China Part 2 Zhouzhuang Ancient Water Town - Venice of Shanghai

China Part 2 Zhouzhuang Ancient Water Town - Venice of Shanghai

Going to Zhouzhuang was something totally new and I had gone to while in China before. Zhouzhuang is about an hour and half outside of Shanghai, you will have to hire a driver for the day but it is worth the expense ($100). This city dates back to I believe 755 BC, it was amazing to experience this city. You can ride Gondola's and have the chinese ladies sing to you for a price ;). People do actually live in these water towns today but, you will have to pay admission to get in ($20) and that includes exhibits of the houses many of the generals lived in. You can only go in each exhibit once with your ticket, if you lose your ticket you cannot get into these smaller exhibits. As far as food I am an extremely picky eater so it was really hard to find me to find food but I did find one place that offered pizza. Zhouzhuang is an extremely tourist funded town so as you walk around there are sellers everywhere trying to get you into their shops. I did find a set of 4 pictures for less than $10 dollars that I love, they depict the seasons in Zhouzhuang. Below are pictures from our adventure in Zhouzhuang. I consider this a MUST do next time you are in Shanghai.

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China January 2013 Part 1 Mutianyu and The Peking Opera at The Egg

Hello Again Everyone!

I've totally taken my time since my last trip posting about it! Sorry about that! I am a student so I've been super busy with classes, but now I am going to be giving you all a little insight into my latest trip to China! This trip I took one of my aunts so the trip was a little bit repetitive HOWEVER I have to say going to China in the Winter while it was very very Cold it was a great time for sight seeing since no one was at any of the sights and I have to tell you I got some of my best pictures ever.

Mutianyu Winter Time 

Mutianyu - The Great Wall of China <-- Click the Link for more detailed information on going to Mutianyu

I went to Mutianyu again with my aunt and my mom just because my aunt has never been to the Great Wall of China.  Going to Mutianyu is a perfect Great Wall Day Trip - we left early in the morning from Beijing went to see the wall then went to lunch at The School House, saw a glass blowing show and headed home.  I  was happy to see it again because I wanted to see it with SNOW! It was very cold but also extremely beautiful! Defiantly didn't do a long trek like last time but if you wanted to now would be a good time since you could get amazing pictures. 

The Peking Opera at "The Egg"

"The Egg" as is a nickname for The National Center for Preforming Arts in Beijing. It it named this because well it looks like an egg and when the water around "The Egg" reflects it correctly you can see the whole egg shape.  You have to go to "The Egg" during the day in order to buy tickets, there is a metro stop right inside of "The Egg" to see the shows visit their website http://www.chncpa.org

The Peking Opera is one of the first things that I was looking at that I wanted to go see, and what better place to look for one than the National Preforming Arts Centre in Beijing. The National Centre is a tourist spot on its own. Now some things to know about going to a Peking Opera, it is NOT for everyone they sing in very HIGH pitched voices, it is visual beautiful though, some americans find the need for ear plugs since they can't deal with the pitch. Personally I didn't think it was that bad however since it is all in Chinese it was hard to follow the story, I would almost recommend bringing someone who could help you follow the story. We didn't stay for the whole thing because we were confused and had seen enough of the beauty of the show to satisfy out tourism. Do not bring Camera's or large bags to the Opera because you will be required to use their bag check system. Below is a Youtube video of a Peking Opera so you can get an idea of what to expect. 

The pictures below are when we saw the show so it is all lit up inside and of us checking it out during the day to be able to see "The Egg" reflection correctly.

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Dragon's Head Great Wall of China

This is back to my June 2012 Trip to Beijing, I realized I didn't do any posting on that trip. This post will be specifically about visiting The Dragon's Head part of The Great Wall of China.

Dragon's Head part of the wall is in a city called Shanhaiguan.Now vising Dragon's Head is similar to other parts of the wall except that this is a very small portion of the wall that goes into the Bohai Sea. It takes about 3 hours to drive there from Beijing. Unlike some portions of the wall military was based here so much of your visit is not on the wall but checking out the military structures. This was a not tourist filled area of the wall, while there were people not anywhere near the amount you experience at tourist parts of the wall. If you can this probably one of the best parts of the wall. I went here because I've been to the classic parts of the wall, this is really for the traveler that's had a wall experience since you don't really feel like you've been on the Great Wall like you do when you go to tourist parts of the wall. However this location was super relaxing, and much less strenuous than usual parts of the wall. 

Here are some fun pictures from my trip. 

Walking the wall into the water, they make you walk on a bridge so your not touching the actual historical wall. 

This is Part of the real wall and it is lucky to put money where you can

Overview from the wall to the military base

An older part of the courtyards that hasn't been redone

In one of the courtyards, there is a Jade Dragon in the box on the right

Under one of the entrances, to the base

Beautiful Labyrinth 

Guard Tower, I'm standing on part of the wall.

This was their Jail, we saw people fitting through the bars to take pictures, I wonder how they kept the prisoners inside

I would like to talk about the accommodations, since that's the beginning of the trip. Shanhaiguan is closer to Dragon's head and some places are walkable. I am a HUGE TripAdvisor.com user especially when I travel to locations that I haven't been too but I was very unhappy staying in Shanhaiguan. Please read my Trip Advisor Review:

WHERE YOU SHOULDN'T STAY

“Best of Shanhaiguan...Stay in Qinhuangdao” June 20, 2012

Last night literally we stayed at Hai Sheng Garden Hotel ...I am a foreigner from the United States and we wanted to see Dragons Head (part of the great wall of China). On the plus this hotel is the closest to Dragons Head (2km) and it has a nice garden, pool, lobby and although I'm not a fan they had a good Chinese restaurant. However this hotel wreaked of cigarette smoke...I have Asthma and I was having a hard time breathing in Beijing so I thought I would get out of the city however this hotel just made the asthma worse...we stayed in a junior suite at the end of the hotel and the room defiantly showed signs of wear. 

We paid about $100 usd 

Problems: 

#1 Not one person spoke English not even the manager. Like seriously how do you not have any English speaking receptionists...It was a pain to check in and check out...the person I traveled with had about intermediate Chinese speaking ability I would not advise if you are not familiar with Chinese

#2 The air conditioning did NOT work when we came into the room we put both AC units on they were at 25 degree's Celsius and even though we had the AC running for hours it never got any cooler when we left in the morning the AC read 26.5. Now we did open the windows around midnight because the room was so stuffy and the cigarette smoke was keeping us up. When we asked them to come and fix the AC no one ever came...then they asked us in the morning if the AC was good...OF COURSE NOT!

#3 is the cigarette smell although in the lobby there is a no smoking sign there were ashtrays everywhere for people to use and like I said with Asthma this was the worse we even considered leaving around midnight in search of another hotel because this one was so smelly. 

#4 was the bed and OMG the floor probably would have been softer it was like sleeping on a board now some people are into FIRM mattresses I am not. 

#5 There was not one English channel...occasionally a channel would put an English show on and we could watch it.

#6 Although breakfast was free there was nothing Western about this breakfast I only ate toast and a slice of watermelon but again people were SMOKING in the dining room and I really didn't want to stay I just wanted to get the heck out of this hotel at this point.

#7 I am a rather picky eater I had to check ever single dish on the menu in order to find one thing I would eat. It was steak with onions and rice now it was very good but if you want western food DO NOT eat here they had a fridge in my room which was a junior suite so if you were willing to go the grocery store it would be fine. 

#8 They supposedly have Internet for you to use...I couldn't figure it out at all...maybe if you can read Chinese then you would be able to figure it out but we could not.

#9 The wallpaper was starting to peel and it was a little moldy on in the hallway...

#10 Besides the wall nothing else is in walking distance so make sure you bring snacks...

I think this hotel is okay if you want to be within walking distance of the Great Wall at Dragons Head and you are not affected by cigarette smoke because there is no smoke free rooms here but overall it was a good deal we paid $100 but we had a jr. suite so the value was good.

WHERE YOU SHOULD STAY

After our night at this hotel we moved to a Holiday Inn in Qinhuangdao  this hotel is VERY western it would be similar to a Hilton in my opinion and they have SMOKE FREE floors and it really wasn't any more money than the other hotel, the downside is if you are visiting the Dragon's Head part of the wall you have about a 20minute drive so if you don't have a car its not very helpful. EVERYTHING else about this location is AMAZING, its right on the beach they have western food, a spa, and walkable to anywhere you need to go. 

Travel Plans Confirmed January 2013 Trip - Beijing

Hello again everyone its time to travel again! My aunt has decided she would like to visit Beijing! So Beijing it will be I have decided my definite dates but I'm looking at December 31st - January 20. Now since its been less than a year my visa is still valid. When visiting China you must get a Visa, they have 2 real tourist options single entry visa and multiple entry visa both are only valid for one year. All Visa's cost the same amount of money so I recommend getting the one year multiple entry visa, you may decide to jet over to Japan for a couple days during your Vacation and if you only have single entry into China you will not be allowed back into China. 

If you are like me and just a tourist here is the Tourist Visa Webpage http://us.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/zgqz/t84246.htm

For your visa you are going to need the Following items:

• Passport to be given to them for Visa (must have 6+ months left on passport)
• 2 x 2 color picture for the application, a passport picture 
• You will need your hotel or residence addresses & Phone #'s while in China
• Your employer or school address and phone number
• List of countries visited in last 12 months
• And lastly your filled out Visa Application (Tourist L) 

Important things to note about application process

• Cost is $130 - Pay on pickup
• You Need to bring this in you CANNOT mail this here is the list of the locations in the USA http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/t84229.htm
• There is a 4 business day waiting period but they have a express for $20 more.
• They can do a same day rush for $30 more but it still takes a full day so you must go as soon as they open and plan to wait till they close that day. It is used for Emergencies ONLY.

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My upcoming trips

It's been a couple weeks since I posted about anything but as my next trip plans are coming together I wanted to talk about what I am going to do my next travel planning post's on. 

For January 2013 I am planning on going to Beijing AGAIN...I dont nessisarily want to go back to Beijing even though its a great city but with my mom living there my aunt's have fininally decided they want to visit my mom there since she will be leaving her post in April 2013 this is there last chance...

In the off chance they do not go I am looking into a European Cruise, or visiting Tokyo! But...most likely I will be heading back to Beijing so you'll have to wait for those entries! :)

In about June 2013 I shall be going to either Alaska or Hawaii with my mom as well as re-visiting california... My family lives in California so it wont be super touristy information but I shall probibly throw a post about Disneyland/California Adventure as well as maybe some beaches! <3

Hope your looking forward to my travels as I am! :)

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Long Haul Flight Tips

Long Haul Flight Tips

So...Recently I made an Informative Powerpoint on for a class on what you should do when you fly on LONG flights in Economy and these are some of the tips that I put together for the powerpoint. I hope you ENJOY and that this is helpful for you on your next flight :) 

Pre-Flight Preparation

• Play with the dates and airport codes and locations
• I live in the Washington DC area and that means I can fly out of IAD (Dulles International Airport), BWI (Baltimore-Washington International Airport), & DCA (Ronald Reagan Airport)...BUT Since I live in Washington there is also a WAS airport code that covers all of the airpots but all of those code will bring up different flight prices even tho WAS covers all it can even have different flights especially when doing award travel. 
• If you have the flexibility try different dates, as well as try to book to fly in the middle of the week for cheapest prices 
• Don’t always pick the cheapest …its better to pay a hundred more than have to spend 12 more hours commuting. When I was going to Beijing, last trip they wanted me to fly from IAD to London Gatwick and have a 5 hour layover and get to London Heathrow…that would have just been a huge headache. Thats over an hr in commuting and and at least another hour going through customs. 
• Watch your Layover times
• You have to watch layover times if you are coming back or going to a foreign country. When I came home from Beijing I was in line to go through customs for an hour, if I had a connecting flight it would have been impossible to catch it if the layover was shorter than 2 hours
• Pick a good seat
• Picking a good seat is different for everyone
  …since I usually fly united I can tell you at least purchase Economy Plus…on a flight to Beijing that’s about $150 each way but those 5 extra inches are soooo valuable they are the difference between being able to open your laptop or not.
• Also this is more personal but pick an Aisle seat…I am always hydrating myself on long flights so I get up to go the restroom…often…especially because I’ll think about it, so that forces me to try even if I don’t need to. I remember being stuck in a window seat one time…OMG I think my seat mates hated me because of how often I got up and after that I vowed never to sit in the window again unless it was a super short flight…but maybe you are the type of person who never gets up during a flight and really wants to see the view for the 30minutes that there is view, more Aisle seats for me

• SeatGuru is great for picking out seats and more specifically seeing which seats are awful, SeatGuru is also good for telling you where the outlets are on the plane, as well as if there are any movie players in your area, and where the bathrooms and galleys are. 

•  If you are pro Aisle like me try and get seated in the middle set of seats because if your asleep the people in the middle can always exit the other side and leave you alone. It is also good because sometimes some airlines like United will only have movie players through the plane and the middle set of seats is the only group with the big screen 
• FOOD
• For long flights you can request a meal this is a must if you have special dietary request such as Vegan, Kosher, or even children's. You must do this before the flight like at least a week before you can usually do it online but if not make sure you make a call to the airline to make sure you get your requested food.
•  It is nice because you do get your food before everyone else and you don't have to worry about them running out of an option. I personally order the Children's meal because I am a picky eater, but that doesn't always mean the food is good, just that its generally plainer than the meal everyone else gets on the plane. I usually ALWAYS hate the breakfast for kids, even the adult breakfast is usually foul...the eggs are just yuck...Sometimes for the kids breakfast they give me these apple cinnamon filled pancakes and they aren't horrible..but I can never stomach more than 1 and the potatoes are bleh...I wouldn't count on enjoying your breakfast in Economy...The Lunch/Dinner and Snack are usually pretty okay tho.
• I have also generally found the food is somewhat based on where you are coming and going to on international flights...for example on my last flight home from beijing they had a chinese dinner and an american dinner...although you could get either americans usually got the chicken and potatos I cant remember the Chinese dinner but, many Chinese on the plane did get it. The snack was Cup of Noodles, I guess they felt both guests would like it. 
• Check your Passport and for Visa's 
• Make sure your passport is valid most countries will not allow you to enter a country if your passport is expiring in the next 6 months, since most passports are for 10years this usually isnt a problem 
• If you do not have a passport you will need to apply according to the Department of State who issues passports the routine process time is 4-6 weeks with expidited of 2-3 weeks, however they do have ways to get them faster but it will take a lot of your time and money. For more information go to travel.state.gov. 
• The state department website also lists what visa’s you need to go to certain countries. When I got to Beijing I need to pay $130 and wait about a week to get my visa but if you lived out of DC it would take substantially longer, I am lucky to live in DC since all of the embassys are here and I can just visit embassy to get a visa but for those who live far from embassies must make sure you give yourself ample time to acquire a visa.
• When should you head to the airport
• Most of the time nothing is going to go wrong but if it does most people generally stick to the 2 hour rule of thumb
• You have to be careful though because airlines have baggage cutoffs for United its 45mins before takeoff, but if there is a long line to get to the counter that could take 30mins then another 30 at least going through security you really need to pad your schedule. 
• For Example: Right after the attempted bombing on the flights in the UK, I flew the next morning and the airport was cautious and you couldn't’t get anywhere they ended up having to hold the plane because so many people were trying to get through. 
• Also, I’ve also been to LAX and have it take the 2 hours to go through security you just never know. But now that security procedures are very streamline and most pople know what to do you can usually cut it closer. The question is are you willing to risk missing your flight? 
• Here is a fun youtube video to get you through security



What to bring on your flight

• Pack as light as Possible & Lock Compartments
• Pack as light as possible I recommend just bringing a backpack, I have a hurly backpack that has compartments for everything and this is important on long flights and don’t forget to get LOCKS I get regular travel locks with a key…all the same key then I usually attach the key to something on my body this makes you feel more secure when you decide to sleep on the plane, don’t want your passport to go missing, and if it’s a key its easier to open in the dark then trying to put in a combination and trust me you will be in the dark, even if its light outside they want people to have the ability to sleep, and watch movies.
• If you must bring a carry-on piece of luggage make sure that you are within the airline regulations, as well as any other airlines that you are flying on in other countries. For example United.com  states that your carry on baggage cannot be bigger than 14 inches x 9 inches x 22 inches but the weight is generally unrestricted on US Carriers so best to pack books there. However when I was flying on Quantas airlines within australia they also added the restriction that it could not weight over 10lbs and when I was in Uluru, Australia I got a horrible customer service agent who made me repack my luggage multiple times…it literally made me want to cry she was such a stickler. So to save your piece of mind, prepare ahead of time. 
• Pack Medications in Carry-ON
• Always make sure you bring all necessary medications, I usually bring one Ziploc with toiletries such as moisturizer, Chapstick, contact lens solution, and my necessary meds to go through security but make sure you have you medical labels if you are bringing pills, My inhaler and EPI-Pen don't need to have med labels but my Ambian has to be labeled to me in my name with a description of the pill in order to get through security. 
• WATER! 
• Water is a must on long flights, occasionally you cannot bring water on a plane for example when I was flying to DC from Beijing, I was not allowed to being any beverages on the plane, they had an additional security check when boarding the airplane for liquids, but in most cases especially when leaving the US you can grab a beverage and bring it on the plane. Staying hydrated is important for your blood flow while on these long flights. 
• SNACKS!
• The TSA no longer screens food, you can bring a sandwich but I recommend granola bars, or some other snack just incase the inflight food is so foul that you wont be starving on your flight. 
• Neck Roll Pillow
• Neck Rolls save your neck on these long flight, on long flights they will have enough blankets and super flat pillows for everyone on these long flights since most people will try and sleep, so NEVER bring a blanket...If you are in economy it is imperative to have a neck roll because you don't usually sleep sitting you can get neck aches leaning your neck from side to side...I leave mine on even when Im watching movies to give myself neck support on long flights. 
• ENTERTAINMENT!!!!!!!!!!
• Entertainment in very valubable on long flights you should bring you ipad, or laptop loaded up with blockbuster movies and noise cancelling headphones. 
• I personally think you should bring many different platforms of entertainment on the plane. You will need something to entertain you while you are taking off and landing and when they are long flights these times are also longer….a magazine wont be enough…I recommend a book or at least 2+ Magazines.
• On my 13+ Hour flights I bring my laptop, iPad, 2 iPods, and Nintendo DS, I make sure all are charged well. 
• I also bring many different sets of headphones along with my noise cancelling ones I bring my apple in ear headphones because regular headphones don’t usually block out enough sound, the ones the airlines provide in economy as worthless, and if 1 pair of headphones breaks I have backup.
•  If you are lucky enough to be on a plane with movie players, it will make you so much happier, I recommend trying to make sure when booking to choose a flight with personal movie players…with United that’s picking a Boeing 777 over a Boeing 747.  USE SeatGuru when booking to see what each plane has...movie players are worth their weight in gold on long haul flights especially if you have young children...they can watch disney and you can watch the newest movie...not having to share...

What to wear to fly

• I usually wear a sweatsuit such as a Juicy Sweatsuit or an Adidas Sweatsuit if your a male.... Your body expands when you fly, as well as you generally want to sleep on a flight so comfort is key! 
• LAYER UP 
• Just because its warm where you are doesn't mean it will be on the plane
• Layering up is great because 
• #1 you dont have to pack the jacket in your luggage space
• #2 it gets really really cold on planes and 
• #3 you can always use some layers as a pillow. 
• Shoes 
• You should wear tennis shoes on a plane somthing with rubber treading just in case there is an emergancy Rubber soled shoes are key...while you are on the plane 
• I reccomend some cheap slippers you can throw away when your done because your not going to want to wear your tennis shoes for 13+ hours and your going to need to walk around and use the bathroom but your not going to want to put those shoes back in your backpack after they have touch the ground of an airplane restroom. 
• DO NOT wear perfume
• ...that is just disrespectful of everyone in your area it would be especially harmful for those who are allergic to the smell and have to sneeze for 13+ hours 
• This also applies to scented lotions

When to board the plane 

• There is one question key to knowing when to board a plane...
• HOW MUCH LUGGAGE!!!
• If you are flying on a 6+ hour flight you will most likeley be boarding a plan with anywhere from 400-500 seats depending on how they are arranged on that plane. Thats 
• Thats 499 possible other passengers!
• I usually bring a backpack, but people bring more on board especially since they have imposed high luggage costs
• If you do have roller luggage...get on the plane AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, this should allow you to get your luggage in an overhead compartment because there is NEVER enough room anymore...they will check your roller for free if they run out of room BUT if you have valuables, and breakables in your roller luggage checking wont be an option for you
• If you just have a backpack and don't mind sharing your floorspace get on the plane as late as possible loading can take around 45mins if everyone has to board the plane...thats 45mins of sitting on the plane longer than you need to!

Thanks for the time you spent reading this and be sure to send me a message if you have any questions or comments and I will respond promptly! HAPPY FLYING!

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Sydney Bridge Climb

On one of my last days in Australia I was in the city of Sydney and I decided to do the Sydney Bridge Climb which is a must for anyone who visits Sydney. You literally walk on the Harbour Bridge in Sydney. There is one company who doesn't the Bridge Climb the website can be found here. I decided to do the night regular bridge climb but signed up so that I could see sunset from the bridge it cost $188AUD per person. I am afraid of heights, they tell you to inform your guide so I was placed near the front. Almost halfway up the bridge we were having stunning views the steps are easy and you stop a lot, mostly to take pictures. 

I am getting ahead of myself, first you go upstairs and wait for your group to be called, when they are you move to another room where you have to sign a waiver, as well as they make sure you have any medical problems...I have asthma so I gave them my inhaler for the guide to carry just in case. We then moved to the changing area and they handed us our outfits to wear they are essentially jump suits. They tell us not to wear anything but our undergarments after we are dressed we take our stuff and put it into lockers. Then our instructor comes and gets us we are a group of about 10-15. They bring us to these U-Shaped coral where we get our equipment....the belt that tethers you to the bridge we also get attached with jackets attached to our belts near our bums. It was amusing. Then once we are geared we do a practice run so we can learn how to climb up and down the latter to get to different levels as well as learn how to move while we are attached to something. 

Then we head out get the last pee break and drink break and we are off it is a 2.5-3hour climb. About half-way up the bridge it started pouring rain and it was windy and if I was scared before I defiantly was when it was raining sideways...finally we get to the top and take a group picture and we start heading down when it stopped raining...we start slowly walking down since we are on metal and it was just raining. 

I know it sounds a little traumatic cause it was raining but it fine and really worthwhile I would do it again I just hope it wouldn't rain again... :)

-Tanya

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