International Nesties
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Going to China!
So DH and I leaving SA for the summer. We're going to the Wisconsin for Thanksgiving (yay!) and Italy for Christmas. But in between we're going to China for two weeks. DH has a conference to go to and we decided to make a trip out of it.
Now I have the terrible task of packing for all of this in as small a bag as possible since we don't want to be weighed down while traveling around China.
We're flying into Shanghai, going to Xiamen (SE coast) for a couple days for the conference, and flying out of Beijing. Other than that, nothing planned as of yet.
Any IN suggestions? tips? ideas?
Cape Town, South Africa
Re: Going to China!
There is a beautiful water village outside of Shanghai called Xi Tang - get there from the long distance bus station outside the stadium.
Huangzhou is close to Shanghai and is lovely, rent a bicycle and bike around the lake.
I always suggest Yangshuo and the Ping An rice terraces with a day hike to Da Zhai and Back - it's incredible.
As for the Great Wall, how fit and adventurous are you guys? Up for a phenomenal 14K hike? For the love of all that is holy, do not effing go to Ba Da Ling. Just don't. Instead, get your hotel to arrange a private taxi to take you to Jin Shan Ling point of the Great Wall and walk (to the left!) along 14Km of completely original Great Wall to Si Ma Tai, the most impressive ridge of the entire wall. Incredible. It's a hell of a hike, though, so beware. Arrange for your driver to pick you up at Si Ma Tai. The taxi should only cost about 150 yuan round trip if you don't speak Chinese and they're fleecing you pretty badly, he he he. It's a long drive (2-4 hours each way depending on traffic and sheep) but absolutely worth it, and a fantastic day trip from Beijing.
In Beijing, check out the acrobats at Chao Yang Men theater, and go to a korean bb
Chronically hilarious - you'll split your stitches!
I wrote a book! Bucket list CHECK!
http://notesfortheirtherapist.blogspot.co.uk
There is a beautiful water village outside of Shanghai called Xi Tang - get there from the long distance bus station outside the stadium.
Huangzhou is close to Shanghai and is lovely, rent a bicycle and bike around the lake.
I always suggest Yangshuo and the Ping An rice terraces with a day hike to Da Zhai and Back - it's incredible. Let me know if you're going this way and I can hook you up with someone to arrange it for you.
As for the Great Wall, how fit and adventurous are you guys? Up for a phenomenal 14K hike? For the love of all that is holy, do not effing go to Ba Da Ling. Just don't. Instead, get your hotel to arrange a private taxi to take you to Jin Shan Ling point of the Great Wall and walk (to the left!) along 14Km of completely original Great Wall to Si Ma Tai, the most impressive ridge of the entire wall. Incredible. It's a hell of a hike, though, so beware. Arrange for your driver to pick you up at Si Ma Tai. The taxi should only cost about 150 yuan round trip if you don't speak Chinese and they're fleecing you pretty badly, he he he. It's a long drive (2-4 hours each way depending on traffic and sheep) but absolutely worth it, and a fantastic day trip from Beijing.
In Beijing, check out the acrobats at Chao Yang Men theater, and go to a korean bbq for a nice dinner, as well as Beijing duck, of course. The best place I've ever found for Beijing Duck is on Gui Jie. Tell your taxi driver that you want to go to Gui Jie to eat Beijing duck (use a dictionary to suss it out before you try to tell the driver ).
For the evening in Beijing, go to Bei Hai - the bar district surrounding a small lake filled with red Chinese lanterns. Fantastic.
So there are a couple of ideas to get you started!
Chronically hilarious - you'll split your stitches!
I wrote a book! Bucket list CHECK!
http://notesfortheirtherapist.blogspot.co.uk
Gah, I forgot my favourite part of Beijing!
Get thine butt to the Temple Of Heaven West Gate (Tian Tan Gong Yuan Xi (shee) Men) at 7:30am (it's worth it!) - buy your ticket to the park and/or the temple if you want to see it and walk along the main path. You are going to see (if it's not raining) old men chatting with their birds hanging in bird cages from the trees around them - they are incredibly friendly and welcoming and will delight in showing you their birds, etc. Keeping going along and you will see groups of people doing tai chi with weaponry, ballroom dancing groups, traditional fan dancing groups, groups of people playing feather hackey sack ( so much fun, go into the shop near the end of the path and buy one! )
Right after the shop, go through the wall and turn left - among the trees there will be kung fu lessons going on and there is a gazebo where people gather to play traditional Chinese instruments such as the er hu, etc. It is just lovely.
The best part, if you keep going kind of North West ( follow the sound) about 70 people gather each morning to sing war songs and operas from the communist era. They will even hand you a music book and urge you to sing along. It's a wonderful experience, and I find that Chinese seniors are incredibly welcoming of foreigners if you are humble, ask them for permission to take their picture or to join them and show gratitude by smiling, shaking their hand and being very friendly- even if you don't speak the language.
Have fun!
Chronically hilarious - you'll split your stitches!
I wrote a book! Bucket list CHECK!
http://notesfortheirtherapist.blogspot.co.uk
I miss China. The UK blows in comparison, and we'd move back there in a heartbeat if the opportunity arose. It might, but because of my UK visa I can only be out of the UK for 5 months a year.
Lame.
Chronically hilarious - you'll split your stitches!
I wrote a book! Bucket list CHECK!
http://notesfortheirtherapist.blogspot.co.uk