A brief recap: I spent quite a lot of time sorting out my direction of travel, working out how long to spend in each place, booking and paying for hotels in each one and then meeting the consulate’s request for evidence to account for each of the 30 nights I'll be in China.
To complete the process, I had to get a photo: it looked a little yellow, but I hoped for the best (my digital photo had been rejected for not having a 100% white background). I went up to Christchurch after book club on Wednesday. Although I only made three brief stops (I needed a courier bag) it was nearly 9 o’clock before I got there. I only hoped for a warm bed and something decent to eat. I struck gold on both counts!
My motel was the Belle Bonne - chosen because it was the cheapest place I could found, not much more than a hostel bed at $80 per night. It’s a fairly old place, but very clean and very spacious. I think I booked a single room, and ended up with a proper kitchen (including full sized stove, microwave, fridge-freezer etc), separate bedroom and a lounge with two sofas and a proper table.
The motel was very quiet, right up until it was time to leave on Sunday - there was a prolonged screaming from next door, someone was very angry, and shouting about something. All quiet by the time I left.
I was in Upper Riccarton - there are several places to eat there, but most were closing at 9:00. Not the Dragon Garden. It didn’t look like much from outside, but there were several customers and they’re open until 1 in the morning. Being a bit of a night-owl, that’s my sort of place. They cooked me up a delicious beef brisket noodle soup, with a Tsingtao on the side.
Next morning, it was a short drive to the Chinese Consulate. I could have walked, but I was worried there would be a lot of people wanting something, and wanted to be there when they opened at 9:00. All I could see was a tall white fence, with a small copper plaque, a big black gate and a small gap, in which someone dressed in very bright fluoro yellow gear was sitting: security.
She was friendly and told me to go on in, where I found an old villa, with a kind of conservatory jutting out the front.
Here, I had to go through a scanner, just like in an airport or Chinese railway station. I had a folder of copies of my hotel vouchers and China Southern itinerary - that went to one side. Only later I realised my folder also had scissors in it. Oops. The security man was very friendly - there was one fellow who had obviously had to come in several times to get his documents sorted: he was told he should bring coffee for the security man. People were actually already in there, waiting.
There is a counter with three staff members behind glass, like in a bank, communicating by way of a microphone and speaker. They deal with Chinese nationals, foreigners seeking visas and people collecting documents. The ticket machine gave me B004. First up was a young woman, American I think, who took five minutes. Then there was a fellow who also took five minutes, wasn’t successful and wanted to see someone senior, outstayed his welcome. Then the next guy didn’t seem to understand they only do online applications, and needed his visa urgently. While I waited, a family came in for passports for their two tiny children - the security man sat them down and got their tickets for them.
My turn. No problems with my yellow photo. The fingerprint machine and I didn’t get on - I had to have several goes. The woman was nice, told me not to stress, and used kiwi-isms when the machine worked, like awesome and sweeeet. Yep, that’s the special extended version we use. She also told me twice that I’d be able to return to China without more fingerprints and visits to the consulate any time in the next five years.
Then the crunch: she told me that I’d get a visa, but it would be for 60 days. So all my planning was pretty pointless - I’ve checked and all my hotels can be cancelled, so I think I’ll stick to the plan until I get somewhere I want to stay longer, and add on a couple of other places. It’s a far cry from what Paul Theroux had to deal with, as recently as 1986: he was given his own personal travelling companion, Mr Fang, to make sure he didn’t go where he shouldn’t. I’ve got to the point where he’s just left Lanzhou and heading west, traveling the same way I will be (except I won’t have a steam train). He’s making the scenery sound very good.
I had four days in Christchurch, ate a lot, caught up with a mate, went to a gig, spent hours in the library (I may have retired but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a book to write). Coming home, I stopped in at this beautiful library in Rolleston (called city of the future decades ago, nothing happened for decades but the future must be here, as the place is growing rapidly). The library is one of the best places to work - a variety of spaces - and was very busy: good to see on a Sunday afternoon.
No need to return - they’ll send my passport back to me.
Scissors!! I had a good chuckle when I read that! you must have been in a hurry.
My eldest nephew is travelling through China at present, went and visited his childhood home in Shanghai and is now in Guilin.