Anyone going to the China Solar Eclipse?

Paul Haese · #1 10-05-2009, 09:56 PM

Hi there,

just wondering if any others here are attending the China Solar Eclipse with China Best Tours with the Southerland Astronomical Society?

As I understand it there are around 50-70 people attending and going on the tour.

Does anyone know if we need vacinations for the trip? If so which ones. The tour guide does not say we need vacinations.

Looking forward to the trip, not only for the longest solar total for this century, but more importantly for the cultural highlights. I find the whole idea of going to China fascinating.

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #2 10-05-2009, 10:15 PM

Paul

someone from Sutherland said there were 70 people going

i am booked on this tour and so are are two others (with wives-so there's 6 people) from my club

my doctor has said that all I needed was to get my anti tetanus injection again

I already have a flu injection

Narayan

Tandum (Robin) · #3 10-05-2009, 11:27 PM

I sent 15 years traveling 3rd world countries and if your doing china I'd be getting a hep b shot for sure. It's a dirty place. You might also want to concider changing doctors if they didn't flag this one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatitis_B_in_China

ngcles · #4 11-05-2009, 12:27 AM

Hi Paul,

I'm on the tour too (being an SASI member) the numbers are now final and no more can be added. I'm told it was 90 but now there is a final 88 people going.

My GP has recommended Hep B and Typhoid, plus I'm also going to have a plain old flu vax too. I'm having the Typhoid this week. 2nd Hep B in 3 weeks.

We (myself, wife + daughter) are all going to have a dental check-up in the next month too -- can think of nothing worse than a tooth ache or broken tooth with a visit to a chinese dentist to take the shine off a trip.

I'm looking forward to almost every aspect of this trip -- it will be my first (murky and bright) look at the northern skies plus all the other stuff on the trip is just must-see. Of the northern sky, the thing I want to see most is Polaris -- strange but true.

Wife and I are also having a short 2-day Singapore stop-over (we are flying Singapore) on the way home to give the plastic another flogging.

Look forward to meeting you Paul and all the other non-SASI eclipse chasers.

Best,

Les D

Paul Haese · #5 11-05-2009, 10:11 AM

Hey thanks guys, will be great to meet you guys too.

Thanks for the tips. I better get my skates on with the shots then. might book in with the dentist too.

I had hep b when I was in the army 23 years ago, not sure if this is still covered or not. I will check though.

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #6 11-05-2009, 05:44 PM

gosh i better check about Hep B and typhoid...thats heavy stuff

ngcles · #7 11-05-2009, 05:56 PM

Hi All,

Actually there is one other injection I have to get too now that I come to think of it.

I ruptured my spleen when I was a teenager while doing the things that teenagers do. Because of that, I also need another injection to protect me against Malaria as I am especially susceptible to it. I also need to take a littlee quinnine (or similar) with me as well -- just in case.

Malaria is a serious if not sometimes life threatening disease for most people. But, it would be very much life-threatening for me because of the absence of a spleen (not that that prevents me from venting my spleen from time to time!).

Best,

Les D

Paul Haese · #8 14-05-2009, 10:26 PM

Went to the Docs today and this is the vaccines

Hep A
Typhoid
Malaria
Tetanus
Diptheria

Hep B is not needed because it is a blood borne disease.

So now off to get the vials and tablets from the chemist.

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #9 15-05-2009, 05:59 PM

bl****y h***l, that's the whole box of dice- and Ive only got one of them so far

alphamone · #10 16-05-2009, 09:16 AM

I had my Hep B and typhoid vaccination.

Paul Haese · #11 02-06-2009, 04:02 PM

Only 6 weeks or so now. Looking forward to the trip, got to have my shots this week. Few other odds and ends I need to attend too also.

ngcles · #12 08-06-2009, 05:12 PM

Hi All,

Well not long now and the excitement is building. Picked up the tickets and what-not last Friday.

Only one lot of injections to go and the dentist the week after next.

One thing I noticed today on the Singapore Airlines site that the economy checked baggage limit is only 20kg. Glad we're going in summer and most of the clothes are light! I'm taking my 15x70 binos in the checked bag.

The in-cabin bag limit is apparently 7kg with the height-length-breadth added together cannot exceed 115cm. The camera bag takes up half of this. You can take a laptop in addition to this (and I assume its minimalist bag).

Best,

Les D

Paul Haese · #13 08-06-2009, 09:24 PM

I think we are going with MU and that is 30kg limit. Taking my camera gear of course, don't think I will be taking 30kg of clothes though.

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #14 08-06-2009, 09:34 PM

am I the only one travelling China east airlines?????

citivolus (Ric) · #15 09-06-2009, 06:22 AM

In my experience Chinese airlines can be very vigilant about the size and weight limit of your carry on bag. Almost every flight that I have taken within China has resulted in my carry being taken from me to be carried with checked baggage, even though it was only 110cm, which is under the 115cm limit, and it was under the weight limit as well. The lesson to me was to carry a small bag within my carry on which contains my essentials and laptop/camera, or to make sure that my carry on was nowhere near the size limit. Chinese airlines which have made me check my carry on include Dragonair and Air China.

I do hope that you enjoy your trips! I am a jealous man.

Paul Haese · #16 07-07-2009, 01:38 PM

Seeker I am going China east airlines too. Had mine mixed up.

Only a week and 3 days to go and we are heading off. We fly out of Adelaide at 6am and then when we get to Sydney we meet up with everyone going China east airlines.

Does anyone have a google link to the eclipse site? I have tried google maps but there are several places called Huazhuang in China. I hope we are on the coast as it has been bucketting down each day further inland. Looks like it will be hot an humid too.

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #17 07-07-2009, 06:23 PM

googlemap search of

hua zhuang hangzhou

brings up something but I suspect its wrong..it shows a place in the middle of hanzhou and the farm is supposedly 2 hours out from hangzhou

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #18 07-07-2009, 06:27 PM

the site should be near the Qiantang River because thats where the tidal bore is viewed I think..but i just noticed the revised tour program no longer talks of the tidal bore so who knows????

Paul Haese · #19 07-07-2009, 07:15 PM

That is far too south for the eclipse by my reckoning. I am thinking it must be nearer to Shanghai or some where between there and hangzhou. That would ensure we get 5 minutes and 45 seconds or more. Anything south will reduce our time to under 2 minutes. I would not be overly impressed if that was the case. Besides I was told it is going to be better near the coast.

I tend to think that Hauz huang is a bit like a common suburb name.

alphamone · #20 08-07-2009, 04:24 PM

i leave in 8 days.

(though i will be doing my eclipse viewing as a part of the second day of a tour I am doing)

I will be staying overseas until Aug 18 though, going to cambodia after two weeks in china, and after a week in cambodia (doing a tour in cambodia) I will be spending a week in japan (though I have a one day layover in thailand).

I will probably be posting my video on youtube.