But First, China – Transit without Visa

I learned a new word today:  antipodes.  It means “the direct opposite of something.”  Apparently the antipodes of California is Madagascar.  Never knew that!  But that’s how Greg’s priority became obvious to me.  Between the two of us, we are flying around the world tomorrow.  Greg is choosing the longer route to India (traveling east via Dubai) specifically to pass through the velvet rope, and experience Emirates business class!  “I’m looking forward to the slippers,” he says jokingly, but I know he is serious.  Several days in advance he already picked out what he is going to order off the menu.  These are luxuries one on a business trip can afford.  Not me, I’m traveling normal.  I’ll be flying not only on a different plane, but on a cheaper, shorter western route – and I’m pretty sure I am more excited than him.  My route comes with one heck of an amazing perk:  I get to stop off at the Great Wall of China!  Who is the lucky one?!

Like India, China also requires a visa … but unlike India, you cannot get a tourist visa to China online.  China is one of those places that makes getting a visa rather daunting for the casual tourist. However, I’m in luck!  Rather than having to print out my itinerary and head off with my passport to San Francisco (the closest China consulate) to drop it off, and then go back a few days later to pick it up, I qualify for China’s “transit without visa” (TWOV) program!  Fortunately, for visitors from the United States (and about 50 other countries), China does not require a visa for 72-hour visits, as long as you enter and leave from the same city and prove that you have another ultimate destination. That means that this is the perfect way to squeeze in the Great Wall on my way to India!  Note: If you plan to utilize TWOV, research it thoroughly so you don’t run into any unwanted trouble.  I signed up for a free trial of Timatic (the program airlines use to determine if you have the correct documents before boarding their plane) so I could print out its certificate showing that I qualify for transit without a visa. 

The Great (Fire) Wall of China

Except for the obvious things like authentic Chinese food and the Great Wall of China, traveling to China is exposing me to something I have yet to experience in any other country.  China regulates their internet by blocking hundreds of websites, particularly the ones that I frequent while traveling: my blog, my travel documents (google docs), WhatsApp, SnapChat, Facebook, and even gmail (all google products actually - trust me, I googled it).  Wow, it really is a foreign place – another world even!  Without Google, Reddit, Wikipedia, and YouTube, how do the Chinese know anything?  My kids would be half as smart as they are! 

No SnapChat - how am I going to talk to the kids?

Now that I am over the shock, I’ve come up with a solution for my brief stay in China.  I’m choosing to break though the wall and bypass the internet blackout with a free VPN trial.  Without fail I have blog issues (particularly uploading pictures) due to hotels' poor WiFi signal, and I already know my Beijing hotel is no exception.  Otherwise the VPN should work.  If it doesn't, I'll be back online Tuesday!