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Letter 12
23.04.10 Kunming
I decide to walk to "The Hump", where I've chosen to stay. I looks
quite easy, but it's far I've found out by comparing their guide to the map in Lonely
Planet. 2,5 km at least.
So I pass bus no.3 that I could have taken. I walk and walk the Beijing Lu.
Then comes the first crossroad as expected and I go on. But Jin Bi Lu doesn't
show up, but I continue still - it HAS to turn up sometime.
In the end I feel something is wrong and ask for it. Back again. The direction I
just came from. Third street. I go back to where I'd expected to find it - and
ask. I have to go DOWN this street and THEN it changes name to Jin BI Lu.
Couldn't you have told? Moron's!
Now I have to follow this till I've passed the river, then it's to the left.
I walk and walk. In the end there is a stream but only to one side. Nevertheless
I have to watch out now!
I walk and walk. It feels wrong. Suddenly I see a westener with a bike. I ask
him. I have to go back again, I've passed it. I can go with him. Oh, he lives
there maybe? No, he's married to a chinese and lives and works here in Kunming.
But he often go there to drink coffee. He's from Slovenia and looks a little
worn out, but that's his business. We have a nice talk on our way there. It's on
the second floor. There is a big sign, but it's on a corner, and I came from the
wrong side to see it.
So much for their guidance.
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| On my way to "The Hump" | The square in the center |
I get a room for 80 RMB, but there's no reduction for being a member of IYHO.
Yet another minus. I can hire a bicycle in a store down at the entrance for 20
RMB but it's not Mix' standard. There is really nothing good to say about this
place so far.
I ask for China Mobile? And get a note in chinese about the two different
simcards that could fit my needs. One that will function all over China - or if
that's too expensive - one that only works in Yunnan. In the last case I'll have
to change back when I leave Yunnan.
They should have told me it doesn't say China Mobile anywhere. So I run around
to find it. I have to ask several tourists.
I turns into a long show. They cannot speak that much english - but JUST
enough. One for the whole of China requires a subscription I think. I have to
pay only 80 RMB now, but then I have to pay next month again 88 RMB. How much is
for talking and how much for sms I'm not quite sure. The prize should be 0,1
RMBmin and 0,05 RMB/sms. But they have to see my passport. But now all my
numbers are on the old sim-card. The guy is very nice. He can fix it. But when
he has fumbled with the phone for a couple of minutes he has to admit - not
happily - that he can't make it write chinese characters. I tell him it only
works with european letters. He looks unbelieving. All the Nokia phones he has
seen can both chinese and english. But there are phones for different markets, I
explain.
So I go back to have all the numbers written into the new simcard after I've
made sure it has connected to the CMCC-net.
While I'm fiddling with all this it suddenly receive messages. But it's the old
simcard!?? It's Sophia telling me who to meet and where and what she looks like.
Next she wants to know where on earth I am?
I reckon, that if I can receive a message, I must be able to answer it too? I'll
make the try anyway.
I CAN. So now when I have acccess to the whole of China on one simcard, the
other one works as well. But how do they know that the old number is mine? My
telephone must have some unic code? I don't want to worry about that. As long as
it works. So I haven't changed my phone number. For those that might be
interested.
At 5 p.m. I send a sms to Sophia like we arranged. But now she can't meet me,
she has an assignment to do. But didn't she know earlier when we chatted? As
usual I don't understand anything. They're strange those chinese. But I may
phone her at 9 p.m.
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| The view from the terrace was the best about "The Hump" | Instructions from the chief chef |