Forums > Living in Kunming > Kunming Waterfalls, Just in TIme for Drought Yes, it is up and running, I saw it the other day. To get to it bike (or drive but it gets heinously muddy) up beside the Pan long on the West of the river north of the Carnival shopping mall. You can now continue further than you could a few months ago as they have built the park on the riverside and upgraded the road. There is a hell of a lot of construction going on building houses down that road, but it's still Ok for riding. You get to a part where the road turns to gravel/mud and swings right towards the river. Stop near the river and look North to see the waterfalls.
It should be a beautiful place to live in the future, new apartments, nice riverside parks with a nice (albeit man made in Chinese sterile style) waterfall view. Of course at the moment the surrounding area is a construction site.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Man with a Van By "fairly large truck" I mean probably about the size of 2-3 mian bao che's.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Man with a Van How much stuff is it? We moved a whole room setup (wardrobe/drawers/table/bed/bicycles plus about 20 boxes) using 3 guys that come in a fairly large truck. You pack up everything (though they unscrewed the bed for us), they load it into the truck and unload at your new place. Pretty good guys and STRONG. We were done in 2 hours. Yes, 2 HOURS!
They were locals though, so hopefully your Chinese is good! Was 250 kuai, there number is 67158896 - 激发光家 ji2 fa1 ban1 jia1 (company name). We bargained a bit to get the price down from 250 but gave them 250 in the end because they did such a good job and so fast! They charge more for stairs etc too though (we went from elevator apartment to 1st level).
Forums > Living in Kunming > Library Story Hour - Input wanted Awesome work Elisa, well done, hope it continues to be successful!
Forums > Living in Kunming > Japanese Encephalitis Sarah, it is extremely paranoid and silly to not go to Yuan Yang rice terraces because you may on the off chance catch Japanese Encephalitis. You probably are 50 times as likely to be killed by a car crossing the road there than be infected. From what I have been told, something like 2% of mosquitoes carry the disease, and the infection rate is 0.2%. Meaning your chance of catching it is ridiculously low. I have cycled all over Yunnan and SE Asia staying in tents and cooking outside at night etc, never taken malaria or Japanese Encephalitis vaccine and never had a problem. Just like almost everyone else I have met doing something similar. As always prevention is best, cover up during at risk times and don't sleep outside! Wait until you see the drive up to Yuan Yang, then you will be scared! But don't live life wrapped in cotton wool, you won't leave your own house!
To suggest missing out on such an amazing place because you just might contract a disease which barely any local has heard of is ridiculous. It's like not going to Africa for fear of Ebola.
I have a very large suspicion drug companies advise doctors to push the medicine and tell patients that they are really likely to catch these infectious diseases in order to sell their excessively marked up and questionable quality vaccines. Just don't worry.
Getting Away: Luang Prabang
Posted byLuang Prabang is one of my favourite places in Asia. Laid back locals, cheap, great scenery, good architecture, a few really nice local sights... what more can you ask for. Perfect romantic getaway...
2012: Three game-changers for Kunming
Posted byPolitical achievement or not, Kunming must be one of the only cities in the world that is getting an MTR before it is drastically needed. And poor quality shade trees? I aren't too sure where you are looking but they seem fine to me...
Wether or not they are corrupt, the projects benefit the people first it seems. Unlike other places where projects would be populist or for the elites only...
2012: Three game-changers for Kunming
Posted byI suspect the car ownership face thing will continue the increase of cars in the city. The government will eventually start tolling people through high parking charges and the like to discourage it, it won't happen overnight but it will happen just as it has in *insert name of any big city in the world*.
I think Kunming will be an interesting case for the subway vs face value of cars. Kunmings streets aren't really that congested (have you been to Malaysia/Jakarta?) and the majority of workers don't appear to have cars yet. To be honest, I think the subway here is coming in before its really needed. It will be VERY interesting to see if the middle classes that have been aspiring to own a car will continue to aspire to stupidity when most of the subway system kicks in, i.e. once they realise that a car is not needed, is a hassle and a waste of money. One thing I know about Chinese is they are mostly financially savvy, which means they think about where to put there money more. They also care less about personal space than us so a squashed subway is less of a problem. And when they realise they can get from one end of Beijing Lu to the other in 10-15 minutes on the subway or 40 minutes in a car...
Regardless, the majority of the population here has never used an MTR system before, so the first few months of operation will be filled with hilarity I am sure!
I am almost sure the local govt will put a good bus route through to the new airport. Thats the way I will get there, probably by taking a taxi to the last bus stop in the city and then catching it to the airport. Might cost 2 kuai but its better than the 40-50 default charge that most taxis will probably quote...
Kunming planning on adding more taxis soon
Posted by"If suddenly there are many more competitors, everybody will have a difficult time surviving," he added. "Furthermore, in two years, after the subway is operational, the number of people taking taxis will suddenly drop. Then what do we do?"
This is such a common complaint of so many taxi drivers and completely unfoundered. You go to any big city that has a subway (think HK, NY, Singapore, Rome....) and you see taxis everywhere. What taxi drivers don't realise is the subway means its less likely people own cars (even with their face value). But subways don't go everywhere so you often need to take a taxi to the out of the way place you are trying to get to after getting off the subway.
Subways are actually good for taxis, it causes more short trips more often for drivers, which with a flag fall fee means more revenue.
Cycling from Kunming to Lüchun
Posted byIts finished??? I look back on it so fondly now, almost being killed by boulders or asphyxiation from the dust. Its a shame other cycle tourists won't get to experience the same exhilaration and breath taking air? Camping in the middle of it was...interesting as well. Ahh well, like all things in China change is inevitable.
Looks like you got the same as me when you went through omgiri! If you are guys are still around we should go for a ride sometime. My usual ride of up and down Changchong Shan is becoming rutted, I think mainly from me!