Forums > Living in Kunming > VPN services, which one?!
Astrills good, has got iPhone support too... I find it quick, fairly reliable and has about a million servers you can easily switch between.
Astrills good, has got iPhone support too... I find it quick, fairly reliable and has about a million servers you can easily switch between.
Be careful buying anything on Taobao as some people are fake and will take your money no qualms. To think there are people like this in the world?? My friends tell me they can usually tell by the ratings etc people get, but it isn't as reliable as e-bay and others.
Its likely that the item is out the back door of the factory yes! Though you can't be sure of the authenticity or quality of the item I would ask for real pictures (cell phone OK) and email contacts, even talking to the person and doing everything you can to make sure its real.
My friend got something sent to him once (I think it was a computer game or something?) and he had to pay more in taxes than what it was worth.
I would get an e-reader from www.taobao.com as its likely you will have to pay some stupid amount for import tax.
Check out taobao though, search for ereader. Looks like you can get sonys, kindles, kobos (I have one and they are pretty cheap and OK). Then, depending what country you are from, use a VPN for ordering the books. I am from NZ and use Astrill which makes it look like I am still there for my kobo purchases (they are geographically aware as each place pays different rates for books).
To get stuff from Taobao though you need to set up some stuff with your bank (according to my friend), special account or something. Talk to some Chinese friends, they will probably have an account already.
I heard Gaoxing also bites children and once touched a horses dong. Well, thats what I heard... I still think the "I am Gaoxing" t-shirt is a good idea...
If I saw Gaoxing in person, I would buy him a beer and thank him for the laughs!
This page talks about it a lot: www.seat61.com/Taiwan.htm#Ferries to Taiwan
I would get the train to Guangzhou (overnight sleeper) then go to the East bus station (you might need to stay a night in Guangzhou) and take the train to Zhangzhou as specified here:
www.chinatraveldepot.com/[...]
Xiamen isn't far away then, a taxi or bus would take you there probably. You are looking at 2-6 days of travel though... and it might just be cheaper to fly after all the hotels and train trips and hassle. Although it might be worth it just for the experience (I am also a masochist!).
Google fixes everything.
No results found.
So fast, so convenient. One star off for opening before the train station stop is connected!
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.
Great bus though if you can catch it!
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!
Cycling from Kunming to Lüchun
发布者Looks like we could easily have a cycle tourists convention here in Kunming! Maybe this is where all the cycle tourists go when we retire (from cycle touring?). Its like Florida for cycle tourists!
Cycling from Kunming to Lüchun
发布者I liked Nansha too, I got a fabulous hotel there for 60RMB per night and everything was brand new. I got sick and collapsed in a restaurant and the owner of the restaurant called the local hospital for me and two nurses picked me up in a cab and looked after me for the night for a measly 200RMB. Can't complain!
Snap bluppfisk!
www.crazyguyonabike.com/[...]
Around Town: Biking the trails of Changchong Mountain
发布者Omgiri, you still around and keen for a ride? Would like to see this trail!
Went up this morning and had a poke around on the west side (check out my map: maps.google.com/[...] Was a bit scared to head all the way down the South end of my ride as I didn't know where the military base was and I didn't want to get off the mountain. Anyone been out the road on the Southwest side? Looks like a good way up as well if it isn't gated somewhere.
Regarding trail building, there is definitely potential for a loop around the top and heading north past the road (though they are building the road further north too). There are some good guys in the Specialized bike shop in Beichen who are mates with former China/Asia MTB champions who might be interested in such a project. The owner of that shop appears to be a lihai dude probably with a lot of guangxi who may be able to help with the government side of things. It would be a win-win as we could get a good trail, he could grow his business being the closest good shop to the trail... would be good to include a number of shops/clubs around though and get some organisation together to push this on.
Rock Climbing in Kunming
发布者I scoped out a pretty nice boulder on a ride around Changchong Shan today that would be pretty good for bouldering. Its got a nice exit to the top for getting down and top roping if desired (although its only about 5 metres high). Check out the blue boulder on my map here: maps.google.com/[...]
There were maybe 3 routes up this thing, one particularly nasty slight overhang lay back on the south side which would see me barn dooring for africa!
Note I also included a blue link to some cliffs which I am sure would have some good climable routes. There is a little view station on top of the cliffs and a good path to it so reeks of climbing potential. Its all limestone rock and undiscovered... local climbers should get in there and start developing it up there!
'No-car day' underlines Kunming's car conundrum
发布者Yep, you guys are probably right. The subway won't decrease car usage which is tied to status. Instead probably half of the people using electric scooters and bicycles will use it! Not exactly the target audience, damn!