.. we made it :)
flights were long, didn't get any sleep as usual. but finally we got here :)
This post was just to notify of our arrival... as I don't have the adapter for charging the laptop battery I won't write more at the moment. Will get the adapter tomorrow and then will babble more.
Tomorrow morning we have a taxi ordered at 7:45 to take us to Ming Tomb Reservoir to see Marko's competition at 10 :)
talk to you later!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
ticketytickets :)
WOHOooooo!!! Today I picked up the tickets to three Olympic events! YAY. I was getting worried already that they might not arrive before our departure.... buuh.. but we got them :)
19th of August - 10:00 - Triathlon venue ... which is somewhere north of Beijing called Changping
20th of August - 19:00 - National stadium
21st of August - 09:00 - Chaoyang Park Beach Volley Ground
I also managed to finish the Asus install, skype/ICQ/Y!/MSN - all ready and configured.
So now... basically... we are ready :) Got the most important things together and now the adventure can start. I'm getting excited about the whole thing already :) weeh! It is a bit scary as well of course, but that will pass once on the plane.
One of my co-workers asked me today of how long the plane ride is, well, honestly, i don't wanna know :) probably way too long.
Also interesting to see reaction of different people, some have given me very concerned looks and asked "so you are really gonna go?" :) ... others have stopped talking about October (well my students) in the middle of the sentence and reminded that "well first you have to make it back alive from there you know!" hih ... 5,5 days left :D YAY!
19th of August - 10:00 - Triathlon venue ... which is somewhere north of Beijing called Changping
20th of August - 19:00 - National stadium
21st of August - 09:00 - Chaoyang Park Beach Volley Ground
I also managed to finish the Asus install, skype/ICQ/Y!/MSN - all ready and configured.
So now... basically... we are ready :) Got the most important things together and now the adventure can start. I'm getting excited about the whole thing already :) weeh! It is a bit scary as well of course, but that will pass once on the plane.
One of my co-workers asked me today of how long the plane ride is, well, honestly, i don't wanna know :) probably way too long.
Also interesting to see reaction of different people, some have given me very concerned looks and asked "so you are really gonna go?" :) ... others have stopped talking about October (well my students) in the middle of the sentence and reminded that "well first you have to make it back alive from there you know!" hih ... 5,5 days left :D YAY!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
10 days before departure
count down has started long time ago :)
Asus Eee 900 laptop arrived, white one, as black ones ordering time was way too long. I "modified" it a bit according to the instructions found here , now it looks much much better :D I still have to set up all the accounts for IM's (pidgin and skype), CouchSurfing, Gmail, Flickr, couple of important bookmarks and so on. I got Thunderbird all configured with mail filters (which I simply copied over from desktop), although I'm not planning on reading my e-mail whole lot while there ;)
I have not decided if I'll bring my phone with. It would be very convenient as it has GPS on it. I already downloaded the Nokia maps and everything. Although I have heard that those aren't very good. So I gotta think about the phone a bit.
Back bag has been bought :D It's green :D And it is identical to my friend Riinas with whom we will be traveling together. Travel insurance has been arranged as well.
By the way I have created a separate set for Asia trip 2008 in Flicker (check the right hand side menu, first link under 'Links' heading). Understandably I don't have whole lot of information there yet, but the pictures will be there once the time is right.
I have managed to upload all the travel documents on a server by now. This would include passport, visas, ID card, drivers licence, VISA/debit card, travel insurance, hotel bookings, flight information, immunization passport scans or PDF's. I also put some digital photos there just in case. Of course this is all uploaded into password protected area.
Things that I still need to arrange/do:
- buy a watch... this is a complicated task :( all I need is a digital watch which has stopwatch and alarm. All the digital watches have heart rate monitoring and calorie reading functionalities. I don't need the heart rate monitor, I'm fine with my heart rate as it is - it does not need to be monitored. I also don't care about any calorie reading - no need for that.
- put together the first aid or pharmacy kit, I got to do some research on it still. I need to review the insect repellent options for sure as I have heard mixed things about it. Also gotta check if there is anything about the pollution that I should take note of.
- I'm still missing tickets to the Olympic event. The travel agency who is responsible of it in Estonia is doing such a poor job with the whole thing, they keep amazing me with new mess ups day after day. How come a company like that is still on the market? Beats me.
Other than that all else is getting arranged bit by bit. Vacation notification e-mail sending has started already some time ago :)
Asus Eee 900 laptop arrived, white one, as black ones ordering time was way too long. I "modified" it a bit according to the instructions found here , now it looks much much better :D I still have to set up all the accounts for IM's (pidgin and skype), CouchSurfing, Gmail, Flickr, couple of important bookmarks and so on. I got Thunderbird all configured with mail filters (which I simply copied over from desktop), although I'm not planning on reading my e-mail whole lot while there ;)
I have not decided if I'll bring my phone with. It would be very convenient as it has GPS on it. I already downloaded the Nokia maps and everything. Although I have heard that those aren't very good. So I gotta think about the phone a bit.
Back bag has been bought :D It's green :D And it is identical to my friend Riinas with whom we will be traveling together. Travel insurance has been arranged as well.
By the way I have created a separate set for Asia trip 2008 in Flicker (check the right hand side menu, first link under 'Links' heading). Understandably I don't have whole lot of information there yet, but the pictures will be there once the time is right.
I have managed to upload all the travel documents on a server by now. This would include passport, visas, ID card, drivers licence, VISA/debit card, travel insurance, hotel bookings, flight information, immunization passport scans or PDF's. I also put some digital photos there just in case. Of course this is all uploaded into password protected area.
Things that I still need to arrange/do:
- buy a watch... this is a complicated task :( all I need is a digital watch which has stopwatch and alarm. All the digital watches have heart rate monitoring and calorie reading functionalities. I don't need the heart rate monitor, I'm fine with my heart rate as it is - it does not need to be monitored. I also don't care about any calorie reading - no need for that.
- put together the first aid or pharmacy kit, I got to do some research on it still. I need to review the insect repellent options for sure as I have heard mixed things about it. Also gotta check if there is anything about the pollution that I should take note of.
- I'm still missing tickets to the Olympic event. The travel agency who is responsible of it in Estonia is doing such a poor job with the whole thing, they keep amazing me with new mess ups day after day. How come a company like that is still on the market? Beats me.
Other than that all else is getting arranged bit by bit. Vacation notification e-mail sending has started already some time ago :)
Friday, July 4, 2008
possibilities for communication in Asia
By reading the forums and talking to people I have started to realise of how bad the communication problems can get there (in China and in Vietnam). That worries me a bit. If it is pretty much impossible to even buy a simple train ticket from point A to point B, then things can get pretty tough I guess :) But oh well, everybody else has managed, so will we.
Also as i would like to be able to use internet freely once there and i'd also like to be able to understand what is written on the keyboard on the computer that i'm using, i figured that it would be best if i'd have a laptop with me. Initial idea came from one forum entry that i found where people who traveled China in February are selling their 7" little laptop that they brought while there. They have no use for it anymore and would be happy to sell the computer. I met up with them to see the laptop, while visiting I got so much useful information about the housing possibilities and distances and transportation and everything. I did not end up buying their laptop as I found a newer and better version (I'll have the Linux only version): Asus Eee 900 Laptop has been ordered, black version, should arrive in a week or two.
Now I still need to figure out travel insurance, buy a decent backpack and review other things that i might have to buy for the trip (pharmacy goods for an example). Perhaps we will get a hotel for the way back as well, gotta check that at some point also.
Also as i would like to be able to use internet freely once there and i'd also like to be able to understand what is written on the keyboard on the computer that i'm using, i figured that it would be best if i'd have a laptop with me. Initial idea came from one forum entry that i found where people who traveled China in February are selling their 7" little laptop that they brought while there. They have no use for it anymore and would be happy to sell the computer. I met up with them to see the laptop, while visiting I got so much useful information about the housing possibilities and distances and transportation and everything. I did not end up buying their laptop as I found a newer and better version (I'll have the Linux only version): Asus Eee 900 Laptop has been ordered, black version, should arrive in a week or two.
Now I still need to figure out travel insurance, buy a decent backpack and review other things that i might have to buy for the trip (pharmacy goods for an example). Perhaps we will get a hotel for the way back as well, gotta check that at some point also.
progress on Asia 2008 travel preparations
There was a little setback when we discovered that in order to get visas to China and Vietnam one needs to have hotel bookings for the whole traveling period. Well bookings are fine I guess, one can always cancel them. BUT due to the Olympic games it is not possible to book a hotel - one has to purchase the hotel up front :( Initially we got misleading information that this rule applies to whole China, luckily that was not the case and this restriction applies only to Beijing. So, I turned to my contact person in travel agency to get offers for hotels in Beijing as this is the first destination and it would be good to have hotel at least for the first night figured out. The cheapest offer we got for the hotel was 4000EEK (406USD/255EUR) per night :( and all the rest were way above that! Despair.
Started to go through all the forums and traveling tips on China that I could get my hands on. In quite many places it was suggested to use CTrip.com and so I tried this. And that worked like a charm - or so I think for now at least. I registered, found a hotel in central Beijing for 88USD (so 867EEK/55EUR) per night. Took the hotel for 3 nights and did the prepayment using VISA. It is probably not the best hotel ever, but it should do. And hopefully the booking will hold just fine and no misunderstandings will appear once at the spot.
All other bookings were made (will be cancelled once we have the visas) so visa applications could be sent in. Now the visa applications were not the easiest task either - lots of paperwork. Applications + pics + passports + very formal and specific guarantee letter from an employer where your income is stated and guarantee is given that your position will be there once you return and so on and so on. Oh uh. But all got done.
And today I received an e-mail that we got Vietnam visas!!! Now the documents go in for China visas :)
6 weeks and 1,5 days to go!!
Started to go through all the forums and traveling tips on China that I could get my hands on. In quite many places it was suggested to use CTrip.com and so I tried this. And that worked like a charm - or so I think for now at least. I registered, found a hotel in central Beijing for 88USD (so 867EEK/55EUR) per night. Took the hotel for 3 nights and did the prepayment using VISA. It is probably not the best hotel ever, but it should do. And hopefully the booking will hold just fine and no misunderstandings will appear once at the spot.
All other bookings were made (will be cancelled once we have the visas) so visa applications could be sent in. Now the visa applications were not the easiest task either - lots of paperwork. Applications + pics + passports + very formal and specific guarantee letter from an employer where your income is stated and guarantee is given that your position will be there once you return and so on and so on. Oh uh. But all got done.
And today I received an e-mail that we got Vietnam visas!!! Now the documents go in for China visas :)
6 weeks and 1,5 days to go!!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Little reasoning and initial schedule
About the choice of the destinations
So why China you ask? Well, it is quite simple actually:
- to see my friend competing at the Olympics :)
- go to a country i've never been to before
- experience the wonders of Asia
- have another great pack-packing trip and long vacation
And then Vietnam came just as a bonus on its own, some of my friends have been to Vietnam and they praised the country a lot. It is nice and close to where I'm going - so why not :)
To be honest, I don't need any excuses for travelling actually. It is simply one of the greatest things to do - to experience another culture, wonder on foreign land and see the miracles of the world.
Initial schedule
I've got the plane tickets bought so now I can post the schedule with bigger confidence:
- 17th leaving Tallinn via Helsinki and arriving to Beijing the next day
- 18th-22nd Beijing: triathlon competition, beach volley and track&field + THE Great Wall + lots of museums (because I love museums) + galleries + everything that we can possibly fit in
- 23rd Tianjin and in the evening to Quingdao
- 24th-25th Quingdao
- 26th Zhujiayu
- 27th Tai'an
- 28th-31st Shanghai: definitely will go on one Maglev ride :)
- 1st of September Tongli
- 2nd Süzhõu
- 3rd-4th Hangzhõu
- 5th Xiamen
- 6th-8th Hong Kong
- 9th-10th Macau
- 11th-23rd Vietnam.. haven't managed to plan anything to that country yet
Of course this schedule is idealistic and will probably change daily once there :) I guess I'm not estimating the distances accurately and probably the schedule is way too packed at the moment.. but we will see.
For the preparations part, not much is done. I've got the tickets, I've got whole lot of vacinations throughout the year (2nd and 3rd shots) and I got all the documents and requirements printed out for the visas application. That is it too for now. Will continue in a month with arranging all the rest :)
So why China you ask? Well, it is quite simple actually:
- to see my friend competing at the Olympics :)
- go to a country i've never been to before
- experience the wonders of Asia
- have another great pack-packing trip and long vacation
And then Vietnam came just as a bonus on its own, some of my friends have been to Vietnam and they praised the country a lot. It is nice and close to where I'm going - so why not :)
To be honest, I don't need any excuses for travelling actually. It is simply one of the greatest things to do - to experience another culture, wonder on foreign land and see the miracles of the world.
Initial schedule
I've got the plane tickets bought so now I can post the schedule with bigger confidence:
- 17th leaving Tallinn via Helsinki and arriving to Beijing the next day
- 18th-22nd Beijing: triathlon competition, beach volley and track&field + THE Great Wall + lots of museums (because I love museums) + galleries + everything that we can possibly fit in
- 23rd Tianjin and in the evening to Quingdao
- 24th-25th Quingdao
- 26th Zhujiayu
- 27th Tai'an
- 28th-31st Shanghai: definitely will go on one Maglev ride :)
- 1st of September Tongli
- 2nd Süzhõu
- 3rd-4th Hangzhõu
- 5th Xiamen
- 6th-8th Hong Kong
- 9th-10th Macau
- 11th-23rd Vietnam.. haven't managed to plan anything to that country yet
Of course this schedule is idealistic and will probably change daily once there :) I guess I'm not estimating the distances accurately and probably the schedule is way too packed at the moment.. but we will see.
For the preparations part, not much is done. I've got the tickets, I've got whole lot of vacinations throughout the year (2nd and 3rd shots) and I got all the documents and requirements printed out for the visas application. That is it too for now. Will continue in a month with arranging all the rest :)
Sunday, March 23, 2008
2008 holiday preparations
Guess what the destination is?? Well just guess!!!
China - of course. And then Vietnam will be just a nice bonus in the end :) Trip dates are pretty much fixed already:
- leaving Tallinn on the 17th of August
- arriving back in Tallinn either on the 23rd or 24th of September
I will be travelling with my friend this time, who will have to leave at the end of week 4 though. End of the trip I'm still on my own, that would be Vietnam then. Currently I'm working on getting the plane tickets figured out as well as rough travel plan. Will post it as soon as plane tickets are fixed and bought.
Some links on interesting facts about China and Vietnam (I will probably keep updating this same entry with other interesting links as the time goes by):
Internet in China
China - of course. And then Vietnam will be just a nice bonus in the end :) Trip dates are pretty much fixed already:
- leaving Tallinn on the 17th of August
- arriving back in Tallinn either on the 23rd or 24th of September
I will be travelling with my friend this time, who will have to leave at the end of week 4 though. End of the trip I'm still on my own, that would be Vietnam then. Currently I'm working on getting the plane tickets figured out as well as rough travel plan. Will post it as soon as plane tickets are fixed and bought.
Some links on interesting facts about China and Vietnam (I will probably keep updating this same entry with other interesting links as the time goes by):
Internet in China
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