Haanism

It’s gonna be a 1-month break here after this post.

I will be leaving Malaysia for a month’s trip to China, Hong Kong and Macau. Don’t think there will be any chance to update this blog, but the effort in writing is definitely not going to stop. Instead, it will be carried out more frequently and intensively, I guess… as long as I still have the energy…

The earliest I can login to Blogger and provide updates would most probably be in mid-or-late-August.


Someone told me that wifi is widely available in China. As long as having a laptop, we can get online anytime. I was tempted to do so while hearing this. On second thought, I better forget about it, as the laptop will become an additional burden, physically and pshychologically. Furthermore, I'm the kind who can easily get hooked and addicted to the Internet. I don't wanna be a spoilsport at the wrong place, at the inappropriate time :) and let my travel buddies down.

Early 2006, Feng and Yew (whom I met on 20/12/1999 at Han Chiang college, and a special bond tied us together since then) traveled to Seam Reap and Bangkok. I was still working in Sydney at the moment, so I couldn’t join them. After the trip, I remember I said, I wish to be part of the team in the next trip. We have been thinking to travel to China for quite some time. We wish to do that before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as we reckon, things would be much dearer after the event.

The previous plan was to travel to China in May-June 2007. Due to some reasons, Yew went at the end of May (is already back now and have shared some tips with us), whilst Feng and I will do it only in July-August. Anyway, our routes are fairly different.

Prior to the trip, each of us has spent on the following items:
1. A KL-Macau round trip Air Asia flight ticket, RM315.
2. A 30-day travel insurance from MSIG, RM75.
3. A single-entry visa to China, RM30.

We have studied the relevant information and planned our itinerary for this backpack trip. Travelling off the beaten track is more exciting than going with well-organized tours, although we really have to be tight-arses. This is my personal thought.


Before Hong Kong and Macau, we will be crossing these provinces of China: Guangdong, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian.

Okay, it's still just a small part of the big country. Let's start from small, and aim for longer, farther, tougher and more exciting ones in the future (with no return ticket bought beforehand!).

Anyway, we have expected that there may be days which we’d feel, we just want to curl up in bed and rest, neither going anywhere nor doing anything. Therefore, the planned route is subject to change. But, we should still plan. Else, we might not know where to head for once we fresh off the plane.

I always believe that, the uncertainties awaiting us along the trip, make up the fun and unforgettable part.

I’m gonna travel for the longest period in my life this time. The trip to Taiwan in 1998, was only 3 weeks. I was 9 years younger back then, and it was not in a backpacking style (I was not crazy about it yet). I remember the trip was kind of tiring too, although a lot of things have been well-arranged and I did not have to worry about any of them at all (just enjoy myself to the max, that’s all). Something that’s not going to change would be, I’ll still be crazy writing at all times, by hand.

That’s also the “key feature” my team members can remember about me. Even after years, the description never changes.

There are challenges lying ahead. For instance, the extremely hot weather during this season, the very first experience with/in China, the thieves and jostlers in Guangzhou, the chances of being ripped off or duped as a "gullible" traveler (hope I'm not), the sensitivity of my skin towards the hygiene and food in China etc. Anyway, I believe I’m ready to confront with them with an open heart.


"...there are thousands of little thrills that give you a tiny jolt of adrenalin every day when you're travelling - the crossing of a border, a successful conversation in a foreign language, biting into a local delicacy, sharing a laugh with strangers, finding a clean bed to sleep in - but it's the one or two moments when absolutely everything falls into place that make travel what it is." ~ Ben Groundwater

Feng and I will be flying off from Malaysia together. Someone is gonna join us in Nanjing. Three of us will come back to Malaysia together. Another friend who has just completed studies in Hong Kong, may join us too for part of the journey.

Hope this is gonna be a fun trip.

I'm soooooo eager and thrilled to hit the road.


About visa application to China:

Where?
Consular Office of the Embassy of the P.R.C. in Malaysia
1st Floor, Plaza OSK, 25 Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur.
Visa Hours: 9am-11:45am (Mon-Fri)
Tel: 603-21636815
Website: http://my.china-embassy.org

How much?
- Single entry: RM30
- Double entries: RM50
- Half-year multiple entries: RM80
- One-year multiple entries: RM120
- Two-year multiple entries: RM120

Note: If you are working for media, but visa is applied solely for travel purpose, you may need to provide a proof (e.g. a letter from your boss/organization), saying that you are not going for work-related stuff.