Help Meri plan a Grand Adventure (tm)

[derspiess]

We were also banned from going to Cuba, but people had been doing that for decades by going through Mexico.

[merithyn]

Of course, if North Korea ends up lobbing nukes left and right, it might just change things a bit for me. 

[Maximus]

I expect they'll only lob them right.

[katmai]

Plus... wow... what better way to see China??

From Orbit as it is being nuked.

[Jacob]

Plus... wow... what better way to see China??

From Orbit as it is being nuked.

Disagree.

[katmai]

Plus... wow... what better way to see China??

From Orbit as it is being nuked.

Disagree.

No one asked you Chairman Jacob.

[Jacob]

No one asked you Chairman Jacob.

It's spelled Xiacob.

And given I'm the Chairman, I'm can offer my opinion whenever I deem it expedient.

[merithyn]

I expect they'll only lob them right.

Either way, I'm pretty sure that will change my plans. Lobbed right, it's at my home. Lobbed left, it's at my destination. Kind of a no win situation for me on that.

[Monoriu]

For those who have been to and/or lived in China, anything I should be concerned about when booking such a trip? Anything I should pay attention to, etc?

Be wary.  Chinese tour operators generally operate on the principle of luring the customer in with low fees, then applying hidden charges.  The most common way is to get the tourist to shop in very expensive places, then receive kickbacks from the shop.  Assume that all the shops they take you are traps.  Try not to buy anything.  If you must, just buy a very inexpensive thing to give you an excuse to leave.  Your obvious tourist appearance will attract a lot of people who want to take advantage of you.  Just assume that anybody who approaches you with deals or urgent family situations are trying to cheat you.  Anybody who says they have a great money exchange deal for you is a liar.  Anybody who says they need some change to get back to their dying loved ones is a cheater. 

[merithyn]

Mono, I live in Portland. That's what walking to work is like every day.

#homelesscapital

[Eddie Teach]

I expect they'll only lob them right.

They'll toss a few down as well.

[Monoriu]

One more thing.  You won't have normal access to the internet in mainland China.  They only let you go to sites approved by the authorities.  Languish is approved; CNN is not.  I tested this myself.  But (so far) there are ways around this.  There are places that rent out wifi hotspots that allow you to go around the firewall.

[Jacob]

If it's important for you you can get a vpn... but probably you'll be too busy to really care.

[merithyn]

If it's important for you you can get a vpn... but probably you'll be too busy to really care.

I plan to go radio silent for the trip. Besides, I'm pretty sure hiking down the Yangtze is going to be mostly out of satellite reach.

Created my budget and started saving for the trip. Looking to buy my tickets and apply for the Visa by mid-September. Itinerary is as follows, so far:

April 4 - Leave Portland
April 5-7 - Shanghai
April 8-13 - Hiking along the Yangtze
April 14 - Shanghai
April 15 - Fly home

Anyone wanna come?

[Jacob]

... when you say hiking along the Yangtze, that is part of a guided tour group right?