I need to go back to Sweden (Copenhagen) this summer, and to my surprise, I found flying from Hanoi is cheaper than either Beijing or Bangkok, Hongkong or Guangzhou. As a swede, I don't need visa for Vietnam, which begs the question; how do I get from Kunming to Hanoi? is it easy even if I have lots of luggage? it is safe? Thankful for any advice you can give me.
I'm leaving China soon, and being the last contributor present of the Heaven in Hell shabbiness blog, there's lots and lots and lots I'd still would like to do, but simply won't have time to (though I do have a few reviews still in the pipeline). It doesn't nearly feel like the blog's purpose, being a guide to cheap and shabby, off-the-beaten-track Kunming restaurants, is fullfilled. I actually think there's potential for growth; based on google analytics, off late the blog has had maybe 60-120 readers.
I'm not yet ready to completely hand over the blog, as I might go back to China in a year or two and wanna continue it, but I would be delighted if there's anybody in Kunming who'd feel up to the task of becoming a contributor, and post a new review every now and then. We can talk about the details later, if there is anyone interested, just know I cannot offer you anything else than the honor of a top spot on the contributors page, and an outlet for your witticism and cynicism.
If there's anyone who'd have more ambitious visions for the blog than mine, I'm definitely open to discuss it (for example, I hosted the blog on blog.se so it wouldn't be blocked by Big Brother, but since then blog.se did the extremely stupid move of joining wordpress, so now it's blocked...I would much prefer to host 'Heaven in Hell' on a site more easily accessible from China; it's after all a site meant for Kunmingren).
Here's the blog in all it's glory, please help me out and keep it going, as I feel a site like it is needed for the english-speaking community in Kunming. It'd be sad if I had to close it down:
I see lots of chinese people with nice-looking tattoos, and I'm considering getting one myself, as it's almost (or completely, due to guanxi) free here, compared to the thousands of kuai it'd cost me in Sweden. I have a design prepared, and a tattooist that a friend has vouched for.
Do I dare? Are there any drawbacks to getting a tattoo here, as opposed to in Europe? I've heard somewhere that the inks has worse quality, would this be true?
I know that a friend sometimes get rid of clothes at the clothes second hand market over by Zhangguangyin, but when I went to the general second hand market across the street people seemed remarkably unwilling to buy my stuff even for ridiculously low prices. One guy claimed all his (obviously second hand) stuff came from Korea, and I was like 'yeah, right, whatever'. I left rather perplexed, as I don't get how a second hand market could work if they never buy second hand stuff from people.
Makye Ame, Makye Ame, Makye Ame; 'yak meat in nepali spices' is Kunming's best dish.
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The temple itself is interesting, but small; the surrounding exhibitions range from pointless and boring to rather fascinating, but you really need to know chinese or have somebody translating for you to get anything out of it. If you only have limited time in Kunming, skip it and head for the Bamboo Temple instead. Otherwise it's worth a visit.
The place itself is somewhat interesting, the hike there through the mountains is very nice and the views absolutely stunning.
Though overpriced, the bread is good and the pizza not bad (though a bit small). However, this place score tons of points for the great and cozy atmosphere, it's absolutely worth repated visits.
The temple itself is not very interesting, but the grounds are beautiful and the adjoining park (Admission fee: 5 yuan) makes for a pleasant stroll or picknick in a quaint and somewhat forgotten corner of Kunming. I don't know if people are ever allowed into the pagoda;if so, it would make for a grand view of the city, and be worth one extra star. Definitely worth a visit. Note that the temple compund and the park is connected via an underpass just behind the park's west gate.
It's a pleasant little temple, but the local temple staff wants nothing but your money, and will try their best to get it through various semi-scams.
China considered Myanmar drone strike during manhunt
Posted bythe problem is, when one faction takes it upon themselves to drone strike against terrorists in spite of any national borders, agreements and/or affected civilians, another faction will naturally claim it as their god-given right to drone strike against drug lords/rebels/dissidents/civilians/whatever takes their fancy. This is something we will se more of in the future, as Russia and China gets the technology and confidence to emulate US behavior and violate their neighbors in a multitude of new and interesting ways; China is just getting started, there's much, much more to come.
Beijing green-lights Nu River dam
Posted byI'm having a really tough time understanding why they don't just build a few nuclear plants instead of all these dams. Okay, sure, we know by now that chinese bureaucrats on all levels simply adore large scale brutalist architecture projects, but this is taking it a bit too far...
Chinese teens murder seven before arrests
Posted byBut repeat offenders are, like everybody else, a product of society. They should not be removed permanently from society, but be given help so that they might, in time, be allowed back into society and live peacefully and constructively within it. Society has a responsibility to take care even of this people, and killing them would mean the utter failure in this regard.
This I say coming from a country where hardly anyone can ever be incarcerated for more than two decades, and I do think that is very good.
Getting Away: Xishan
Posted bydoes anybody know something about the "miniature stone forest" that can be reached from the walkways among the daoist temples? It is worth visiting?