We Have Visas!

[przed]

I dashed down to the Chinese consulate office at lunch today to pick up our visas. I got out of the office, visas in hand, in seven minutes flat. Yes, I timed it. I was morbidly curious as to how long it would take. It was all rather anti-climactic after the effort it took to get to this point.

We are now T minus 15 days to China! AIIIIEEEEEE!

And because we're going to have to figure out what to pack real soon now, I did a quick online check of the weather in all of the places we're going to be. (That would be Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, Yangshuo, Chengdu, Nanchang, Tonggu, and Shanghai.) So far, the temperatures range from -5 to 20 Celsius. Bringing the right combination of clothes is going to be...interesting.

Comments

[miwahni.livejournal.com]

Packing WILL be fun! Maybe a coat each that can be taken onto the plane as hand luggage, layers, and buy more stuff in China as needed?

[przed.livejournal.com]

Layers are definitely going to figure prominently in our packing strategy. And Ros and I may just buy clothes whilst there, though that won't work for the Sweetie. He'll never find anything to fit his 6'6" frame in China. (To say he stands out in China is a definite understatement.)

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

*bounces* Exciting! Yay for visas! And eurgh, packing. Never easy. It was illustrative to me when I went to Canada for the first time, because your 'heat' is not like our 'heat' (British version: "It's really hot today I think I won't wear a jumper" Canada version: "It's really hot today I'M DYING AND CANNOT WEAR PYJAMAS") I had to buy new, lighter clothes when I was there *g*

[przed.livejournal.com]

The visas were the last thing really stressing me out. Though the packing will be a challenge. I feel for your Canadian heat experience. Sounds like my first Hong Kong trip. In April, their version of heat was OMG I NEED TO CHANGE MY CLOTHES THREE TIMES A DAY BECAUSE I AM CONSTANTLY DRENCHED IN SWEAT! There was much clothes buying then, too. Which wasn't a bad thing. HK clothes are made for people my size, i.e. wee, so the shopping was awesome.

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

Lots of layers! T-shirts that will go under sweaters that will go under jackets etc. And don't forget hats, scarves and gloves! You could wear loads of layers for travel and strip off in the plane!

[przed.livejournal.com]

Lots of layers will definitely figure prominently. The jacket is going to be the hardest decision I think. Do I bring the leather, that might be way to warm in the south. Or one of the spring ones, that might be a tad too cold in the north. Hmmm.

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

The leather, for warmth in the north, and take a shirt that can double as a kind of jacket for evenings in the south. You'd get less use out of a spring jacket if you're going to spend part of the time in really cold temperatures.

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

Yay for problem free visas!!

[przed.livejournal.com]

Yay, indeed!

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

This is so exciting! My kidlets spent two weeks in China a few years ago and really loved it. They had a great time.

[przed.livejournal.com]

The last time we were there was when we got Ros, so we didn't see a lot of the country. But we loved what we did see. It's going to be exciting this time, travelling with a big girl instead of a baby. (No trying to find places to change diapers! No arranging outings around feeding schedules and naps!)

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

Yay for visas! Sometimes it seems countries don't *want* visitors.

When we went to China, it was much the same time of year, and the same areas too. We took our raincoats and layered them with fleece jackets and sweaters and t-shirts in the mountains, and stripped down in the warmer areas. (We were limited, because everything had to fit into our backpacks.)

Are you going to be able to visit the panda sanctuary in the Chengdu region? We spent a week in the area, and it was amazing. I just loved the farming country there.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Layering under raincoats seems a brilliant idea. I'm in need of a new MEC raincoat anyway. Out of curiousity, what did you do about footwear?

We are indeed going to the panda sanctuary in Chengdu. That's the thing my daughter's looking forward to most, after the visit to her orphanage.

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

For footwear, we wore our hiking boots all the time. We spent two of the four weeks we were there on hikes, and we couldn't spare the weight to pack extra shoes, or the room to pack the hiking boots when we weren't on the trail. We did bring some very light flip-flop type things to wear into showers and bathrooms, because some of the facilities we were in were very primitive.

The raincoats with layers worked well in Chengdu, because it was warm down below, but as we went up into the hills it got colder and damper.

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

Fantastic news! \o/

It's always a bit of a shock when government paperwork doesn't take that long.

As everyone else has said, layers are your friend.

[przed.livejournal.com]

China isn't fast, but they are predictable. Which we very much appreciated when we were doing the adoption. Once everything was under way, there were virtually no surprises.

Layers seem the way to go. Now it's just deciding on what to layer.

[dracothelizard.livejournal.com]

Don't you love it when bureaucracy goes faster than expected?

EXCITINGTIEMS :D

[przed.livejournal.com]

After the ordeal of applying for the visas, it was a nice payoff.

VERY EXCITINGTIEMS!

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

This ia all very exciting. You must take photos and tell us all about it when you get back!

So when will you be gone and come back again? [and could you PM me contact info for our mutual friend whom I need to query about a ride from the airport to MWC.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I'll be taking lots of pictures.

I'll send a message to you and Sandy about MWC.

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

So glad that the picking up of the visas went well and wow only 15 days to go, *bounces*.

[przed.livejournal.com]

14 days to go tomorrow. *tries not to hyperventilate*

[siskiou.livejournal.com]

How exciting! Only 15 (or is it 14 now?) more days!
Regarding the temperature, I remember traveling to Beijing in 1986 in March, and it was absolutely freezing! We bought long underwear, and the store clerks were practically in tears of laughter, because they only had men's long underwear. We were so cold, and not prepared for it.
Flew to Xi'an 10 days later, and it was spring and warm!

[przed.livejournal.com]

It's coming fast!

That's good to know about Beijing. I think I'm going to plan some massive multilayer options so I can avoid bringing an actual winter coat. (A month later, and it would have been when we were there last and I'd know exactly what to bring. Oh well.)

[norfolkdumpling.livejournal.com]

Eeeee - so exciting! Good luck with the packing dilemmas :)

[przed.livejournal.com]

Exciting, indeed! I think we're getting close to sorting the packing issues. Fingers crossed!

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

This is so very exciting!! Good luck with the packing :D

[przed.livejournal.com]

Exciting, and just a wee bit terrifying. I think we'll need a bit of luck with the packing. :-O