Magic(al) Realism : Travel

Essential Apps in China for Tourists

12:02 PM

These are the list of the essential apps I used daily in Beijing and Inner Mongolia. China is known for its Great Wall and the Great Wall of Internet Blockade. So here are the must-have apps to be able to post your travels (daily awra and #OOTD) and to get around easily:

PSIPHON. This is a free and open-source Internet censorship circumvention tool that uses a combination of secure communication and obfuscation technologies. This will give you VPN (virtual private network) so you can access and post your gala in your FB and IG. Cause baby, these sites are banned there.
WIFIMASTERKEY. For someone like me who does not want costly internet roaming charges, this is important. This will enable your phone to connect to any public wifi without password or login. This is a app that help users connect to the Internet through shared WiFi access shared by hotspot owners.
MAPS.ME. I've been using this in most of my travels. Just pre-download the map where you are going so you can use if offline. It has detailed routes, streets and buildings. Helpful also when you want to check out the nearest restaurants.
WAYGO. This is your visual translator. Just point it on the picture, example the restaurant menu you can't understand and it will translate the Chinese characters in English. However, this is quite limited, only 2 lines max. Unless you pay for its premium.
BEIJING Real Time Bus app. This is helpful for those who wish to be adventurous and take the public commute. You can choose and click on the target bus line. Select the direction you are heading to and finally you choose the bus stop where you are wish to start your journey. But using this esp in Beijing is quite tricky since traffic condition makes it impossible to be 'real time'.
BEIJING SUBWAY. This is the official app for the train. The train is easy to navigate and has English signs. This app is helpful to know the arrival, departure and stations. I roam around most of attractions that are near stations, like the Beijing Zoo and Beijing National Stadium or the Bird's Nest.
ENGLISH CHINESE TRANSLATION. This easy app that supports translation from Chinese into English and vice- versa not just words, including phrases and sentences. It also recognizes modern and traditional Chinese characters.
GOOGLE TRANSLATE. Despite having humorous errors in translation, this app still gives fast offline translation. Also, you will need VPN to make it work.
PLECO. This is helpful especially for those learning advanced Chinese. This is great to use on traditional characters which is quite tricky. And it has a pinyin, touch pad where you can draw the character to know what it is, and quickly translate it and even provides examples how it is used in a sentence. I find this the coolest option for all of the apps. It is free, offline and no-ads!

Or if all else fails and they tried to talk to you in Chinese, you can try this:

Wo ting budong. Wo zhou zhongwen. Feleiben ren.

I do not understand. I do not speak Chinese. I am a Filipina.

ADDITIONAL.

10. WECHAT. This is the 'official' multi-purpose messaging, social media and mobile payment app. If you are travelling longer than a week there, you should download this.

ProTip: There is a group of Cultural Exchange Trip (CETrip) in WeChat that has affordable weekend trips, such as featured 'Welcome to my hometown' trips and Couchsurfing program. They have English-speaking guides. This is mostly organized by local university and foreign exchange students. This is where we have booked our 2019 New Year Inner Mongolia trip.

Welcome sign at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS)

Inner Mongolia Trip with this gang.
uuhmm and it turned out, we are the only 'foreigner' in the group! 😅

So I hope you get your visa ready and

享受你的中国之旅  

Xiǎngshòu nǐ de zhōngguó zhī lǚ
ENJOYYYYYYYYYY your trip to China!

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Asia

Guide for Pinoys: Tourist Visa Application for China

11:43 AM

Some friends have asked me about visa application for China and I just remembered this is a long overdue post.

Yes, we still need a visa going to China kahit beshy-beshy na ang current admin with them, while Taiwan have granted and even extended visa-free for Filipino tourists. Oooh the ironies of this One-China Policy.

Anyway, I went to Beijing and Inner Mongolia last December 2018- January 2019 to visit a dear friend who is taking her PhD in Xishuangbanna. This supposedly will merit a long post but my lazy self overruled. 😜

So for fellow Pinoys travelling to mainland China, here are the needed requirements for first-time applicants:

Your passport. Make sure it is valid for a minimum of 6 months upon travel to avoid hassle at the immigration.
Filled- out visa application form. You can download it here: http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/wgrlh/lhqz/sblhqz_660598/P020130828561586361528.pdf Type your answers and do not leave any field blank. Put N/A if the item does not apply. Again, type first your answers before printing!
Photo – Please provide 2 color photos and affix one of the photos on the Application Form. The photo should be recent (within 6 months), front view, white background, in 48mm x 33mm size without head covering. DO NOT STAPLE YOUR PHOTO!
Bank Certificate of Deposit Balance (including the past 6 months bank statement) and the receipt for payment of this certificate. Just go to your bank and request for this and this usually takes around 3-5 days. So how much should you have in your bank account? It will depend on the length of stay in China. My modest calculation is around Php 2,000- P3, 000 per day x the number of days you will stay there. If you have more, why not coconut?! 😀
BIR-stamped Income Tax Return Form (I submitted our company pay slip)
Certificate of Employment (detailing the salary and the length of employment
Business Registration Certificate (if you are the owner);
Professional ID/Student ID (if applicable).
Other relevant documents proving the applicant's economic condition/ employment/study, or supporting the applicant's travel to China, or explaining the travel purpose (if applicable);
Copy of your round-trip airline ticket
Travel Itinerary. There are a lot of online guides already on which area you plan to visit. Tailor fit based on the number of days you are there. If you are taking a guided tour, then you can ask them to send the itinerary.
Copy of Hotel reservation.
If you are not staying in a hotel and say your friend invited you over, you have to get an invitation letter* and the photocopy of the inviter's Chinese ID/ Passport with Chinese Residence Permit.

* The above mentioned invitation letter must contain the following information:1) Information on the applicant : full name, gender, date of birth, etc.
2) Information on the planned visit: purpose of visit, arrival and departure dates, place(s) to be visited, relations between the applicant and the inviting entity or individual, financial source for expenditures, etc.
3) Information on the inviting entity or individual: name, contact telephone number, address, official stamp, signature of the legal representative or the inviting individual.

The invitation letter may be in the form of fax, photocopy or computer printout, but the consular officer may require the applicant to submit the original of the invitation letter.
The proofs of kinship refers to marriage certificate, birth certificate, certification of kinship
issued by Chinese Public Security Bureau or notarized certification of kinship.

If you cannot personally give your application or if you are travelling as a group, ensure an authorization letter and photocopy of your ID, for the one who will submit the requirements on your behalf.

You can apply at the Chinese Consular Office in Makati.
Address:
2nd Floor, the World Center,
330 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue,
Makati City, Metro Manila

You can now also apply at Chinese Consular Office in Davao City
Address:
Acacia Street, Juna Subdivision, Matina, Davao City
Tel No.: 082-298-7471

REMEMBER, Visa application is only in the morning, from 09:00 am to 11:00 am, Monday to Friday.

Regular processing is 4 days to get your visa.
Visa payment for Single entry is Php 1,400 upon claiming. You have to pay in cash!

Again, you have to collect personally your visa for the consular office. Walang delivery service sila mga mamsh. If you're travelling as a group and just one person will get it, ensure again an authorization letter and photocopy of ID.

CHECK THE DETAILS OF YOUR VISA BEFORE YOUR LEAVE THE CONSULAR OFFICE.

Make sure that the dates are correct. It should cover the date of your arrival and exit.

These requirements are only for tourist visa. If you need other types of visa, you can check more details from the China Embassy in Ph here: http://ph.china-embassy.org/eng/lsfw/visas/t960523.htm

RULE OF THUMB WHEN APPLYING FOR ANY VISA:
Bahala ng sumobra ang dala mong documents, kesa magkulang at pababalikin ka. Oh the hassle!
Better to be prepared, have extra documents rather than scramble for forgetting one seemingly petty document.

#RaiseYourFlag at one of the original part of Great Wall in Huairou District, Beijing

I hope this helps. Message me if you want clarifications.

And I have a separate post for the must- have apps that will help you around in China. Kanji letters mostly dun mga mamsh and if you go outside of the city centers, konti lang ang nag-Eenglish, so better equip yourself with helpful apps. 😉

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Asia

Introduction to Yangon (Rangoon)

7:00 AM

Myanmar is a relatively a new democracy, as per Western standards of nation-building. Just came out of military dictatorship, this nation is grappling with the entry of investments, economic zones and entry of tourists.

What's in the news?

The first time I read about Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is Amy Tan’s novel, Saving the Fish from Drowning way back in 2008. That novel used a ghost perspective looking at the American tourists travelling from China to Myanmar. The tourists were kidnapped by Karen people of Myanmar as one of the American teenagers was the prophesied savior who will lead them to victory. While the tourists did not know they are even abducted but thought it was part of a great jungle adventure! The novel is half spoof and fairy tale and an irony of sorts, how can you save the fish from drowning? It’s like taking out of the fish because you’re afraid for it to get drown in deep water. And it also talked about the uneasy political situation in Burma, including the debates on changing its name.

Anyway, I got hooked with that novel that I gave it to my younger sister as her reading assignment. And it all came back to me when my colleagues told me about Myanmar and its recent ‘reopening’ to the world after the military junta was ‘overthrown’.

Myanmar is a former British colony and an extension of the Indian province, were problematic British soldiers and ambitious Indian professionals have been tasked to serve. The country has a long history of struggle for its independence from foreign colonizers up to the military rule after.

You might also wonder, what is the correct name, Myanmar or Burma? Before, it was politically incorrect to use the name Myanmar. The U.S. government refused to use Myanmar as it does not acknowledge the name change made in 1989 by the country's military junta.

The military rulers had changed several other mispronounced name places from the British colonial period such as “Mergui” as Myeik, “Rangoon” as Yangon, “Pegu” as Bago.

The name change to Myanmar was recognized by the United Nations and by countries such as France and Japan, but not by the United States and the United Kingdom. With some political reforms made by their former President Thein Sein, it was only with President Obama’s administration that the US started to use Myanmar.

Their democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi also uses 'Burma' in English but in her statements published in Burmese she has used 'Myanmar' instead of 'Bamar'."

One of our fellow traveler asked our guide what is the politically correct one to use. Myo, our guide said, Myanmar have 135 officially recognizes ethnic groups. Burma (Bamar), is only one of it and is considered the largest ethnic group. Renaming this ethnically diverse country means inclusivity. Myanmar, is a Burmese word of Myanma meaning “swift and strong.”

Now back to our trip.

So when you visit here, it is a must I daresay you take the Free Yangon Walk Tour by Beyond Borders that happens every Monday and Wednesday at 4PM. The walk starts at Maha Bandula Park in front of the City Hall and Sule Pagoda. You will learn a lot of inside stories you have to read only in history books and I know you have no time for that.

Sule Pagoda, a 48 meter (152 feet) high golden dome was used by the British as the nucleus of their grid pattern for the city when it was rebuilt in the 1880s. The pagoda's peculiarity is its octagonal- shaped pagoda. which retains its shape as it tapers to the spire.

Sule Pagoda at night

This is one of the most notable landmarks and a historical area for demonstrations and large gatherings. Sule Pagoda, for one is the gathering point for the 1988 Uprising or the 8-8-88 Nationwide Popular Pro-Democracy Protests and the 2007 Saffron Revolution, protests against Myanmar's military dictatorship led by the monks.

The day we arrived is the day of our walking tour too. February 27, Wednesday. It was an auspicious day too as we witnessed the huge gathering of people in support for the amendments of the 2008 Constitution.

Crowd supporting the call for the 2008 Constitution amendment at Maha Bandula Park, infront of the City Hall

Their 2008 Constitution was made during the military junta and it states that he Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) retain significant control of the government. 25% of seats in the Parliament are reserved for serving military officers. The ministries of home, border affairs and defense have to be headed by a serving military officer. The military also appoints one of the country's two vice presidents. The Commander in Chief of the army has powers that could even rival that of the President and with absolute power on state emergencies.

Looks like a good retirement plan for the army!

There is a call to amend the said Constitution however, the benchmark to pass the amendment is also extremely high! It requires more than 75 per cent of all representatives in the national parliament, as well as more than half the votes at a national referendum. This leaves no doubt that the military controls the current constitutional amendment process, given that it occupies 25 per cent of the seats in parliament. The provision on amending the Constitution must be amended foremost to ensure that this is no longer the case.

An outsider looking in, I don’t know if they will get the votes considering the current composition of their Parliament, but boy, it was such a huge crowd and palpable excitement of a non-violent gathering. But we also saw military officers in plainclothes that day taking pictures. Memories of my student days rallying with military intelligence officers taking pictures came into my mind.

Which make us- the Philippines and Myanmar like siblings! We have that same experience in terms of military rule, dictatorship after colonization. So, it is now surprising to see a lot of Filipino NGO workers here in Myanmar, sharing the experience about Martial Law, community organizing and development principles. And with our current President appointing retired generals in the major Cabinet positions, we Filipinos are like Myanmar, militarization of the bureaucracy! Same same but different.

The walking tour have introduced us to the colonial buildings in downtown Yangon with British colonial era designs: Victorian, Queen Anne, Neoclassical, Art Deco and British-Burmese. Many of these buildings are clustered along streets laid out in a chessboard pattern centered on the Sule Pagoda.

Downtown aerial view from http://yangonarchitecture.tumblr.com

Top: Rander House (1932) now Internal Revenue Department took over the lower floors, while the top floors were turned into apartments.

Left: Accountant General's Office and Currency Department where collections of colonial government revenue that came from opium), salt, custom duties, railways, post offices, telegraphs and major irrigation works.

Right: Sofaer’s Building designed by Isaac Sofaer, a Jewish immigrant from Baghdad, where Egyptian cigars & European luxury items were sold

If you are interested more with the colonial buildings in Kyaktuada Township, Yangon's downtown area, check out Architectural Guide Yangon: for more in-depth history of each buildings.

We also chanced upon people preparing htamane, sticky rice along the road.

This where the financial district thrives with smuggled books, bookshop area in Pansodan Street. We went as far as the bridge going to the jetty during sunset. One thing you will notice here, they have a lot of crows!

Inquisitive Walking Group at Myanma Port Authority on the background

We ended the tour at Yangon Stock Exchange, formerly the Reserve Bank of India. We parted ways with our guide Myo and our fellow travelers.

Liezl and I were famished with all the walking! So, we went back to Maha Bandula Park to try the local food in one of the many stalls offering noodles and fresh juices. We ate rice noodles and sugar cane juice, ordering in halting English and sign language. The young woman serving our noodles and her twin sister (we assumed) were amazed. They thought we’re also Burmese. They keep on giggling at us, Asians. I told her, we’re same same. 😊 They wore dresses and with thanaka, that paste-like powder in their faces that served as moisturizer, make-up and sunscreen.

rice noodles with fresh veggies for the famished souls!

Here’s a thing in Myanmar. You will see young men and women in all ages wearing thanaka and their traditional clothes still. Men still wear longyi, a tubular textile rather than pants as compared to other Asian counterparts. Polo shirts on top and longyi, hoooow comfortable!

hand-painted postcards from Hla Days

of course, I tried the thanaka on myself. It leaves a cooling sensation on your face! I brought one home.

So while we in Southeast Asia are same same, this is distinctly Myanmar- thanaka and longyi. And they are proud and tall with it.

We walked to Hla Days, a social enterprise store with a collection of different products across Myanmar. I bought handmade postcards, hand-painted by differently-abled persons while Liezl was charmed by a lovely wrap-around skirt.

Downstairs is the highly rated trip advisor Rangoon Tea House. We went inside to look and indeed, it is full of tourists. Liezl and I wanted to try it, but we realized we only have a few thousand kyats (chats) left and only for taxi fare.

We hailed a cab and told him our hotel. We are negotiating in broken English still when this delivery guy on his bike stopped and helped us out. He told the cab driver the address in the local language and told us the amount he is asking. 4,000 kyats. That’s around Php 138.00. We agreed immediately. And only to be told, it was already expensive! Our grab ride from the hotel to downtown area is 2,300 kyat (Php 79.00).

Travel Tip: ask the person in charge in your hotel reception to write your Hotel’s name and address in Burmese.

So yes, fellows, it’s kinda cheap even to our Pinoy standard cost. I will share our guesstimate costs with our no-frills chill itinerary in a separate post.

That's it for Day 1 of our Yangon adventure!

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Pilipinas

Dwarves in the Island of the Giants

10:00 AM

Restless feet syndrome, I don't need any cure.

Isla de Gigantes. Literally the Island of the Giants. It consists of about ten islands; with the two largest are Gigantes Norte (North Gigantes) and Gigantes Sur (South Gigantes).

The agenda of the trip to this hidden paradise is the team assessment of the TFM- HEKS Shelter Project and I (together with Ken) just joined. But since we're also Ilonggos, it's very easy mingling with the group. Our two-hour boat ride to the Isla from Estancia Port was full of laughter. We are all first timers and we can't wait for the adventure.

These cute puppy and its aggressive mom who doesn't want to be photographed

Entrance of Bakwitan/ Pawikan Cave

Longon: wooden coffin

Tugkay. It is a chicken or a maya? :p

The next itinenary is to Bakwitan Cave. Mambubulong (shamans) go here to collect balinsasayaw eggs to mix in their medicine concoctions. In olden times people believed that engkantos dwell in the cave and you can request and borrow any material thing. But this was lost when humans broke their promises with the engkanto such as the time of returning the borrowed items.
Some said it was called as Pawikan Cave because of the egg-shaped rock formation at the end of the chamber. Our guide said that it was also believed that these marker resembling giant turtle eggs was used by the Japanese for the treasures. Today, this egg-shape marker disappeared when a lot of treasure hunters for the infamous Yamashita Treasure came. It left several digging inside the cave. There are also a lot vandals made by some tourists and locals whose sense of "achievement" is to see their name on the walls. Such vanity and idiocy.

If you would like to explore the island and try a different adventure, you can stay at Gigantes Dwelling Place and Contact these very hospitable and knowledgeable people: Rene (based in Bacolod)- 0939. 893. 0248/ 0917.463.9470 or Margie: 0946.2850.457 or Neknek (0998.164.2588).

Urban legend says there was a giant called Tay-og who fell in love with a beautiful maiden but this maiden was abducted and killed by the pirates. In grief, Tay-og threw all the things he saw forming the islets. Another version is there was a couple of giants who lived there and the islets were there children (or the place where their children lived). The other version is, two giants a couple, fell out of love then started throwing rocks to each other forming the islets. This version is quite violent but it made me laugh so hard. They don't have divorce yet at that time. :p

A mountain of scallops

However, this cave is now called as Bakwitan Cave as this also served as an evacuation site during World War II and last Typhoon Yolanda. There were three families who sought refuge in the wide spacious chambers of the cave during the onslaught of the strong winds. .

Considered the Scallop Capital of Visayas, you will not be surprised with the high pile (a mountain) of scallop shells in different colors and sizes at the shoreline. During the 80s, when the scallop industry boomed, thousands of tonnes are delivered every day to Iloilo and Cebu. Now, after several typhoons and with not much other livelihood alternative, the harvest dwindled. Scallops are just sold for P140 per kilo here. Since you don't get it cheap most of the time, try the different ways it is cooked- fried (scallop omelette), grilled or steamed.

Electricity is just from 6PM up to 5AM the next day. So expect the wailing from the neighborhood videoke from sundown to midnight. There is no cellphone signal so for those who are regularly monitored by their partners, you've been warned.

We arrived late so we spent the night drinking and telling stories and some music swapping with Marcus, the Dutch supervisor of HEKS. The next day is our trip to the parola (lighthouse). But Ken and I was too busy talking to Miss Margie of Dwelling Place, a homestay type inn on the other side who shared to us stories and tourism mishap in the area. She shared how the supposedly tourism budget was misdirected by a former tourism officer and spent on the private resort he owns now, which ironically where we're booked. In the spirit of fairness, I wanted to interview the owner of Hideaway Inn but he's not around at that time.

The next stop after breakfast is the Cabugao Gamay Island. You can climb the rocks to have a vantage point of the island and neighboring islets. The combination of wide emerald green and dark to light blue seawater will surely make you say, "Ahhhh this is paradise's lost!' :D

Then we went to Antonia Beach for a game of volleyball, snorkeling, eating of wasay-wasay (another kind of shellfish you can eat soaked in vinegar) and drinking! Here in Antonia Beach, you can see rocks formed and balanced in unlikely ways, and suspended and looking like an installation art.

But there is nothing much to see underwater for snorkeling. The corals are dead for the relentless dynamite fishing. There is another group of filthy rich tourists who came with their speedboats and arrogance. Sad but the sea and its fishes are bound to dwindle with the dynamite fishing. And with tourism as possible alternative livelihood, you have to offer a better seascape. And farming (whether container or other parts of the island with agricultural potential) should be considered as an additional source of income. There is not much vegetables in the area so don't expect much greens for your fish tinola or scallop soup.

As much as we would like to stay for another night but we have to go back Jaro. Another companion has a flight back to Manila and Jan-jan, one of the student interns was stung by the jellyfish. Also heavy rain started and we have to get back to the Hideaway Inn for our things.

The end of this trip is even more adventurous. Heavy rain and strong winds made us all wet, (mga basang sisiw) and quiet. No one wanted to sit in front of the boat, except Marissa and I. And we have to contend with all of the waves spilling inside the boat. This whole affair with the (un)predictable weather made us call on the Almighty for safety and protection. Our saving grace? Prayers, our skilled boatmen and the large cellophane bag to keep all of our things dry.

Isla de Gigantes is full of potential in terms of research and archaeological find. And if I only have a lot of resources at my disposal, I wanted to stay longer here. Well, another island out of 1,707 islands in this blessed archipelago that we're able to explore. And we're blessed to set our foot here and return in Iloilo unscathed.

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Essential Apps in China for Tourists

Guide for Pinoys: Tourist Visa Application for China

Introduction to Yangon (Rangoon)

Dwarves in the Island of the Giants

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