China

I want to start this post off with an apology. Anyone following this blog will know that I left for my trip on Friday 27th May. It's now one week later, and I haven't made a single post since leaving. But I do have a good reason. The infamous Great Firewall of China seemed to be stopping me from getting on any websites. So I'm sorry for that.

China was both amazing and horrible at the same time. My first day went incredibly badly after arriving in Beijing. I got a bus into the city center, and got a taxi from there. The driver not only ripped me off big time, he also took my no where near where I wanted to go. Once I got to the right area, I had a pretty hard time finding the hostel, as it was off the main road and the directions were pretty poor. Thankfully I found some foreigners who knew the area.
After that, things got better. I went to a bar I'd passed, which was pretty much only for foreigners (I was told the bar turned away Chinese customers). So I sat with my beer. Someone I had asked directions from saw me and invited me to sit with him. This guy was Mikko, a Finnish man, and he was with a Kiwi and an Irishman, who's names escape me. So I sat and drank and spoke with them most of the night.
The next day was mostly a write off. Hungover and jet-lagged, I stayed in bed most of the day. When I eventually did get up, I didn't feel like sightseeing. I wandered around my area, which was a nice place, a mixture of shopping and tourism. There was a free event in the hostel bar, where you were supposed to make your own, but the staff did most of it. Got talking to a Swede, another Irishman and an Israeli. After that went back to the foreigner bar, Helen's, and drank more. There I got talking with a group of Norwegians on some sort of school trip, and an American called Glory Kong, from San Francisco.

The next day I got over the jet lag and got my arse out of bed and headed off to Tienanmen Square for some sightseeing. Like every other day, it was ridiculously hot, around 32 degrees Celsius all day. I saw Tienanmen Square, the Forbidden City and a park north of the Palace. The nicest bit was actually the park, despite the steep stairs in the roasting mid day sun. Another night was spent at Helen's, and this time I met an American and a huge number of Canadians, one group from Quebec and the other group for Ontario. Played a weird card game with the French-Canadians, but it was fun. Then carried on drinking with the Ontarians for the rest of the night. Didn't get home until 8AM that night...

Final day in Beijing was spent with the Ontarians. We headed to a modern part of the city. Had really good pizza that night, and again stayed out too late, but only until 4 this time. Went home and managed to oversleep, so I had to rush out and grab a taxi to make my flight.

Beijing is a mixed place. When I first got there, I hated it, but once I relaxed it got much better. Despite the dirty streets, horrible smells and rude people, it grows on you. The main thing that made my time in China was the people I met. I don't think I would have nearly so much fun if I had been always on my own, and it's something I haven't found in Tokyo yet.

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.

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.