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Advice, What I Take With Me, Maunderings and Whatnot

Plan ahead as far as possible; it will save you money and grief. If you start looking early and at the right time, you can get R/T tickets from the U.S. to Hong Kong for less than $600 US.
Shop the Internet. Also to save money, time and problems, I found plane tickets, information on Hong Kong bus routes, reserved a cheap ($20 US) hotel room in Hong Kong, got information about all places on my itinerary, got advice from other travelers and bought much of my gear on the Internet.
Carry as little as possible. Transport is tight, even on the planes, and you haven't lived until you have dragged a 65 lb. duffel onto a chicken bus. Bags are limited to 70lbs from flights originating in the U.S. and Canada on most airlines, and can be different for Chinese airlines - the limits can be much lower. Most Chinese airlines will allow the U.S. weight limits if you can show that your trip originated in America, but don’t count on it. Check before departing. All airlines have a U.S. 800 number, but don’t count on the person answering being able to speak English or whatever your language is. I take the following things and it brings my large rolling duffel bag close to 65 lbs.. In addition, there will be small gifts for your hosts, cameras and film, documents and personal items of every sort. I always carry 2 small flashlights - one for my day-pack and one for my hotel room. The photon Micro-light (size of a quarter, I use the Photon-2 with the white beam.) is great for counting money in the back of a dark taxi or reading signs when the streets are dark. These lights will run 20-30 hours on a set of watch batteries.
Clothes:
1. 4 pair jeans
2. 7 slip on shirts (long or short sleeve – your choice)
3. 8 pair socks
4. 7 changes underwear
5. 3 handkerchiefs
One of each of the above is what you have on when you depart. I always carry soap, a dishcloth and a fresh shirt in my carry-on bag so I can clean up in the airports. Everything I take is cotton. I take no whites so everything goes in the same laundry load.

Medication:
1. Laxative
2. Imodium X-tra strength (see chapter on sanitation)
3. De-congestant
4. Anti-biotic salve and band-aids
5. Suture needle and thread (sterile) I carry this in case I get cut while in a rural (low sanitation) area. Same for the alcohol swabs.
6. Prescription medication and original doctor’s scrips. I pack my prescription meds in weekly pillboxes for however long my trip is. I pack an identical set and leave it with a friend in the U.S. so that it can be "next day" mailed to me in case mine is lost. With the spare set, I put a note in Chinese explaining that this is critical medication, the malady that requires its use and the fact that I am an American traveling in China. I put all this in a FED EX international bag, along with photocopies of all prescriptions so it is ready to mail. Remember, the loss of critical medication means an early emergency trip home, which can be expensive and will likely end your trip. Replacements can get to you in less than 72 hours.
7. Alcohol wipes
8. Ibuprofen or whatever for pain
Carry 1-3 small (3"x5") notebooks with you. When you get to China, ask your hosts to write their addresses in them ONE TO A PAGE! Label the page in your language. You can flip to the right page and point sefu (driver) the way. When you find cool places during your stay that you may want to revisit, get the address on a page or your notebook. GUARD THIS LIKE YOUR PASSPORT! If you get lost or in trouble this is your salvation. Try to keep a spare copy up-to-date and never leave your room without your little "Bible".
Make a book (either bound or stapled) that contains at least the following:
1. The names and addresses of all places you plan to visit, including phone numbers and directions (if possible). Have your Chinese friends fax or email you these addresses in Chinese and you can label these hieroglyphics in English. THIS IS IMPORTANT! You can get in a taxi, point to your destination and get there. Trust me, the driver will not understand you and without these you will have problems – guaranteed.
2. Maps of your entire itinerary, including road, rail, city and country maps. These should include bus and train fares and schedules, station locations and directions.
Carry a bottle of hand disinfectant goop (like liquid soap, $2 at Wal-Mart), some baby wipes in a plastic bag, a small bottle of liquid body wash and a small bottle of shampoo. All bottles should have screw on lids that do not snap open. Snap open bottles will do so in transit – I promise. Anything you carry can be thrown away for little loss, so take whatever, you might need. I also carry 3 dishcloths to use as washcloths. They dry quickly and can be used in airport bathrooms, bus stations etc. I take at least 6 1-gallon Ziplock plastic bags to keep wet things in until I can dry them. One way transport from the U.S. to cities in China can have you awake 44 hours from getting up in the U.S. to collapsing in you China hotel. You can’t imagine how good a sponge bath in the Hong Kong airport is after 30 hours of travel.
Get an International Youth Hostels card for $25 US (good for a year, search the Internet for IYHA or "youth hostel") There are hostels in several Chinese cities and most major cities worldwide. You can stay in Hong Kong for as little as $9 per night, for example. Record the addresses, phone and fax numbers and other info for hostels in all cities you will visit and put in "the book" (both copies). Also look at the E-KIT stuff, which gives you cheap calls to the U.S. or anywhere else, voicemail, WWW access to voicemail for free and an email account – a great deal in my opinion.
Carry a small travelers wallet that will hold your air tickets, passport, money, credit cards and important addresses. Keep it on you at all times. Many have a long string so you can wear it around your waist or neck under your clothes. Get a small backpack/day-pack to use as your carry on bag. I wear mine wherever I go in China to carry camera, toilet paper, pen, my travel "Bible" a book or two, a small flashlight, a Chinese-English dictionary, a pen and pad of paper and an extra shirt rolled up in a plastic bag. I am never without this miracle bag. Mine (Eastpac, about $45 USD) has made 4 trips to Asia in 10 years and been my bookbag through a Master's and a Ph. D. - it is still in good shape. Take a small combination luggage lock to secure one of its compartments from pilfering. I put valuable stuff in there when I sleep on the plane or a park bench. Lock all checked bags to stop pilfering at airports!
The stick. I always carry a cane when I travel. Like Leon Redbone says, "I feel undressed without my cane." When I travel overseas in large cities wherever I go this can be used to tap the bumper of a car that is about to back over you; as a walking stick in the slick streets, as a shield against scooters, to tap the toes of people that are stepping on your feet and, if necessary, as a cudgel. Violence against Westerners is rare, but not unheard of in China. It is a great way to carry your pack over your shoulder, if nothing else. I feel much better with my cane when I can hook it through the loop on my backpack, sit on the other end of the stick and go to sleep on the bus, knowing that if anyone grabs the bag it will wake me.
Travel insurance. I get travel insurance (TRAVELGUARD) that has a large medical evacuation and emergency health care coverage for every trip overseas. Most modern hospitals in China require cash payment for services and broken legs, cuts, stuff in your eye and heart attacks can happen. This insurance will pay for your care and even a chartered air evacuation if necessary. It can also cover lost baggage or its forwarding, trip delay expenses and other emergencies. The cost for a month’s trip is about $2 US per day – the best buy on my list.
Some Resources I Have Found Useful
1. Man Hing Lung Hotel in Hong Kong. Cheap, clean rooms. Call ahead for directions and they will save a room for you. Take the train from the airport. The hotel is on Nathan Road in Kowloon.
2. American Express Cards. I use it for travel so I can get their baggage and trip insurance coverages.
3. Xiyuan Hotel in Nanning PRC. Good rooms, good service, good price. Negotiate through local friends if possible. I got my room for $11 US per night for a 28-day stay. Other comparable (and more crowded) hotels in Nanning will run 2-10 times as much. The Xiyuan is a $1.25 taxi ride from downtown. Walk from your hotel to the main drag (about 3 blocks) and you will find 3-4 good noodle stalls on the way; breakfast for much less than a dollar US.
4. Air Canada had good rates for Asia travel this year. The service was good and the planes kept in good shape. Try for an Airbus flight instead of the 747’s. They are roomier and newer. New security regulations require you to get your baggage and clear customs in Canada as you pass through; a hassle that has no apparent security enhancement. My latest (2002) trip I flew Asiana, and I must say - THE SERVICE WAS GREAT! Only downside is everything goes through Seoul, which may mean an extra stop rather than a direct flight into PRC.
5. Email. You can email the bus, train and aircraft companies in Hong Kong for info and directions. I found them very responsive and quick reply.
6. Email. The Chinese Overseas Hotel, on Shamian Street in Guangzhou is about 150 RMB per night and is reasonably clean. It is Near the US Consulate too.

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