|
|
Post by helen on Sept 28, 2012 16:59:23 GMT -5
Leaving Auckland 1 November - Dongguan 3 days, Zengcheng 3 days. 2-8 November.
Harc3 - we have 3 Shums going to your village Wu Shek (Cheung Dai Cheung (sp?) - so I will finally get to see your village.
We will probably go to Gwe Leng, Xintang, Hargee, Gwoon Fu as well.
In Dongguan we will go to the Lai village of Cha Gou (sp?). Someone had asked me to find their Grandfather and Grand Mother's villages and relatives. I found both families, and one of our fellow travellers will be going back there. It will be good to see the reunion. A bit like yours Harc3.
Douglas Lam - we will be in Guangzhou from 12 November, after going to Hainan. Where will you be?
|
|
|
|
Post by douglaslam on Sept 29, 2012 1:36:17 GMT -5
Helen, There is little chance we are gonna meet up in Canton. I am going to apply for my China visa on Oct. 3. then plan my itinerary, and book my air passage. Nov. 12, Umm.. I might be in Taiwan or HKG. Nothing firm. I looked at guided tours ex-HKG, they aren't much good. No flexibility, no imagination. Will probably go it alone, stay at hostels and fingers crossed finding like minded travellers for companionship exploring Taiwan in general.
When that is done, I'll travel overland from HKG to Dongguan. I'll post my mobile for all to see. You maybe able to contact me then.
Douglas
|
|
|
|
Post by lachinatown on Sept 29, 2012 10:22:45 GMT -5
Wow, you are some traveller Helen.
Can you post a map showing the villages so that we can tell where they are?
|
|
|
|
Post by helen on Sept 29, 2012 21:46:28 GMT -5
Xintang district. My husband's older brother, and younger sister, and cousin are coming this time. My husband's paternal Grandfather was an opium smoker in NZ. He died in Wellington, and his ashes were collected by someone - and I haven't found out who. I never knew what happened to the ashes. Brother in law tells us yesterday, that they are buried in the Shum village of Wu Shek - Harc3's village. Exciting stuff, as they will make contact with the Shum relatives there, to arrange a fitting ceremony at the graveside. The reason he is not buried in the Gwa Leng village was because there was no one there that could do the graveside rites every year. But his daughter married a Shum, and she was willing for her own Shum family to do the honours. To which they still do today. (Except none of us knew) So another mystery solved. Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by helen on Sept 29, 2012 21:51:35 GMT -5
Helen, There is little chance we are gonna meet up in Canton. I am going to apply for my China visa on Oct. 3. then plan my itinerary, and book my air passage. Nov. 12 Douglas[/quote} Hi Douglas, currently I don't have any plans between 12 November and my leaving Guangzhou to HK and direct to Auckland on 19 November. We are going to decide after our visit to Hainan. Just found out we will be going to Zenchcheng first, the Dongguan. There is a Haka festival on the 6 November, to which we have been invited. |
|
|
|
Post by tyuti1668 on Sept 30, 2012 17:20:31 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by douglaslam on Oct 1, 2012 4:06:07 GMT -5
Wow, such a comprehensive backpacker's guide, staying in a temple is something I want to try. Thanks tyuti1668. Still, I am a little apprehensive about travelling alone. I think things will sort themselves out once I got there. I also found out online one Australian dollar is worth about thirty local units. What are your personal experiences of Taiwan? Are currencies other than American one readily acceptable and convertible in Taiwan?
|
|
|
|
Post by tyuti1668 on Oct 1, 2012 7:39:20 GMT -5
...What are your personal experiences of Taiwan? Are currencies other than American one readily acceptable and convertible in Taiwan? No worries in TW -Basic Mandarin skill/ Reads & writes traditional character is enough at touristy "trap". Taiwanese Hokkien is NEED to understand the REAL TW. (Longdu speaker is quite easy to learn it ;D ) - www.backpackers.com.tw/forum/showthread.php?t=692110 Withdrawn w/ ATM card if ur bank's fee is reasonable. |
|
|
|
Post by douglaslam on Oct 3, 2012 2:22:51 GMT -5
Helen and tyuti1668,
Booked Virgin flight to leave on Nov. 6th for HKG. QANTAS has a similar deal but was booked out. I have to brace myself for another late night arrival in HKG. I don't think I'll spend the night at the airport this time. I'll probably book into the same backpackers' 窮人館 on Argyle St. in the next few days.
Hope to meet up. Douglas
|
|
|
|
Post by helen on Oct 4, 2012 0:18:08 GMT -5
Hi Douglas - We haven't booked yet, but looks like we will bypass HK both ways. So we will leave 11pm 1 November 2012, and arrive 6am 2 November. 3 days Zengchen, 3 days Dongguan. 1 day Guangzhou, 2 1/2 days Hainan. Then we have no plans from 12 November. I leave China 19 November.
|
|
|
|
Post by helen on Oct 11, 2012 0:09:01 GMT -5
Still no visa - hence no airfares booked. The new visa application is a nightmare. You need to have an official invitation from some one in China, and the letter has to be on official letter head. Looks like this will be my last trip to China - ever. Better make the most of it, as I can't see anyone in China who would be willing to put their name on a form - with address, telephone number, relationship etc.
|
|
|
|
Post by chansomvia on Oct 11, 2012 3:33:15 GMT -5
Helen,
I did my tourist visa successfully in June through our Christchurch travel agent who attached flights and hotel accommodation with the application form. It seems sufficient, as how I read it is that if you do not get travel and accommodation confirmed you would then need a signed stamped letter-headed document from China. My brother-in-law in London had a lot of hassle from one officer and had to be interviewed at their office, wasted a day.
Please keep us in the loop as we intend to see China again.
Joe
|
|
|
|
Post by douglaslam on Oct 11, 2012 6:02:51 GMT -5
Chinese visa application was simplified, then it went back to the bad old days. It now goes on for four pages plus photo copies. The cost is a shocker, a whopping $98.50 for a single entry. Just pay through the nose and be grateful. I got mine, and am ready to fly out on the 6th for HKG. Taiwan does not need a visa. I have a feeling I'm going to like Taiwan a lot. I got three books out from the library; a Lonely Planet guide, a Discovery Channel and a National Geographic one. Plenty of reference material to work on.
I believe Taiwan nationals are granted visa-free entry to the US. It is a great privilege, a sign of Taiwan's maturity and coming of age.
I hope Australia will follow suit. There is a large number of Taiwanese backpackers working in Australia, to meet the seasonal needs for fruit pickers. I haven't meet one yet.
|
|
|
|
Post by laohuaqiao on Oct 12, 2012 10:50:26 GMT -5
Still no visa - hence no airfares booked. The new visa application is a nightmare. You need to have an official invitation from some one in China, and the letter has to be on official letter head. Looks like this will be my last trip to China - ever. Better make the most of it, as I can't see anyone in China who would be willing to put their name on a form - with address, telephone number, relationship etc. Helen, This is a little disturbing. How does one expect an ordinary Chinese person to have any stationery with letter head? Here in the states, the Chinese government seems very eager to entice Chinese Americans to visit with subsidized, 1-week guided tours for $99. On the other hand, it's making it more difficult to make personal visits. |
|
|
|
Post by helen on Oct 13, 2012 3:12:57 GMT -5
The family would have to get it notorised I suppose, by a government agency? I think they should make it a different visa for tourists. Not too sure what happens after the 6 days in Zengcheng/Dongguan - as it is the Dongguan people who have given us a letter of invitation. We are going to Hainan after that, then somewhere else - not leaving for 3-4 weeks. Will we be restricted to that area only? Could we go to Shanghai or Beijing?
|
|
%E4%BD%8F%E5%AE%BF%E6%94%BB%E7%95%A5