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.

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!!