Tag Archives: solo female trip to china

Guilin, China: Sun and Moon Pagodas

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Following my morning at the Reed Flute Cave, I napped.  When I woke up later, I went outside and for the third time, tried to find the bus that goes to Fubo Hill.  I walked around in every direction from my hotel and all it got me was sweaty.  I kind of wanted to go back to my room and cry, but instead, I thought I might be near the Sun and Moon Pagodas.  I did have a map, but maps are useless to people who just cannot master reading them.

I walked for a bit and made the observation that there may very well be more scooters in China than in Naples.  The huge difference is that scooters in China are silent.  I mean REALLY silent.  So silent that at one point, I had the life scared out of me by a horn blaring at me.  I turned and the scooter was less than an inch from me and I never even heard it coming up.  I honestly thought at first that maybe for some reason, they were all turned off and just gliding.  Nope, dead silent motors.

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Guilin, China: Elephant Trunk Hill Park

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After my oh so exciting first sleep on mainland China, I was up bright and early for my first day in Guilin.  I could not have been more excited.  I went outside to stare at the Li River from behind my hostel.

Li River outside Green Forest Hostel, Guilin, ChinaLi River Guilin China

From here I went walking around the streets near my hostel.   Just about instantly, I met Jerry.  Jerry is a tour guide who offered me lots of options for tours to take in and around Guilin.  I was not interested in any of them, since I already had everything planned out before I left home.  I ran into him regularly for the rest of my trip.  At some point a couple of days later, I was pretty far away from my hotel just walking around and I hear “HELLO JENNIFER!” being yelled at me from across the street.  Oh hello Jerry.

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Guilin, China: First Sleep on Mainland China!

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I did a quick recap of Guilin, which included both cost and a huge bug that clearly was sent to murder me.  You can find that post here.

Arriving in Guilin, I was so excited.  I am finally really starting the mainland part of my trip to China.  Before leaving, I had done research so I knew how much a taxi would cost.  I was quoted a flat fee of $100 RMB, which is around $16 USD.  I took it.

If you go to Guilin and do not want to splurge for a taxi, have no fear.  You do not need to!  There is a shuttle bus that goes downtown for $20CNY ($3.25 USD)

The drive was ridiculously exciting to me.  I wanted to scream outside the cab window “Look at meeeeeeee.  I am in China!  By myself!  Wheeeeeeeee!”

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Riding the Ferry From Macau to Shenzhen – First Steps on Mainland China!

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Today is the big day!  The day I finally make it to mainland China!

I left my hotel room in Macau an hour later than I had wanted to because I was playing on the internet.  Stupid.

I took the free hotel shuttle to the Macau Ferry Terminal and caught the 12:30 ferry to the Shenzhen airport.  Or so I thought I did.

The trip was pretty simple. There is a monitor at the ferry terminal that shows gate numbers in English. You simply go to your gate and wait for the pairing of someone barking in Chinese, with everyone getting up. That is your cue that it is time to board the ferry. Easy!

Since Macau isn’t part of mainland China, they have a duty free shop inside.  I stocked up on cigarettes (I know, gross, right??)

The ferry to Shenzhen was way less crowded than the ferry from Hong Kong to Macau.  There was no assigned seating.  I got my own row, so I got see the window view!
view of sands from macau ferry to shenzhen china

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Macau, China: Ruins of St Paul’s Church and Macau Fortress

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Most people do Macau as a day trip from Hong Kong.  Being a gambler, I stayed and played for a few days.  But I did take a morning to play tourist. First up was Senado Square. This was a quick walk from my hotel – Lisboa.  Some street views on my way: Macau China streets Macau walk to Senado Square The May heat meant that when I went to take my first picture, the camera was physically hot.  Also, it meant my camera did this, which freaked me out a bit when I realized the fog was inside the camera, not just on the lens.This was my first trip ever with a fancy camera and it fogs up.  Great! Don’t worry, I did figure it out and was able to get some pictures after all.  WHEW!Macau China Senado Square fountain Continue reading →

Hong Kong, China: Encountering a Feces Coated Woman on My Way to the Peak Tram

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Today I am up very early.  My plans are to take the Peak Tram to see some really cool views of Hong Kong,  come back and shower (since I will need to, all I do here is sweat) and then go to the Chi Lin Nunnery.

Of course, the weather hates me.   It rained while I was on the subway (thank you for that) and then everything was so foggy.

I walked through a little park on my way to the Peak Tram. I took some pictures that did not come out because my camera was all fogged up.  Some woman comes racing after me.  She speaks to me in perfect English, asking me if I would please delete the photos because she thinks she may have been in them and does not want to be in them.  Sure, I do this.  She is double checking, asking me to show her they were deleted and I don’t even register anything at first.  Then she walks away and I realize that (a) this place REEKS of shit and (b) that stench is coming from this woman who is wearing a black and white skirt that is completely covered in smeared shit.

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Hong Kong, China: Lantau Island, Ngong Ping Village, Tian Tan Buddha

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Today is my first full day in Hong Kong!  I am awake after only six hours of sleep.   Outside my window is this view of pouring rain:

Ibis North Point room view Hong Kong Victoria Harbor

I consider maybe not sticking to my original plan of going to Lantau Island.  I mean, it is raining!  I know it is supposed to rain my entire time here.  I ask myself what I am going to do instead.  It is a trick question.  If I can come up with an alternative, I am allowed to do it. But if my only alternative is to go back to bed, then I know I am just using the rain as a scapegoat for me being nervous about going out in a new country all by myself.  Guess what?  It turns out I did plan to go back to bed.  Nuh uh – nope.  You chose to come here, you are going out.  So I did.

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One Week Until China. I Hate China.

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Sigh.

I was reading a blog about China.  It had travel tips.  Like bringing plastic bags so you can fill them up with water and use them as a stopper for the drainage hole in the middle of the bathroom floor in your hotel room.  This will stop the smell.  My first reaction was “Oh wow – that is a BRILLIANT idea!” My second reaction was to start laughing hysterical because I am traveling to a place for which I read helpful advice on how to stop your hotel room from smelling like poop.

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Two Weeks Until China!

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GAAAAAAAAH.   I am not ready to go and I no longer want to go.  Do not fear though, I experience this before EVERY trip I take.  I always melt down before I go and wish I had not taken on such a huge project.  Then I get there and I forget I ever felt that way until I go back home and see these weird and foreign whines in my diary.

I could psychoanalyze myself and tell  you why I do this, or you could join me in ignoring me and together, we can move on from this.

I am still not going to post my updated itinerary because OH HEY GUESS WHAT?  Just yesterday I flipped a coin to see about changing it.  The coin said no, but I do not agree with it.  So maybe I will change it again tonight.  Or tomorrow.  Or every day until I leave.

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