Korean Job Discussion Forums

[JustJohn]

Awesome. This thread got suddenly much better. Thanks guys!


I have been to South Africa, and while much of it is a little desert-y for my taste I still enjoyed it. I didn't make it to cape town the first time around, so I'd actually consider going back except that there are so many places I haven't been at all.


I'll be checking up on the other suggestions. Thanks a bunch.

[JustJohn]

So where would I want to fly into for China? Kunming? I assume English speakers won't be that common in that part of the country. Will it be hard to find places to stay and do transportation and such? Oh, and speaking of that, are there things close enough together there that I wouldn't have to spend all my time traveling to different places? How is the transportation?

[MrMr]

Yes, You'd fly into Kunming. I wouldn't spend too much time there but would head to Dali and Lijiang. I traveled one way by night train, second class sleeper, comfortable and convenient. i arrived in the morning, well rested. Most train Stations had a foreigner window but i had no problem with my little phrase book. Unfortunatly I have found Chinese train ticket agents to be uniformly rule.
I flew back to Kunming from Lijiang. I used local travel agents for air bookings and found their English level adaquate to handle simple bookings.
These areas are well touristed and many people speak English. One recommendation.. See the lijiang traditional orchestra in the old town. It's not something that i usually take in but these characters were unique and colorful in their traditional tribal costumes, playing instruments that survived The Cultural Revolution. Many of the musians are 80 or older. You'll feel like you've been transported 200 years into the past. The visuals are amazing.
Oh, I stayed at very nice gueat houses in the old towns for 8-12 dollars a night(TV, western toilets, hot and cold water). That was in Feb, so off season. I also hired car and driver for a couple days, 40 to 50 dollars, but i found my guy in a bar. The agencies were more expensive. I went around the lake near Dali, through villages and silk markets. Tons of stuff to buy but bargain hard. From lijiang I went to the head waters of the Yantze and Leaping tiger gorge(good day trip but not memorable)

[nicholas_chiasson]

All except arctic siberia can hit 39C in Summer.

[moosehead]

Kumming really rocks - I spent a few days there, came by train from Shanghai and left on a bus for Vietnam.

Turns out the province, Yunnan, is where a lot of Chinese go for holiday - and I was told about some pretty fantastic places to visit, including those pointy mountains, very steep and narrow - they are all over the place there.

Kumming is very international due to its closeness to the southern China border - a lot of different faces on the street.

also a lot of tea and jade for sale if you are thinking about it - a LOT of jade.

as for hotels - I stayed in one near the train station, maybe 12 stories high - very nice rooms, about $12 / night. was on the 10th floor. woke up my last nite to a rat rooting around the garbage where I threw out some mango skins. threw my shoe at him, put the garbage in the bathroom and closed the door and went back to sleep. didn't want the entire staff in my room at 3 a.m. offering me another room, it wasn't worth it.

I thought about telling them the next day but figured they already knew. hey, it was china, after all.

every morning across the street a music shop played traditional music which poured out on the streets. I walked over and bought the cd they were playing before I left.

ahh, good memories!!

[livinseoul]

You are too hard to please. GO HOME.

[JustJohn]

[moosehead]