Author Topic: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu  (Read 17586 times)

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Offline David E

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Re: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu
« Reply #15 on: April 10, 2012, 10:32:38 pm »
Well said Nigel. If I could write more that 15 serious words maybe I would have said that.  ;D

I will double iterate what Nigel says.  Do not rush to meet the lady on your first visit. You will be tired and they will not look it at like that. Chinese do not get tired whilst travelling - they sleep the journey away! - (in fact they will sleep any day away if possible and in the most unlikely places.)  Willy

Funny you should say that Willy...

I have just got back from the airport having picked Ming up from her Chengdu visit....kiss, kiss, hug, hug and all that good stuff  ;D ;D ;D

We arrived home, she gave me some presents, looked in the fridge, lay down on the sofa and was asleep in 30 secs....and I expect her to stay this way for maybe 10 hours.....

If only I could learn to sleep like that !!!!!!

Offline RobertBfrom aust

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Re: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu
« Reply #16 on: April 11, 2012, 01:51:46 am »
Well said both Nigel and David E and Willy can put more than 15 words together if he tries or maybe at 15 he starts counting again .
 Yes my Sujuan is asleep within 5 minutes of getting into the passengers seat in the car at any time day or night and has been known to jump on the tram to go somewhere and ended up at the terminus by falling asleep .
 Steve , I would ask you lady if she likes driving a hard bargain when shopping and if so wait till Chengdu for shopping otherwise you will not buy at Chinese prices , I always say what I want to buy and then stand back and watch the fun as Sujuan drives the price way down , I even let her do it here and it can be amazing the extra discounts that can be achieved , regards Sujuan and Robert .
Now it is early to bed and late to rise .
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Offline kiwisteve

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Re: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu
« Reply #17 on: April 11, 2012, 02:25:17 am »
Thanks for all the great advice. I've been so busy with work the last few days I haven't had a chance to progress my planning, except that I'm now thinking if the subway is good, it doesn't matter too much where I stay the night, but I'd be better off making it simple for my first trip and choose a hotel along Line 3 somewhere so I can get there easily from the airport, and not have to change trains or haul luggage all over town. It will also be easier to get back to the airport early the next morning.

Once I've got rid of the luggage I can take off and explore for the day.

I think I will book and pay for a hotel before I go, so It's all done and hopefully no probs. Not sure about the hotel on the return stop-over. I might leave that just in case I want to stay in Chengdu an extra day (or maybe leave early!). I paid a bit extra to get flexi fares just in case.

Steve

Offline Nigel

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Re: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu
« Reply #18 on: April 11, 2012, 02:42:39 am »
Just remember that GZ airport is a loooooooog way from town, about the same as CdG from downtown Paris. The train with luggage is a pain, think about a taxi, which is great and not too expensive. If I was you, I would stay at the Pullman airport hotel, which is absolutely fantastic,... it will cost you about $120 for the night, and you can get off the plane, dump yr stuff there, have a nice bath or shower, and get into town refreshed. And in the morning, the terminal is 2 minutes away. Personally, I think that is also money well spent.
Just make sure you get a good rest, it will be very important, believe me.
It even tougher for you kiwis cause the difference is 4 hours, so when it is 8pm in Chengdu, it is midnight back home..... at 8 yr lady will be just warming up, and you will be feeling pretty shagged.
What the guys said above is true.... the Chinese can sleep anywhere, and most easily survive on 4-5 hours sleep, so they simply will not understand your exhaustion, and might mistake it for something else. I know I keep repeating myself, but I can't stress this enough!!!


Offline Pineau

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Re: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu
« Reply #19 on: April 11, 2012, 11:45:52 am »
When you leave the airport be sure you have your destination written down in Chinese for the taxi driver.
Go outside and get into the Taxi queue.
DO NOT BOOK A TAXI ANYWHERE ELSE OTHER THAN THE TAXI QUEUE. If you do you will end up paying double or triple the amount you would normally pay.
Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
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Offline Martin

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Re: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu
« Reply #20 on: April 11, 2012, 12:55:17 pm »
Also a word of warning...watch out for pick pockets.  Keep your wallet, money, and passport in a safe place.  Irishman had his wallet taken in GZ.  This does not only happen in GZ, so just be mindful of where you put these things.

Offline kiwisteve

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Re: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu
« Reply #21 on: April 12, 2012, 05:09:08 pm »
Nigel - thanks,  that Pullman hotel looks like a great idea for me. I have booked it now.

Now I've got a couple of weeks left to organise my gear, gifts for her and family (any ideas?).

cheers,
Steve

Offline Nigel

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Re: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu
« Reply #22 on: April 12, 2012, 05:38:37 pm »
For her...... Tiffany bracelet. You can get a great one for 200-300. The Chinese women to nuts for Tiffany,with the aqua box and all

For the daughter,.... Buy and iPod and get one of yr kids to download their music onto it. Chinese kids crave western music as much as older Chinese women crave Tiffany!!

Offline Martin

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Re: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu
« Reply #23 on: April 12, 2012, 09:56:22 pm »
Chocolate, skin care products, cigarettes and or alcohal for male members of the family...picture book from your country (of your country) and shirts or hats with your countries flag or images of your country.

Offline RobertBfrom aust

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Re: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu
« Reply #24 on: April 13, 2012, 03:05:02 am »
Also what are as cheap as chips grab some lanolin products , ie, skin care , with as many sheep that U have over there the oil must be cheap ha ha , also what is cheap are some Kiwi or NZ lapel pins , U should find them at places like a reject shop for about 20 cents each in packets of 10 or more if you are lucky , but I suggested this to one of my friends when he went over recently , he took 100 plus and even gave one to the hotel receptionist , taxi drivers etc , it always helps to advertise your country , regards Sujuan and Robert .
Now it is early to bed and late to rise .
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Offline David E

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Re: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu
« Reply #25 on: April 13, 2012, 04:58:48 pm »
Take lots of Lanolin Skin Cream, and lots of genuine Fish Oil capsules (they are mad for them but the local variety is likely made from something awful)

These two "gifts" will make you a hero wherever you go !!!

Offline kiwisteve

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Re: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu
« Reply #26 on: April 13, 2012, 07:11:45 pm »
Thanks for all the gift suggestions. I can go shopping this weekend now that I have wheels.

I totalled my SUV on the harbour bridge last week, and the insurance hasn't come through yet, but I've now hired a car for a few days so I can get stuff done.

I'll head for the souvenir shops and pick up loads of small stuff. The lanolin cream is a good idea, there's heaps of that sort of thing in those shops. Lots of NZ natural products.

Offline Willy The Londoner

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Re: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu
« Reply #27 on: April 16, 2012, 12:13:01 am »



Funny you should say that Willy...

I have just got back from the airport having picked Ming up from her Chengdu visit....kiss, kiss, hug, hug and all that good stuff  ;D ;D ;D

We arrived home, she gave me some presents, looked in the fridge, lay down on the sofa and was asleep in 30 secs....and I expect her to stay this way for maybe 10 hours.....

If only I could learn to sleep like that !!!!!!

Agh! So now we know why, after such a spell apart, you have the time to write to us!!! ;D

Willy
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Now in my 12th year living here,

Offline kiwisteve

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Re: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu
« Reply #28 on: May 21, 2012, 06:29:52 pm »
Hi all,

Well, I've been back from China now for a week after my first ever trip, so time to update this thread...

Firstly I got some great advice from you all before I left, and I even followed some of it :)

I did fly premium economy on China Southern and it was an excellent flight - I even managed a bit of sleep. The stopover for 24 hours in GZ was the right thing to do and the Pullman Hotel right at the airport was great. I was a bit tired after all the things I had to do before I left, so I spent that time in GZ mainly resting. I think I got ripped off when I asked someone for directions from the arrival area at the airport to the hotel, only to find he walked me there then demanded 50 RMB for his service.

I did walk around all the shops at the Airport and had a meal there. I figured out the airport free WIFI (the website was only in Chinese) and sat there for an hour working through emails, and a young Chinese man started chatting to me. He had just come from his English lesson after work and was also trying to figure out the WiFi while waiting to meet his friends for dinner, so I helped him with that. There was a confusing phone call from my gf who couldn't understand what I was doing back at the airport, so he helped translate that one back to her. Then I had an important email come in which had some documents attached that I needed to sign and fax back to New Zealand, so I told him (his English name was Went), and he kindly offered to help me. He works for China Southern airlines so we caught the bus to his offices, where we downloaded and printed the documents. They got signed (and witnessed), but his company fax wouldn't send international, so he kindly wrote out instructions in Chinese for me for either my hotel, or Anna the next day to organise the faxing. Anyway I was really pleased to run into such a helpful person in my first few hours in China.

Later that evening, I took a break in the hotel bar and used the WiFi there (not available in the rooms) so I could chat on QQ some more with Anna. I had 2 Heinekens and the bill was 104 RMB - another lesson learned.

The next morning I was up early for breakfast, and dressed all tidy ready to meet Anna in Chengdu for the first time. The temperature had already risen to 34 C, but the airport terminal was less humid than outside. I checked in my bag then had plenty of time to wander around before going through security. When I finally went through (after waiting in a really long queue) I was told that my duty free bag with a gift box of 2 bottles of NZ wine could not be carried on the plane, even though it was perfectly fine the day before on the flight (same airline) from NZ. They made me go back through the x-ray and queues and check it in. The check-in queue (miles back from the security) was even longer and I waited there for an age, then managed to grab an airline lady and explained the situation. She sent me to another counter for packaging it up (for a charge). Then they sent me across the airport to another counter for excess baggage check in, and yet another queue and the only person serving there was on the phone. Finally I got that accepted but he said there was another fee to pay and that I have to go back across the airport get it paid and receipted and bring it back to him. I said there was no time, my plane was boarding, but he said hurry. So I ran again, got it paid, ran back to him and another queue. This time I did the Chinese thing and pushed past everyone else and handed him my receipt, then ran the other way across the airport back to security. The guy on the desk was really confused because my boarding pass had already been stamped, but somehow made him understand I was coming through for the second time. This time the x-ray went mental and I had to take off my belt and shoes and go through again etc, then put them back on again. I'm getting really hot and sweaty, late for boarding and a bit irritable, but I stayed calm, there's no way I was missing this flight. Maybe I should have abandoned the wine, but it was a gift for her brother. Another long walk to the far end of the terminal (I'm sure they do this on purpose), and I'm the last person on the bus which is sitting on the tarmac in 35 degrees and high humidity. We wait another 20 minutes in this heat before finally driving out and boarding the plane. At this stage I wish I had packed a clean shirt in my backpack, but at least it cooled down a bit during the flight, and I was getting closer to Anna and could think of nothing else.

Well that's plenty for the first chapter...

Steve

Offline Martin

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Re: 1st trip to China - Guangzhou and Chengdu
« Reply #29 on: May 21, 2012, 07:00:34 pm »
The problem with this forum, is guys are getting more and more suspenseful in their writing!  It puts the rest of us on the edge of our seats, to get the next installment.

Great start to this story!