Beijing China’s Winter...Tips, food & more.. ...next thing I know. BAM! I was China bound.

This was one of the single most mind-blowing experiences I think I’ve had in my adult life. I felt myself opening up to and experiencing new things. My cousin had to work on my first day, so I decided to take to the streets of the big city on my own. I had an ambitions plan to see a lot of things. I pretty much walked 7km around the south portion of 2nd Ring road area and saw only a 2 parks. The city is huge! You have to accept you cannot see everything. Impossible. So my first tip is to just accept that fact when visiting Beijing, or likely any other major Chinese city for that matter..

November is a cold time of year to visit Beijing, and I should have worn more clothing. Pack warm, like fringed winter snowy below freezing- warm weather gear..

Currency: You can get cash out when you arrive in china. First thing to do is check the ATM - I used a Chinese Bank, switch the screen to english - and then took out a lump sum of money. Try to take our as much as you think you will use. You will be charged per transaction fee - so try to keep them to a minimum. Once you have cash in hand, note that your Y100 is worth $14. So your money will go a lot further than in the US. Don’t spend it all in one place!

Day Trip Packing; Its easy to get sick in the cold, make sure you stay warm and DRY! If you sweat like I do, you will find yourself hurting by the end of the day. Bring a change of clothes for when you feel you need to change out of sweaty under layers.

Must Haves: Chapstick, Moisturizer, Leg Warmers, Hand Heaters, Mittens, Warm Hat or scarf, Cash, WeChat, phone warmer, China Mobile SimCard, On some days: > Pollution Mask (Purchase at any 7-11 in China) The vent makes it a little easier to breathe, but the recommendation is to have one without the vent. Short term trips, you should be okay. >Phone warmer sleeve. My phone shut off because of the cold temperatures. Calmly walk into any local store and wait for it to warm up - then can use it again.

They don’t have Uber, they use an app called DD. If you are calling a Cab on the road, old school is sometimes better. Just put your hand out and call a cab. You will need to have the Chinese characters of where you are trying to go, you will not find a lot of english speaking cab drivers.

On the flight, coming or going, to or there, near or far... Well you get it. Whenever boarding a long flight, bring disinfectant wipes. Wipe down the entire plane area you will be inhabiting for the next 12-13 hours. Also, Airbourne is a must have on the flight, as well as a moisturizing facial spray or fact mask.

Must eats: Hotpot (quail eggs, lotus root, beef or other meat cook in front of you) Soup place, Dragon Fruit, Eggplant, and Beijing Duck. There were all stand outs.

Travelosophy Episode #15 - Discover and explore, Hong Kong

🇭🇰 🏙 🥠 🐲 🍜 🛍 It’s time to head to Hong Kong, a bustling hive of markets, hawkers, street food, and colourful neon signs. It’s a city you could revisit, every year and still not explore it all. It’s also the perfect place to jump on and off the MTR at random stops, because you never know what you’ll find. Even after years of travel, it’s still easy to make silly mistakes, in this episode you’ll…

Even with my wits, experience, streets smarts and college degree I was outsmarted.

After a morning browse through the busy Nanjing Road we came to People’s Square, a main pedestrian intersection with links to several of the cities metro lines. We were passing through to find something to eat when a nice couple approached us and asked if we would take their photo. Nothing weird at all. I often stop people to do the same thing and sometimes offer to take photos for other families as they pass with my experience working Photo Pass at Disneyland. After we took their photo it seemed like a good opportunity to exchange the favor and ask if they could take one of us. Fair is Fair. We started talking to them very casually. They asked us where we were from and vice versa. The girl, Nicole, had changed her name so it would be remembered better in the fashion industry she hoped to pursue. She had studied English at the university and the guy was her cousin, a garlic farmer from outside the city. They were both visiting Shanghai on holiday. We talked for a few minutes. She complimented on how beautiful I was and how young we both looked. Trivial conversation, friendly. It was fun to meet people who we could actually understand. A few more minutes pasted and they asked us where we were going. They said they were checking out some street food they had heard about on a close street and to see if this place was authentically Chinese or not. Lesson Learned: Always know where you are going when strangers invite you to go with them. Nothing was mentioned about tea and we were hungry so we agreed to go with them. They seemed to know the way but we didn’t think much of it since they had this place in mind. The conversation continued, great, normal. She couldn’t believe that Myke rode a Harley since he seemed so nice. They were very interested in our jobs as actors. She expressed her love for Blair on Gossip Girl. I was able to ask many questions I had about Chinese life, her schooling, simple cultural things. We turned a corner and had arrived. Some kind of eatery is what it looked like, the door opened and we were greeted with a smile by the young man in the front and led into a back room. Sounds like the beginnings of a great horror film. Not far from.

We sat down, Myke and I in the middle. I was by Nicole and Myke sat next to his new friend, the garlic farmer. The place was cute actually. The decorations weren’t highly ornate but this is China and it was nice for what it was. We were all handed menus. It was tea. Now even at this point I didn’t think anything was odd. These people seemed warm and friendly and I really do love tea so it seemed like a nice time to have a cup or two with them. The most honest of intentions. I will say I never consider myself naive, a pessimist the majority of when I travel for my own safety. The menu showed some prices of a wide selection of teas. Most were 30/40 yuan. Nicole read on the opposite side of the menu the silk road route that coordinated the types of teas and explained briefly what we were going to be trying. I thought for $5-6 bucks it would be fun to sit with new friends and learn about Chinese tea. She asked if ‘it’ was okay and we agreed. Lesson learned: always have the person define the ‘it’.

The ‘B.S. Tea-Master’, as I call him now in retrospect, began the proceedings. He warmed up the table and brought out clean water and cups and pots. Yay, Tea! Silly, Me. He brought out the lucky frog. Nicole explained to us to rub the top of the frog for prosperity and fortune. Lesson Learned: ask for who’s fortune you are bettering when a stranger asks you to rub a lucky clay frog. The B.S.T.M then poured hot water over the frog as it turned yellow, we all oohed and aaahed. He poured a tea. He would explain in Chinese and Nicole would translate. Each tea had its own properties as far as how it was produced and its medicinal benefits. We were taught how ladies and men properly drink from the tea cups. We were taught that you must drink the tea in three sips to finish the cup. Each tea had its own little quirk as to how to was prepared. One we had to flip the cup over, one we had to inhale for a few seconds before drinking, one turned into a flower before our eyes. Cup after cup we enjoyed until we were asked about a particular tea that the emperor kept only to himself and was dug up from the ground so that now all people could experience it. They said it costs more and we politely declined, thinking for the first time about our pocketbook. We had finished trying and now were able to pick our favorite for him to make a pot. We all talked about which ones we liked. Jasmine. At this time the B.S.T.M. set up four tins on the table. Nicole told us that we could now purchase our favorite teas to take back home as gifts to our families. The prices were very expensive. The medium tins were 318 yuan, roughly $50 us dollars. We asked if there was a smaller size and reluctantly they showed us the one for 238 yuan, saying it would last for four months. We agreed that we would get that and only in Jasmine. They pushed for us to get another as they were each getting a medium one to themselves. Saying how the tea comes from the high mountains so it is clean and pure, hence the hefty price. Again, we politely declined and it was time to pay, splitting the bill up two and two. Our total came to an exorbitant 974 yuan. How could our few cups of flavored water and a crappy tin of scented weeds come to nearly $160 US dollars? At the time, I still didn’t think too much of it since it was one of our first days in China and I didn’t comfortably understand the exchange. It was Mykes face that told me differently. He looked at me and said it was really expensive. At this point we had already consumed the tea and our tin had been packaged. Being the polite people we are it didn’t seem appropriate to question the prices and too late to do anything about it. Myke asked if they took cards and they said only cash. We started to panic at a problem that actually ended up saving us in the end. Myke went out with the B.S.T.M. to the nearest ATM. I waited with our friends. It was still friendly, talking and joking about garlic farming and rules on children in China. Myke told me later that when he was at the atm the young guy was asking him where we were from, as if his english magically appeared. Myke said we are from America, the guy said ‘You are very lucky’.

Myke came back with the guy saying the card didn’t withdrawal cash since the pin wasn’t set up yet. Lesson Learned: Always set up your pin before traveling. Or, in this case, trust that fate will step in and protect you. Reluctantly, the B.S.T.M. agreed that we could pay with card and took our cards in the back. As he walked away Myke and I had to a moment and he asked if we should maybe just pay for the tea we drank, I agreed since it was truly expense after considering how much tea cost in Los Angeles. Myke went out to follow the guy before he charged the card. This was when the tides changed for me. Nicole and Shaun started laughing asking where he was going, to which I explained that the tea is just really pricey. The continued to laugh and say that he had gone to another building to swipe the cards. No this is not where I pull some kung-foo out or flip the small girl over the table, I politely shut down and just waited for Myke to return. He did and the card was already charged. Nicole got her card in the other room and came back to put a receipt and card in her bag in my view. Myke signed in the room. It was time to cut our loses and leave.

At this point we both we were hit with what has just happened. In a blink of an eye, in the time we rubbed that stupid clay frog to now we had been… scammed.

I took a photo of the outside of the tea shop. As I did Myke said they looked in horror. I was already planning my revenge. As walked with them back to the Peoples Square they acted as though nothing was wrong, why should they. During one awkward silence Nicole did mention that things are much more expensive in Shanghai. They asked what we were doing next and Myke wold them multiple times that we were going to explore the city on our own, they didn’t get the picture offering to take us to the Museum, asked if we wanted to go to a show with them later. Our escape plan was in full force. They were about to cross the street with us as we said we were going our own way. I stepped in and asked if we could all get a photo together. Lesson Learned: Always take a moment to get a selfie with the criminals. We lost them.

Beware if you run across these two in Shanghai

The next hour or so we walked around the garden trying to wrap our brains around what had happened. We witnessed multiple old men freely urinating in the public park and hoards of people hacking up and spitting but were unmoved. How could this happen to us? Needless to say, our appetites were suppressed as well. By nightfall, after a long, bittersweet day of adventuring in Shanghai we thought it best to call the credit card company and cancel the card and the fraudulent charge. To get one thing straight, no, I do not think lying to the credit card is a good idea. I do believe that it truly was our best option. Yes, the menu was lightly brushed in front of us but they were dishonest in how much we were consuming and what we were responsible for paying for. In other circumstances we would’ve fought more in the moment but because of our politeness in the face of our new friends we did not. Even our lack of fight, it does not make it okay to be scammed.

The most disgusting part of it all was the core of what happened: These people capitalized on the true kindness of a humble pair of travelers wanting only to learn the culture and history of their country. We didn’t have to stop and take their photo, we could’ve just walked past and said no. We are good people, we love helping others when we can. Especially if it’s something we’re good at.

In conclusion, be careful when traveling in China. I have now read several other tea ceremony scam stories and feel grateful that we got off so easily. It’s unfortunate that because of these stories travelers have to be extra careful around seemingly nice people. Don’t forget to question everything and second guess whether you see the red flags or not. Though it may be true that life is harder for these people, how low does one have to be to prey on kind people?

Be safe travelers!

-Myke and Teri

We’ve been planning our trip for 5 months and thought some of our tips would be useful to you, or others you may know planning a trip to China! 

1. Decide HOW you want to travel

Our initial idea to go to China was from an amazing deal on travelzoo.com (our favorite source for travel scores). There are almost always amazingly cheap 8-13 day tours with roundtrip airfare, 4-5 star hotels, some meals, museum tickets, intercontinental flights and trains,  and insurance and fees ALL INCLUDED for $800-1100. Dependent, naturally, on where you live and what time you can go you can snag an incredible vacation for as little as a grand. That is remarkable in itself.  I went online and scouted some basic China tour itineraries that are all over the internet and got some ideas as far as were to go and what to see. Also made a list of about seven things we for sure had to do including polar places like the Great Wall, the Panda Research Center, and Hong Kong Disney but also more unique places to get to like the Fengdu Ghost City and Yaungshuo. After compiling a solid list and deciding how long we wanted to stay for, we opted for our own independent itinerary. Our decision won’t give us the same dollar figure as the basic tours but it will be worth it to see our specific areas of interest. If you opt for the guided tour its okay to skip to step 4.

2. Buy a Map

We purchased ours online so that it was big enough to put on the wall and show the detail of each province. We started pin-pointing, physically, on the map so that we could see roughly how our trip would layout. It was by trial and error that we found a doable route without too much confusion and adequate transportation available to make it. We did have to give up a couple of the places on our wish list but we also were able to gain some great stops (like Macau!).

3. Booking

Let the bookings begin! The first monster is airfare. I narrowed down which airline I wanted and played around with my dates for the best pricing on the airline matrix websites. Kayak & Skyscanner are notables. If you fly out of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, New York or Boston you will have the best luck. Middle of the week and Saturdays were the best prices for my search in October. Looking 6 months out is not a bad idea but you can still snag a great deal up to 52 days before. Yes, that IS specific but its always seemed to work for me. Next, how will you get from place to place? China has a vast network of trains and subway systems- gotta move 1.37 billion people somehow! Ctrip & ChinatravelGuide were my best resources for train research. Since you can not obtain train tickets without being in China mainland, these companies go in and book your reservations for you. To maximize our time I looked for high speed trains when they were available and soft sleepers when they were convenient. Note that night trains ARE a bargain but can sometimes take up to 20+ hours, its up to you to decide what your itinerary allows for. We had to go with two intercontinental flights in order to get to the twelve cities on our schedule. They weren’t at all expensive, $96 and $135. A small price to pay to gain more time. Now the fun part: Your Hotels! This was my favorite part of booking mainly because of how cheap everything is! In most cities I was able to book 4-5 star places for less than $70usd, sometimes even much cheaper. It was like Christmas. I used TripAdvisor a lot this time around to help me make the best choices. Finding hotels in relative distance to where we are traveling in and out of was important as well.

4. Obtaining a China Travel Visa

This is necessary no matter how you decide to visit China. At the time of my trip to China I lived in Los Angeles and was able to go to the Chinese Embassy to apply and pic up my visa. This process can also be done by a travel agency or someone who lives near an Embassy. At the time of this posting there is still no mail in service available. You will need the application form, your US Passport, with more than 6 months left of validity, a small photo with white background, your airfare reservations. The process was easy. Turn in your paperwork, come back in 3-4 days to pick them up. They do hold on to your passport and stamp it with the appropriate sheet of approval for your visit. You have to time your paperwork just right, ours was 60 days in advance. This website will help: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/visas/hrsq/t943861.htm

5. Preparing and Packing without Panic

China is a much different country to travel in compared to Western cultures. Just to be safe we have taken a few extra precaution in our packing just so we don’t have to go without too much when we arrive. Since my go-to Baguette and Chocolate routine might be harder to find, I packed my bag with tons of peanut butter packets, coconut macaroons, dried fruit and some immune system boosters -B12 and essential oils. We opted for no shots or vaccinations which will force us to be more careful about what we eat and the water we drink. Hand Sanitizer and Bug Spray are packed to prevent what we can. China doesn’t require you to bring a special power adapter so that’s helpful. Our phone service is set up to international roaming which will aid us in navigation and quick research or news when necessary.

This guide should give you a good general starting point for traveling 7000 miles across the world to China. With the necessary time put in for careful planning and the right amount of adventure in your heart you should be absolutely ready for what lies in the East!

Namaste,

Teri