Working in China

[Shosetsuin]

I was talking about Henan, not Hunan.

 

But I haven't been there myself...just read a bunch of stuff and heard from others who have travelled there.

 

hey...i could be wrong...so far the worst place i have ever been is shenzhen...one of china's supposedly "nice" places!

 

nate

[lele]

Well, if you want to really "rough it", try the main east/west drag in SuZhou (a quite wealthy city that also now has the right of its hukou bearers to go to HK on individual visits) near the university late at night. The prostitutes must outnumber the locals by 3:1 and the tourists (there are many there, including Chinese tourists, since it is near one of the premire gardens) by 5:1, and the foreigners by an even larger number yet. They are *aggressive* and will try to do anything they can to get some money (whether it be contractual or not). Plus, most of the shop fronts are merely facades.

I have to admit, it was the first time I ever damaged property (as I turned off the lights to go to sleep, the TV turned on and had nude woman dancing on it, the phone started to ring and ring over and over, with women wanting to have sex). I could not get the phone to stop, even by lifting up the receiver. The TV would not turn off either. Both had electrical supplies that fed into the wall without a socket. **D'oh** and the place was nice on the outside and in the reception room, and the room was clean. So, out came the pocket knife, and cut were the phone and TV power lines. Triple locked the door, moved furniture in front of it, and slept. At 6am in the morning, I had grabbed all of my stuff (after showering) and promptly moved myself into a different part of town and place to stay!

[maiyademama]

Oh hell, Lele! Let's not start the discussion about seedy hotels in China. Brings back some awful memories of when I took a month off of School (Xi'an) to travel BY MYSELF around the South. If you are a female, do not travel ALONE to remote and distant places that one can only reach by bus (which is constantly teatering on the edge of a cliff through the mountains and the driver acts like he is in a race). Further more if you are a lone female traveler in China, spend the extra cash and stay in a SAFE place. Don't go for the 10 kuai--1st floor--shared bath!

[lele]

Oh hell, Lele! Let's not start the discussion about seedy hotels in China. Brings back some awful memories of when I took a month off of School (Xi'an) to travel BY MYSELF around the South. If you are a female, do not travel ALONE to remote and distant places that one can only reach by bus (which is constantly teatering on the edge of a cliff through the mountains and the driver acts like he is in a race). Further more if you are a lone female traveler in China, spend the extra cash and stay in a SAFE place. Don't go for the 10 kuai--1st floor--shared bath!

Sorry!!!!

 

I am sorry to hear about your experience. *sigh* I hope however, you were able to find something nice or at least historic to see during your travels.

 

However, if anyone is interested, the jarring bus ride from Zhongdian in Yunnan to Kangding (and then onto Chengdu) via litang (all the rest in Sichuan) is absolutely beautiful. However, there is only one bus a day, and it will require 2 overnights (although litang and kangding are both beautiful towns). Security was not an issue, as the population density was low and the people were friendly (at least from what I saw). However, for me, the altitude sickness really was the problem!

[maiyademama]

Oh hell, Lele! Let's not start the discussion about seedy hotels in China. Brings back some awful memories of when I took a month off of School (Xi'an) to travel BY MYSELF around the South. If you are a female, do not travel ALONE to remote and distant places that one can only reach by bus (which is constantly teatering on the edge of a cliff through the mountains and the driver acts like he is in a race). Further more if you are a lone female traveler in China, spend the extra cash and stay in a SAFE place. Don't go for the 10 kuai--1st floor--shared bath!

Sorry!!!!

 

I am sorry to hear about your experience. *sigh* I hope however, you were able to find something nice or at least historic to see during your travels.

 

However, if anyone is interested, the jarring bus ride from Zhongdian in Yunnan to Kangding (and then onto Chengdu) via litang (all the rest in Sichuan) is absolutely beautiful. However, there is only one bus a day, and it will require 2 overnights (although litang and kangding are both beautiful towns). Security was not an issue, as the population density was low and the people were friendly (at least from what I saw). However, for me, the altitude sickness really was the problem!

Don't get me wrong...I always had a good time on my travels through China...It was just that particular time I could have exercised a little more wisdom with respect to accomodations and traveling alone. I know the bus ride you are referring to...haha...we had a lot of chickens and some really smelly roots (medicine of some kind) to add to the regular smell of cramped and sweaty bodies and stinky feet on our trip ...beautiful country however!

 

I love the southwest of China!