Leaving for the airport in about 2 hours

Thought I'd make a quick post. SO I'm very slowly and stressfully getting packed (I know I've left it a bit late), and things are coming together. I still have a few things to throw in my pack, and some more money to move around and then hey presto I'm all ready. It's a bank holiday weekend, so the roads are gonna be busy, so I'm leaving for the airport at 3, even though my flight isn't until 8. Anyway, gotta run now and finish everything! Toodles!!

Meetings

So the list of people I have spoken to and am supposed to meet in Japan is slowly growing. I have a few YouTubers that I'm meeting, some in Tokyo, some in Osaka. Then I have 2 new friends I met through the language site www.themixxer.com. So I'll be meeting those 2 as well. And then another person I met through courchsurfing.org, unless she's off travelling! It's good to know I won't be completely alone :).

2 days now!

So I never quite got there.

I've mentioned many times before that my goal was £4,000 to take away with me. But unfortunately this was easier said than done. In the end, I'll be taking some £3,500 with me. I got pretty close, but not quite what I wanted. I'll just have to go without food a few days, eh?
I can't tell you the exact amount I think I'll have, because it changes every time I look, but £4,000 was around my estimate. So I hope not having that extra £500 won't hurt me too much. Unless, of course, I have a wealthy and very generous reader out there willing to donate... No? Didn't think so.
My Chinese money came through yesterday, so I picked that up from the Post Office. It was £211 for ¥2000CNY. And I have a sneaky suspocion this will be more than enough for my 4.1 days in China (yes, 4.1. I'm not counting day 5 a I'll be flying out at 9am.


Anyway, that was my slightly disappointed update for today, but on the bright side, in less than one week I'll be in Beijing!!

Last day of work

So yesterday was my last day of work until after my trip, so about 3 months. Pretty cool thought, I don't have to do anything I don't want to for the next 3 months, I'll just do what I want and relax! The time until now has gone really quick, up until the last couple of days. It's gone scarily fast actually, so now I feel I'm rushing to get everything done and that I'm not ready. Somehow I feel like this isn't actually true, because I've got almost everything finished already, just have to sort out some money. But still, it's less than a week now, eeek!

So I better crack on and finish off those last few odds and ends. This time in one week I'll be somewhere in Beijing living it up Chinese style!

PS Sorry about the short post, they'll get longer once the trip starts, I promise. And there'll be more, possibly several each week. Ja mata ne

New Laptop!

So I finally got my laptop sorted! Meaning I can keep in contact, keep editing and keep blogging for all you guys while I'm on my trip!! This is my first laptop, I'm a desktop man, but I like this :D. This is just a really really quick post to let you guys know about this important update (which I am obviously posting from my new laptop, despite still being sat at my desktop). I still need to post those promised pictures of the Japanese money, but it's getting late now so I'll do that tomorrow. Ja mata ne
~GA

Money money money

So I just went to the Post Office and bought some money. I got ¥13,000JP for £107.00 and I've ordered £200.00 of CNY, which I can collect after Friday.
I have to say, both currencies have a much nicer look than our crappy Pound Sterling. I'll post some pictures up soon.

Also, I can pick up my laptop tonight, though I may have to wait until tomorrow.
See you soon guys.


~GA

So I woke up this morning with a definite feeling of dread. I can't tell if it was at the fact that I only have one week until I leave, and so only one week to finish organising, or because in one week I'll be thrown in at the deep end.
It's not as if I haven't planned what I'm doing. Maybe just I've never done anything this big before. I don't know, it's the first time I've had that feeling. Maybe I won't have it again.


~GA

My Camera Setup

If you already know it or not, I plan to video and photograph this trip so so much. The videos will be editted and loaded onto YouTube (view my channel by clicking the button over there -->). So I thought I'd share with everyone what cameras I am currently using.

Video Camera
The video camera is a Sony DCR-SX33 HandyCam in blue.60x optical zoom and a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens. I'll be honest, I have no idea what that is but it sounds fancy. Inside that I have an 8GB memory card.

Camera
It's getting on in age a bit now, but I have a Sony DSC-S930 SteadyShot camera. 10.1 megapixelsand 3x Optical zoom. I need to get it checked out in the shop though, there are a few problems with the lens cover.

Gorilla Grip
I love these things. If you haven't seen one before, it's a tripod made up of linked balls that rotate and bend etc., so that you can stand it up, or wrap it round poles. Great for different angles and setting up shots on uneven surfaces.

Camera Phone
Occassionally I might use my iPhone to take photos, like when I am trying to be discreet. So I use my iPhone 3GS, and I have a few apps to play with on that, such as Instagram.

Visas

PLEASE NOTE: the information in the following post is only for UK citizens. Visa agreements and conditions may be different for different nationalities. This information is only for UK because I only know the information for the UK.


Visa to visit the People's Republic of China
This one caused me so much grief. Getting the visa is easy enough, just the fact that it is very expensive. Anyway, here's the information: to enter China for any amount of time, apart from in the airport, you need a visa issued by the China Visa Application Service. I am in China for 5 days, and I still needed a visa.
The smallest (time) visa you can get is for a one month stay anywhere within a three month period. So 30 days between the visa being issued and 90 days after that. Therefore, don't apply for your visa 6 months before you leave, as it will expire.
A Visa for China is expensive. Think of this before you go to China. A part of me regrets choosing to go to China purely because of how expensive the visa was. So here's the cost breakdown:
£30.00 Visa Fee
£45.00 Application Service Fee
£9.00 VAT (20% of the above prices)
£11.35 in Post Office Fees and Return Special Delivery Envelope
£4.00 for 2 passport photos

Total: £99.35
And that is why I ask you to thoroughly check details about China. It may be cheap once you get there, but getting in will cost you.

To apply for the visa (for UK citizens) go to http://www.visaforchina.org.uk. Then follow the instructions on there. I personally applied by post, but you can also apply in person or online (note: online application is not supported by all web browsers. I know from experience it doesn't work with Google Chrome).

And finally, here's my visa!! Sorry that it's sideways

Visa for Japan
UK citizens (and many other nationalities) do not need a visa to enter Japan if they in the country for less than 90 days. This means that for my 60 day trip, I will not need a visa. For people wanting to stay in Japan for longer than 90 days, you will have to visit a local bureaucratic office and get the stay extended. I believe it is at this point that you also have to get an Alien Registration Card (Gaijin Card). However, don't quote me on that, I haven't looked into it I'm afraid.
One thing you should know, I keep hearing that when entering Japan, for no matter how long your stay, you may be asked to show proof of funds to keep you going on your stay. Essentially they don't want you working when you shouldn't be. I think you also need a return ticket already booked, unless you have a visa of course. Obviously the easiest way to do this is to carry a big case full of cash, but that's not exactly practical for a traveler. Some people have done it though (JapanChannelDCom on YouTube said he entered with $25,000 Australian in cash). Anyway, I'm going to print off receipts or statements for the cards I am taking into Japan, and fingers crossed it'll be enough.

So that's my quick information on visas for a holiday. I wouldn't even begin to claim that I know much about visas for Japan, your best bet would be to go on official websites.

Travel money

So one of the hardest things to figure out for this trip has been how I am going to take my money. It has been suggested that I take all cash, but i wasn't keen on the idea of walking around with £4,000 in my pocket!
So after much deliberation I have chosen these 2 services to carry my cash, as well as somd cash for when i first arrive:

CaxtonFX Global Traveller Card
CaxtonFX is a part of the Newcastle Building Socity. For £10 you get the card, though £10 is automatically loaded onto the card, so it's essentially free. There are no ATM fees or international transaction fees from the issuer. For £5 you can get a spare card, definitely a good idea if you're travelling, so if you lose the 1st, you can cancel it and use the second.

Travelex Cash Passport
Recommended by the Foreign Office, again this card has no ATm or international fees from the issuer. This card has a double edged sword: buy it in GBP and you get a commission put on your bill. Buy it in any of the other currences (USD, CAD, AUD, NZD, ZAR or EUR), and you face a bad exchange rate. I did some number crunching, and if you use anything but GBP, you will only get £972 for your £1000 (did some reverse exchange). So you loose out on almost £30! Now the commission for GBP is only £20, so I'd definitely recommend this. (EDIT: I wrote this section once, then changed it when I did some more research).

So I'm taking these 2 cards, plus a spare card for each in case I lose the first. I'll also be taking around £150 in Chinese Yuan, and £100 in JPY, the Chinese Yuan to last me the whole time there, and the JPY to get me to where I need to go and for my first few purchases, until I find an ATM.
It's also a good idea, if you can, to leave your account details at home so that someone can recharge your cards in case of a bailout.

And as an extra fail safe, I will probably apply for a American Express Blue card. There's no annual fee, and if you're under 21, your application is based on household income rather than yours. This is good for me, as I won't have income while travelling around, but I can still get the card. This last one really is only for emergencies, and I'd try not to use it at all. It would be my last resort. Also, this card has 0% APR for 6-12 months, so if you're only travelling a little while, you can use it, pay what you used and then cancel it before they charge you more!!

For information on the CaxtonFX card go to: http://www.caxtonfxcard.com
For information on the Travelex Cash Passport go to: http://www.cashpassport.com
For information on the American Express Blue card go to: http://www.americanexpress.com/student

Above all, be careful with your money! Never log into an online bank account while not on a secure network, never divulge your details, don't carry more cash than you need, make sure you have the banks telephone number for cancellations of cards. You get the picture ;).

Happy spending!
~GA

I've just figured out that it's a 10 hour flight to Beijing. Any suggestions of what to do and how to beat jet lag? It'll be 6.30 am GMT when I land, but that's 13.30pm local time!!

~GA

Location:West Malling,United Kingdom

Imagine the days

Imagine the days when to go travelling was something so much bigger than it is now. To go to a foreign country where you know nothing about. Before the Internet, how would you find out about where you were going? I guess you didn't, and you just went with your fingers crossed.
And what about the fact that when you left, you left entirely. The only way you could get word back home would be mail. No one would hear from you and you'd hear from no one else. Imagine the freedom that would give you. Imagine just disappearing.


~GA

Bummer

Just filmed a quick video update, and then realised i didn't press record on my camera. So I was just talking to myself. Grr.


~GA

Hey guys

Just letting you all know what all the spamming is about. I've recently returned to blogger, and I'm going to use it specifically as a blog about my trip, rather than all the other junk in my head. If you want that, visit my tumblr account.
Anyway, all the posts I've been making are just going there to make pages within my pages. For example, in "The Plan", I have a list of links to posts which are my pages. Making sense?
Pretty much I'm filling out the rest of the site, building the content an d making it more useful to prospective travellers.
I want this to be more than just a blog :).
Anyway guys, it's not long now until I start travelling, and then I'll flood this place with posts and photos and videos for you all to enjoy.
I'm envisaging this growing and growing. Maybe I'll buy a domain name and add a forum. But that's a log way off.
So it's 15 days now! Exciting stuff.
~GA

Nara

After Kyoto I hit Nara, only a short train ride away. I have slightly less time in Nara than other cities, only 6 nights this time. I'm taking this week as a relaxation period, or I'll try to. I want to hang around in parks and the country, and generally get away from the hustle and bustle of the cities. With some of the biggest parks and oldest temples, I'm sure I can find somewhere.
In Nara I'm staying at a small hostel which is a renovated traditional house. It's called Yuzan Guesthouse, and this time I'm in an 8 bed dorm. It's pretty expensive in here, but was actually the cheapest in Nara, at ¥2500 a night.
<-- See, old house!
<-- the dorms.
<-- and the garden!
Sorry, I wanted to post a couple of pictures here as it looks so nice and... quaint.

Go to http://www.yuzanguesthouse.com/english

I'm in Nara from the 16th to the 22nd of June

Kyoto

After arriving early morning in Kyoto fresh off the bus from Tokyo, I begin my 7 day tour of the Old Capital.
I'll be staying at a hostel that is part of the Khaosan chain. Yes you guessed it, Khaosan Kyoto! Now in my 3rd week of travelling, it's time I started to cut back on the spending, and really get into the "traveller" way. So I opted to stay in 10 bed mixed dormitory, and I won't be in a private room again until my last week.

A bed in the dormitory is costing me ¥2000 a night, so I'll be paying around £100.00 for my stay.
<- A picture taken from Khaosan Kyoto's HostelWorld page.
Visit them at HostelWorld or their own site.
I have a total of 7 nights in Kyoto, and I will be leaving on the 16th of June.

The Plan Video

Contact Me

Aside from contacting through the Personal Messaging systems on the various sites that I have listed myself on, please feel free to e-Mail me any other questions or comments you may have.
My address is: gaijinabroad@gmail.com


Please note that I reserve the right to publish and quote any mail sent to me, unless stated in the message itself.

Tokyo

I arrive by plane in Tokyo around noon on the 1st of July. Straight from Narita Airport I'll be heading to my hostel, the lovely looking Aizuya Inn in Taito-ku (http://www.aizuya-inn.com). Again I'm staying in a private single bed room, this time with a shared bathroom. You can straight away see the differences in prices between China and Japan though, as this room will cost me ¥2500 a night, which is about £20. Still, it is one of the better value places I'm staying.
<-- the common room of Aizuya Inn.
This hostel, like many others, has an attached kitchen/bar. It has a slightly different system though. The menu is priced in "coins", with each coin costing ¥100. So a beer is 5 coins, ie ¥500, and an "English" breakfast (including: toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, salad, a yoghurt and coffee or OJ) will cost another 5 coins. It's pretty cheap, less than £4.00 for all that food.
To get to the hostel, I'll take the Keisei Skyliner to Ueno, then hop on the Hibiya Line to Minami-Senju St.. From there, its a short walk to the hostel (or so I am told, this doesn't include getting lost and distractions).

I have 7 nights in Tokyo, this time around anyway. While in Tokyo, I'll mostly be using the famous subways to get around, and the seemingly best and easiest way to do this is use the Suica Card. For a deposit of ¥500, and then top-ups as and when you need it, you can easily swipe in and out of the stations. Very similar to London's Oyster Card.

Getting There & Back Again

A quick note before I start: flights are one of the most expensive things you will be paying for, so choose carefully. Also, look into any extras you can get like I did. And finally, keep in mind that not all seats are released at once, so the flight you saw two days ago probably won't be there again. If you see something exceptionally good value, book it immediately!

Getting to China
For a start, you need a visa to visit China. For information on getting a Chinese Visa, click here.
Now, to get to China, I am flynig with Air China. My flight departs from London Heathrow at 20:25 on the 27th of May, and lands at Beijing Capitol at 13.30 the next day (Ed.- all times are shown as local times). I think it's around an 8 hour flight, but I can't figure it out exactly due to the time differences.

Getting to Japan
Still flying with Air China, my flight leaves Beijing Capitol at 09:25 on the morning of the 1st of June. A few short hours later and I'll arrive in Tokyo Narita Airport at 13:55.

Getting Back Home
I have a two part journey back home, firstly to Beijing again and then back to London. I leave on the 29th of July
Firstly, my flight to Beijing leaves at 09:00 from Tokyo Narita, landing in Beijing at 11:55. I only have a couple of hours here, and my visa will have expired anyway, so I'll stay in the airport for this wait.
At 13:30 I jump on another flight, then straight through to London Heathrow, landing in Blighty at 17:45.

Costs & Other Details
All of my flights were included in one big package, and the total came to £596.73. The 4 nights in Beijing only cost me an extra £50.
I'm going to be travelling light, as my flights only allow me 20kg of baggage.
And as far as I can tell, I do get some food on the longer flights, though I don't know what it will be. But I love airplane food anyway :D.

Before You Leave

These are just a few thing I have learnt while passing time before I leave, and I give you this advice from my own experiences.

Before you start your gap year, consider carefully what you want to do. You'll have an entire year, make the most of it. By the time I leave, I will have spent about 9 months working nothing. It has been boring. Do as much as you can!!

Start saving now! I'm pushing the budget now, because I didn't start seriously saving until January. The minute you decide to travel, start saving, even if you don't know where you;re going yet.

Learn the language. My biggest worry when I get to Japan is that I won't be able to speak to anyone, and I'll end up lost and hungry. I know basically no Japanese beyond the very basics. So start learning now!!

Start planning as soon as possible. That way you can set yourself goals for money, and you know what you'll be doing/seeing/sleeping.

Have fun! Especially before you leave. Obviously the trip will be the time of your life, but don't let before that put it down!!

Beijing

I'm landing at Beijing International Capitol Airport (北京首都国际机场 Běijīng Shŏudū Guójì Jīchǎng). There are several ways of getting from the airport into the city centre, including several bus services, the Beijing Airport Express line(北京机场轨道交通线Běijīng Jīchǎng Guǐdào Jiāotōng xiàn), and of course dozens of taxis.

My hotel fortunately has an offer of picking customers up at the airport for CNY240 (Chiniese Yuan Renminbi), which is about £22.

The hotel I am staying at is Beijing Leo Courtyard & Leo Hostel 2 (I think at some point they merged two hostels into one). It’s an old style hostel, and looks a lot like something you’d get in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

<-- Leo Courtyard er courtyard

The best thing about the Leo Hostels, and most other hostels in Beijing, is the price! I’m staying in a single-bed, private room with an en-suite bathroom, and it’s only £6.00 a night!

I have already paid £4.40 in deposit for the room, and I am to pay CNY216.00 on arrival! That’s only £20.00!

Here’s a link for that hostel: http://www.leohostel.com/. The Leo Hostel Group is also listed on http://www.hostelworld.com, which I used to book all of my accommodation.

I’m staying in Beijing for 4 nights from the 28th of May until the 1st of June, when I hop on a plane to Tokyo.