Round the world trip

[Fitvip]

The sensitive period before and after the day is over so they should be more lax. If you go there on the actual day and try talking to the cops about it, there can be more fun await you. 

I visited in June 94 during the anniversary. No happening, no markings whatsoever. It was just a big space where people moved about!

[Mockngbrd]

Remember take picture of atb and amdl

[Philipkee]

OK. So could not go to Mao tze dong memorial today as there were road blocks for some kind of event. No biggie. I just shop and change my money.

 

Another mini adventure. When changing money in Beijing itself, you have to change it at the bank. I did not know you had to make arrangents 24 hours in advance. So the bank called up other branches and they managed to locate a bank with the currency I require.

 

For information purposes, I confirmed the following with the bank.

 

1) in Beijing itself, changing of money can only be done in the banks. Or airport but I did not enter Beijing via the airport and am also not leaving via airport. Did not ask regarding train station cos i could not enter the train station yesterday (you need valid ticket to enter) and as my train ride is early in the morning, the info is irrelevant to me cos I need to change money before I enter the train station.

 

2) I was changing Chinese Yuan to Russian Ruble. Hence the need for reservations. If I was changing Chinese Yuan to let's say USD, no issues regarding reservations. Cos Russian ruble is not a "common currency ".

 

3) If I was using any currency to buy Chinese Yuan, no issues. Just change at bank.

 

In short, the reason for the need to make reservations for changing money is only because I was changing Chinese Yuan to Russian Ruble and am not doing so at places like the airport. So if anyone wants to try my route next time it's useful info to have.

 

Why didn't I change earlier in let's say seoul is cos I am not too sure how much Yuan I need in China. I try to change the balance of this country's currency only just before I leave.

 

Another thing I learned. Regarding my trip from tianjin port to my hostel, actually it can cost only 40 Yuan cos that's the taxi fare.

 

What happened was that on the ferry, the crew said just give "tips" to the tour bus driver and it's OK. So when I was boarding the bus, I asked the tour guide how much and he said 100 Yuan which I paid. The point is, he did not ask me to pay. I was the one who asked how much.

 

When I reached Beijing and stayed in the hostel, someone told me actually if the tour guide did not ask for payment, there was actually no need to pay since giving "tips" for such services is actually not a must. If it was really needed, they would have asked. Perhaps those familiar with China can comment.

 

But I remarked I better initiate payment lest people say this Singaporean so stingy.....

 

On an unrelated note, by walking here and there from bank to bank and from hostel to forbidden city and so on, I start to feel healthier from all this enforced walking.

 

Meals here are between 20 Yuan to 40 Yuan a meal. Depends on what you eat. A macdonalds set meal cost about 27 Yuan (big breakfast set ) while a bowl of of beef noodles with a bottle of orange juice cost about 23 Yuan. A plate of dumplings (I think it's xiao long bao) costs between 12 Yuan to 23 Yuan a plate. I know the 12 Yuan plate of dumplings have about 12 pieces inside. Not sure how many pieces are in the 23 Yuan plate (looked like it will be too filling so not sure if it's worth buying it).

 

Subway tickets are relatively cheap.

 

Thinks that's all for China. Now going to look at souvenirs (small ones cos I still need to lug any souvenir through Russia, France, USA. ...) and tomorrow morning I leave China.

Edited June 26, 2018 by Philipkee

[Mkl22]

Eh? How can Taxi be only 40rmb? When the high speed rail is rmb60?

[Philipkee]

Eh? How can Taxi be only 40rmb? When the high speed rail is rmb60?

Sorry I think you misunderstood. I took a tour bus from tianjin to a drop off point in Beijing. The cab fare from the drop off point to the hostel is 40 rmb.

 

If I took a cab from tianjin to Beijing, think I will be broke now.

 

What I meant when i wrote that the fare from tianjin to my hostel could have been only 40 RMB is because in theory I could have gotten away with not paying the 100RMB for the tour bus since the tour guide never asked me to pay but I volunteered to pay. Just that I don't want him to think I am stingy so I made the offer to pay when someone later told me there was no need to do so if the guide never initiated to ask for it.

 

The 40 RMB is unavoidable as it was the only transport available to the hostel at that time (past 12 midnight).

Edited June 26, 2018 by Philipkee

[Lala81]

Cool. Keep the updates coming!

[Mockngbrd]

Where the atb?

Edited June 26, 2018 by Mockngbrd

[Mkl22]

Sorry I think you misunderstood. I took a tour bus from tianjin to a drop off point in Beijing. The cab fare from the drop off point to the hostel is 40 rmb.

 

If I took a cab from tianjin to Beijing, think I will be broke now.

 

What I meant when i wrote that the fare from tianjin to my hostel could have been only 40 RMB is because in theory I could have gotten away with not paying the 100RMB for the tour bus since the tour guide never asked me to pay but I volunteered to pay. Just that I don't want him to think I am stingy so I made the offer to pay when someone later told me there was no need to do so if the guide never initiated to ask for it.

 

The 40 RMB is unavoidable as it was the only transport available to the hostel at that time (past 12 midnight).

Ok. Was confused.

 

What’s your plan in Russia? I remember in the earlier post that you stopping over during the trans mongolian railway?

Edited June 26, 2018 by Mkl22

[inlinesix]

OK. So could not go to Mao tze dong memorial today as there were road blocks for some kind of event. No biggie. I just shop and change my money.

 

Another mini adventure. When changing money in Beijing itself, you have to change it at the bank. I did not know you had to make arrangents 24 hours in advance. So the bank called up other branches and they managed to locate a bank with the currency I require.

 

For information purposes, I confirmed the following with the bank.

 

1) in Beijing itself, changing of money can only be done in the banks. Or airport but I did not enter Beijing via the airport and am also not leaving via airport. Did not ask regarding train station cos i could not enter the train station yesterday (you need valid ticket to enter) and as my train ride is early in the morning, the info is irrelevant to me cos I need to change money before I enter the train station.

 

2) I was changing Chinese Yuan to Russian Ruble. Hence the need for reservations. If I was changing Chinese Yuan to let's say USD, no issues regarding reservations. Cos Russian ruble is not a "common currency ".

 

3) If I was using any currency to buy Chinese Yuan, no issues. Just change at bank.

 

In short, the reason for the need to make reservations for changing money is only because I was changing Chinese Yuan to Russian Ruble and am not doing so at places like the airport. So if anyone wants to try my route next time it's useful info to have.

 

Why didn't I change earlier in let's say seoul is cos I am not too sure how much Yuan I need in China. I try to change the balance of this country's currency only just before I leave.

 

Another thing I learned. Regarding my trip from tianjin port to my hostel, actually it can cost only 40 Yuan cos that's the taxi fare.

 

What happened was that on the ferry, the crew said just give "tips" to the tour bus driver and it's OK. So when I was boarding the bus, I asked the tour guide how much and he said 100 Yuan which I paid. The point is, he did not ask me to pay. I was the one who asked how much.

 

When I reached Beijing and stayed in the hostel, someone told me actually if the tour guide did not ask for payment, there was actually no need to pay since giving "tips" for such services is actually not a must. If it was really needed, they would have asked. Perhaps those familiar with China can comment.

 

But I remarked I better initiate payment lest people say this Singaporean so stingy.....

 

On an unrelated note, by walking here and there from bank to bank and from hostel to forbidden city and so on, I start to feel healthier from all this enforced walking.

 

Meals here are between 20 Yuan to 40 Yuan a meal. Depends on what you eat. A macdonalds set meal cost about 27 Yuan (big breakfast set ) while a bowl of of beef noodles with a bottle of orange juice cost about 23 Yuan. A plate of dumplings (I think it's xiao long bao) costs between 12 Yuan to 23 Yuan a plate. I know the 12 Yuan plate of dumplings have about 12 pieces inside. Not sure how many pieces are in the 23 Yuan plate (looked like it will be too filling so not sure if it's worth buying it).

 

Subway tickets are relatively cheap.

 

Thinks that's all for China. Now going to look at souvenirs (small ones cos I still need to lug any souvenir through Russia, France, USA. ...) and tomorrow morning I leave China.

Well, the money changing part you could ask here earlier.

 

It is ok to be stingy. Nobody pay tips in China.

 

The dumplings you ate is jiao zhi. Per serving usually half kg or 1 jin.

 

Big breakfast in Jamaica Blue cost me RMB 55.

 

More photo for your Russian trip.

[Philipkee]

Ok. Was confused.

 

Whatâs your plan in Russia? I remember in the earlier post that you stopping over during the trans mongolian railway?

On my way to take the trans -Mongolian & trans siberian now. I will stop at irkustk (lake baikal) for a few days and then on to Moscow. So two train trips (three if you consider the Moscow to Paris leg) The train journey will be a few days each so yea, in case you don't see me post for a few days.

 

Actually I planned to just take one train ride through to Moscow but people tell me since I am not in a rush, at least stop once during the trip. Six days in a train is very taxing actually.

 

@Davidtch yea I thought it was like Singapore where changing money was a breeze. Did not notice @mercury1 posting that in London, the money changer had to order the Russian currency as well.

 

Anyways it's all over now. On to Russia.

[Adrianli]

Subscribe for updates.

[Aventador]

Since you are headed to Russia now, you should try to catch 1 world cup match live.

[Mockngbrd]

Tickets almost impossible to get. Unless scalpers. AMDL tell me one. 

[Philipkee]

Long trip from Beijing to irkstuk. I have just reached irkstuk.

 

My opinion is that there is actually nothing scary about the trip. But it can get boring and if you are easily freaked out, yes it can be scary.

 

1st instance was when we had to leave the train and the customs took our passports at the border with Mongolia. The train will then leave without us to change the wheels. It can get scary but to me, an entire train load of passengers are facing the same situation so there is nothing scary.

 

2nd time was when the customs agent came and asked for our passports at the border between china and Mongolia AT the Mongolian side. The wheels were changed at the China side. If you are not used to customs agent searching your bags in front of you in the cubicle and they are talking in a strange language, it can get scary but I did not care.

 

Third time was when the customs agent came at the Mongolian Russian border. Nothing scary but I was half drunk then from two shots of vodka from other passengers and I thought for a moment there was a raid or something.

 

One picture is random to show the time in Beijing when the sun was up.

 

@mercury1 for the trans siberian from Beijing to irkstuk I got the upper bunk and the ladder was so small I had to be an acrobat to climb up....

 

One thing I learned that on the trans siberian, we make friends easily. Cos maybe we are all on holiday. The food on the trans siberian is not cheap but a lot of people still eat there. Maybe cos it can get boring. Strange thing is it is the same train but at different parts of the journey different currencies are used. At the chinese side, you pay with yuan. Once you cross into mongolia, you can pay in mongolian or chinese yuan ONLY. Once you cross into Russia, only Russian ruble is accepted. I heard the dining car changes (literally the carriage is changed at the border) so just be prepared.

[Philipkee]

Breakfast while looking at Lake baikal from trans siberian. And I have just reached irkstuk. It was strange getting to the hostel.

 

First the directions given by the hostel were wrong. It was written three stops only but it was more than 6. But this is not what is interesting.

 

1) when i attempted to pay the fare, the conductor returned the fare to me saying no need. But she collected from everyone else. SHE is an old lady.

 

2) A SYT seeing I have problems communicating then typed in Russian "where are you going" and it appeared in English on her screen. She then showed me the phone and I mentioned my stop and she giggled and told the conductor. So they told me when to get off. OMG that russian SYT was so pretty and her giggle was so cute. Maybe I marry a Russian instead of kalimantan girl.

[inlinesix]

Take train is like that 1.

 

I took whole day HSR from Beijing to Harbin cannot tahan liao.

 

[Tohto]

Take train is like that 1.

 

I took whole day HSR from Beijing to Harbin cannot tahan liao.

But still better than cross continental flight.

Train space is bigger and more easy to walk around.

[Philipkee]

First two pictures are where we waited while the train went off to get the wheels changed at the border. Er lian is the name of the place. Very quiet and peaceful.....

 

Some other random shots of scenery and food on the train.

 

Last two pictures are pictures of my hostel and surrounding. Irkutsk is a quiet place. And I "wasted a few rubles" cos one busker was singing "I just called to say I love you" when his assistant came up and said since I was standing there so long to listen to his music, I should support him. I am a sucker for buskers. Maybe I should try to be one in the future.