Travel Questions for Unicon X in China

Advance Planning

How long does it take to get a U.S. passport?

I've heard that it takes about six weeks to get a U.S. passport, although it depends on the time of year and how lucky you are. Plan ahead. Since you also need a visa, you'll want to have your passport ready by June 1.

What about getting a visa for China?

U.S. citizens need to get a visa for China. This can be done two to three months before leaving for China. The cheapest way to apply for a visa is to mail your passport and a passport photo to the Chinese embassy. This costs $30 and can only be done through normal mail. I plan on using a service that will do it for me. They gave me a price of $50 per passport. While this is $20 more, I have a phone number to call if I need to track down my passport, and they use FedEx. I like knowing where my passport is. For all the details on getting a visa for China, check this page out: http://www.china-embassy.org/Visa/Visa-e.htm The service that I'm planning on using to get my visa is http://www.instantpassport.com/visa_services/china.html While they normally charge $120 per passport, they were willing to do a group rate of $50 per passport.

How long is the plane ride?

From Minneapolis, the plane ride was 17 hours. Since I was prepared for the long trip, it didn't feel all that long. To pass the time, plan on sleeping, eating lots of airline food (yum), watching movies, and reading.

Was the jet lag bad?

The time difference between Minnesota and Beijing is 14 hours. We arrived in Beijing at 9:30 p.m., and at that time I was feeling just fine. After 17 hours on an airplane, my body was already confused if it should have been tired or not. Arriving at night is my preference as I can go to bed after getting unpacked. I was just fine the next day until later in the evening when I got really tired around 9 p.m. and couldn't keep my eyes open.

About Beijing

How is the Beijing airport?

The Beijing airport is brand new. It was really nice and modern. There was no waiting at customs (unlike some of my travels). When we arrived at the baggage carousel we had to wait for only a short time before our baggage arrived. Free baggage carts are available as well. Although, when I was at the airport to return home, I did run into some long lines.

What is the population of Beijing?

There are 10 million people and 6 million bicycles (and possibly a thousand unicycles in August!).

What is the driving like in Beijing?

The driving is pretty crazy. If I had to drive, I wouldn't last five minutes. It is just something that you have to see for yourself. I've taken the bus (1 Yuan [$0.12 U.S.]), and it wasn't too bad. Although, I've heard that it is hard for foreigners to figure out the bus schedule. The subway is right next to the Unicon hotel and goes straight downtown to Tiananmen Square. This may be the best way to travel. The cost is 3 Yuan ($0.36 U.S.).

What is Tiananmen Square like?

T Square is the largest square in the world. No pictures or TV shot can do it justice. I rode my unicycle on it without anybody giving me any trouble.

What are the prices like in Beijing?

The prices for most things are really reasonable. We found some really good deals. Food is normally inexpensive. Although, the prices at KFC were comparable to prices in the U.S. When buying more expensive items, bartering is part of the game. It can be fun to watch and participate in. At one point, we went into an "antique" shop and the salesman immediately started making deals. The prices on the items were cut in half. If we sounded interested he further cut the prices and started to throw in other merchandise to sweeten the deal.

Are the people friendly?

During my entire visit, people were friendly. There was no hostility at any time. From my perspective, Chinese people are polite and patient. While eating in a McDonalds one night, one member of our delegation left his bag there. A couple of hours later when he returned to look for it, there it was, just where he left it. From my experience, the Chinese are also honest.

What are the bathrooms like in China?

The bathrooms in China were just fine in the hotels. While some of the public restrooms were just fine, others weren't so good. For the most part, I only encountered a few bathrooms where there were just holes in the floor.

What about the language differences?

I went to China and didn't know any Chinese. I am now proud to say I can say two Chinese words correctly (McDonalds and Shijingshan). I know some other words in Chinese, but the way I end up saying them comes out with a completely different meaning. I still can't say "Thank You" correctly. If you have time, try to learn a few words in Chinese. But, if you don't have the time or the aptitude to learn some Chinese, you will still survive in China.

Are any signs in English?

Some are, but not very many. If there are signs in English, they are usually spelled wrong. Most of the time, that keeps you wondering. Go with a sense of humor and a red pen to correct the mistakes.

Money

What about money-changing facilities?

There is an automatic changing machine at the airport that was much faster than any bank. I just put in a $20 bill and it exchanged it into Chinese Yuan. (When I was there in January the exchange rate was 8.028 Yuan to $1). Very convenient, but it only works if you have U.S. dollars (or possibly other major currency?). If you have Traveler's Checks, you would need to have them changed at a bank. Stay away from changing money on the street. I have been told by several people that you will probably be cheated and possibly receive counterfeit bills. I don't remember seeing ATM machines or money-changing machines outside the airport.

How much spending money do I need?

Of course this really depends on your spending habits. But, things are much cheaper in China. In some cases, the price is inflated for foreigners but even then most things are a real deal. During Unicon, the only money that you need to spend is for dinner. Between $5 U.S. and $15 U.S. would in most cases be more than adequate for a good dinner.

Hotels

What are the hotels like?

The hotel that I stayed at was nice. The rooms are small but clean and comfortable. When I sat on the bed I was surprised how firm it was. I'm talking about a little firmness; I'm talking one step below plywood. Even with such a firm mattress, I slept just fine.

What is the price of hotel rooms?

The price of the hotel that I stayed at was about $30 a night for a two-bedroom. Therefore, sharing a room with someone, the cost would go down to $15 a person. Jack Halpern, who has visited China quite a few times, usually stays in hotels much cheaper than that. Of course, there are hotels that cater to foreigners, and the price is equivalent to a nice hotel in any big city around the world.

What is the electric current in China?

The current is 220 V with 50 Hz. My laptop and electric shaver had a transformer built in that converted the current with no problem. As for electric outlets, it seems that every wall outlet has three or four different types.

Food

Is there any western-style food in Beijing?

I have seen TGI Fridays, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), and Pizza Hut. I heard that there are 120 McDonalds in Beijing. During my trip, we went to KFC one night and it tasted just like KFC in the U.S. McDonalds food tasted just like any other McDonalds on the planet.

Is the water safe?

I have been told that the water is safe out of the tap. I personally didn't have any problems, but I would suggest buying bottled water for all your drinking needs.

Do I need to know how to use chopsticks?

As one of the tour books said, "Know how to use chopsticks or bring a fork from home." This is true for most occasions, but there were times when I was given a fork because I was a foreigner (the blond hair and blue eyes gave it away). With a little practice chopsticks can be used effectively enough so you don't go hungry. While I'm getting better, I still can't catch a fly with my chopsticks.

Do they have decent coffee in China?

Since I don't drink coffee, I can't say from personal experience. But other coffee drinkers said it can be hard to find coffee in the morning. If you really need coffee, you can buy instant coffee in the stores. Or, better yet, bring an urn of StarBucks coffee from home.

Team USA

For Team USA, are there going to be t-shirts?

Kevin Gilbertson (Gilby) is going to design a Team USA t-shirt. If you have ideas for a t-shirt, contact him: mail@gilby.com

What about a flag and other things that Team USA needs?

Gilby has agreed to have an extra surcharge on the t-shirts to pay for a big USA flag, small USA flags, and a gift for our host from Team USA. While Team USA will give a gift to the host (any ideas?), I also plan on giving a gift from me personally.

Packing

What should I bring along?

The weather is warm there in the summer. Average temperature is 86°F (30°C). So bring clothes accordingly. I have a complete list of items that I will be bringing. If you are interested I can send you my list. One item worth mentioning is to bring extra unicycle t-shirts for trading. Trading t-shirts is very popular, and there are some really cool t-shirts worth getting.

Miscellaneous

What happens if I get sick in Beijing?

During our trip in January, one member of our delegation had trouble with a kidney stone, and we ended up taking an ambulance to a hospital. The hospital they took him to was for foreigners and is one of the nicest looking hospitals that I have seen. His hospital room was much better than our hotel room. The total cost of his stay, including the ambulance fee, prescriptions, ultrasound tests, sponge bath, and blood work was under $200. That is very inexpensive compared with the cost in the United States. And he was very pleased with the care they provided, saying it was better care than he could have gotten back home.

Other Information

See you in Beijing!

Andy