the door, head over to the right, go up the big wide stairs which head up a floor, turn right then right again into the elevator area and right again into the stairwells. Whew!
One point off for the elevators never being available and having to hike 7-9 flights of stairs (not good if you have to go 3-4 times a day like I often did!)
This does not stop at the Jinanya hotel at Da Shang Hui as the flyers state (and is on the images tab here). They need to have another stop in the same area or else they are missing out on covering a big chunk of the city.
You can take another bus, the 919C, I believe, if you are nearby Da Shang Hui, which leaves from the bus station on HeHong Lu, nearby the Qianxing road intersection. This bus goes every hour and is white, found at the western end of the station. It is operated by a different company and takes about 1 hour 10 minutes to get to the airport due to a large number of stops especially near the airport.
Friendly people, even got to the talk to the vice consulate, who told me she had done a stint in Malaysia's Siberian Consulate!
English is spoken by some of the Chinese girls working at the desk who are pleasant to deal with. I assume they do Visa's as well but I wasn't here for a visa, this time!
Cookie Preferences
Please select which types of cookies you are willing to accept:
Infrastructure money continues to pour into Kunming
发布者And for the love of god, prioritise the currently useless line that should run all the way to the airport! Anyone notice that it doesn't look like they have left enough room for the train just West of the East Bus station? The raised bridge appears to be a little close to the vehicle bridge above it... maybe this was why they haven't done anything, somebody screwed up and nobody wants to take responsibility?
Infrastructure money continues to pour into Kunming
发布者Forecast: Dust for the next 10 years.
The inaugural Kunming International Business Conference
发布者Great stuff, good work for organising what I am sure will be a popular and successful event!
Bear attacks increasing in northeast Yunnan
发布者I saw what I am almost sure was a black bear in Cangshan about 3 weeks ago. I was walking the cloud path, the northern part past Zhonghe temple towards the road leading down to the 3 pagodas. The first thing I heard was a loud angry grunting sound from something LARGE, as I was rounding a bend, the sound from behind. Being by myself (not making much noise on the lookout for birds) and not knowing what it was it was a bit of a brown pants time. So I legged it for a few hundred metres and got to the point where I could look back, to see a large black shape through the first line of forest through the trees. A couple of days later I saw a sign on the southern end of the cloud path that said black bears roamed Cangshan...
Man misses 1 billion yuan jackpot by single number
发布者I aren't in Kunming for the foreseeable future, just left.
Clearly you aren't interested in answering the question, I withdraw it in the face of the inane/inept responses that you have provided. I suggest you stop telling others how to think/behave if you can't provide thoughtful, respectful advice/experience yourself.