Hi,

I am in China now (the bike is still at the border).

Rule number one - Forget the Embassy! Find an agent.

The rules changed at the beginning of June for temporary vehicle import.
There are apointed agents that must process yo through the customs procedures. The Chinese have wised up bigtime and if you dont have the Chinese docs for you and your bike I doubt that you will get in.
The customs agent requires 1500rmb (150 Euro) to process our 2 bikes. This is on top of the money paid to the travel agent for permits.

They have also introduced a "DEPOSIT" system - 10,000 RMB (1000 Euro) for the vehicle. I assume they will sign-up for the carnet de passage in the future.
We have not paid this money. We told the agent that we did not have it and if we paid it, how would we get it back on the KKH? The agent has paid it so they will get it back.

It has taken 3 days so far and everything was supposed to be prepared for us. We may be able to get the bikes in tomorrow PM. I do hope so. The border closes at the weekend.
Happy days

We were told today that the KKH is closed because heavy rains and flooding have washed the road/hillside away in north Pakistan. Expected to reopen on 15/07!!! If you are headed this way, check.

John


BikerBytes.com

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Nostradamus Ate My Hamster

Hi John,

Have you got a contact for your agent?

Cheers

Ollie

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Ollie

www.jollyfollies.com

Land's End to Sydney 2009

HAHAHAAH...."DEPOSIT"...some grease on my palms. HAHAHAHAH!

Hope you make it through good and clear. They'll make you wait but if you hang around along enough and don't go away, your persistence is sometimes rewarded.

FYI, was just on the KKH last year and on China side is mostly paved. Coming from Pakistan you would have 30-40kms of dirt road then another 80km of sealed to Tashkorgan. Sealed from Tashkorgan to Karakul Lake, then the graded road begins until Bulungkol (silver sand/lakes area...you'll know) and you head east through the mountains towards Kashgar . From there it's sealed all the way to Kashgar with a couple small water hazzards before you get out of the mountains. A couple places could provide really fun water crossing experiences if the faucet's really turned on..cuz sometimes the current moves pretty fast. Otherwise, mostly sealed.

Hope you can start your wheels rolling here soon. Waiting around for bureaucratic hassles SUCKS!

CC

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Hey guys, here is my main travel agency replies. I contacted some in the UK and in China.

China Highlights travel agency:
Jerry says that he needs 10 people to make the tour viable, it will be very costly and time consuming, many documents needed

Chinats.com:
Jane: Need many papers, very complicated procedure, could take up to 3 months to do all registration

Oriental travel Co. Ltd in England:
Greg was very helpful, however specialist arrangements need a £200 retainer to do the research. This is before any documentation is applied for. State permit to purchase petrol is necessary?

Discover China Tours:
Sandy was again very prompt with replies and helpful, they would design a full itinerary. “Did we want to stay in a 3,4 or 5 star hotel?” (how about a tent?)

Easy Tour China:
Wei: Detailed itinerary and costing would take time, very expensive, and the time needed to procure documents means planning trip for the next few months is almost impossible.



I think Chinats and Cits is the same thing. I remember looking at Cits anyway.
After some backwarding and forwarding, in short, all the travel agencies want to do a full itinerary, it will cost lots, and it will take time. None would give me a definite qoute on time or money, and just mentioned itierarys.I attempted to convince them to just process the border paperwork for us, but no go.

I have decided to get a chinese visa before i leave Ireland and then organise the bike at the border, with a stern western chin, persistence in the panniers, and some cigarettes too!!!


Does anyone know about a state permit to buy petrol?


KKH: is that the border crossing from Pakistan to China??

State permit to buy petrol? In China? Man they shuckin' and jivin' you! They'd tell you you need a permit to carry around your ass if they thought you'd believe it. Damn these guys are too much.

If you go through official channels they're probably just going to give you a line of horse...umm...doodoo. What you want to do is a liability and risk for them. If they issue the permit and something big goes wrong, big brother will come a askin' whoever chopped the papers and nobody really wants that. Although only a chance, sometimes knocking on doors does wonders.

If you're only going to be in the very western part of China near Kashgar then you should be okay, but if you're playing around in the central or eastern parts, it's advisable to halve your speed and keep constant awareness.

KKH stands for the Karakoram Highway between Pakistan and China.

CC

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Buy "The Return - Riding Western China" DVD - Now on Holiday sale!!!
http://www.motocyclops.com/buydvd/

The world's newest, most super-awesome Chinese Motorcycle and Travel Community!
http://www.mychinamoto.com/

Personal China travel info, photo and video site:
http://www.carlparker.com

Cheers Carl,

for boosting my resolve on just turning up at the border. Everyone seems to be in agreement on an ad hoc border crossing.

All in favour, say "I"!

Oh and carl, good luck in your Motography, the trailer rocks!

andy.

Much Thanks Big-A,

The video is in production as we speak so I hope it turns out okay.

Good luck on the border crossings. It's so unfortunate that China is a difficult place to get into but once you're in, WOW. Impossible to describe.

Cheers,
Carl

__________________
---------------------------------------------------
Buy "The Return - Riding Western China" DVD - Now on Holiday sale!!!
http://www.motocyclops.com/buydvd/

The world's newest, most super-awesome Chinese Motorcycle and Travel Community!
http://www.mychinamoto.com/

Personal China travel info, photo and video site:
http://www.carlparker.com

Andy, if you are going to be in Western China, I would recommend contacting Caravan Cafe (CaravanCafé:HOME) if you need a travel agency to help you, these guys have helped other motorcycle travelers in the past, including me. They are based in Kashgar and run by an expat American.

The travel agencies are not going to just do border formalities for you because you also need to have a guide with you on the bike, that's the Chinese law. Which is why they need to do a full itinerary. Its a full package or nothing at all. Trying to do the paperwork yourself will be impossible.

Going through Western China is expensive if you do it legally, but let me tell you it is well worth it. China is changing rapidly and what you see in Xinjiang Province is guaranteed to be very different in the coming years. Now is the time to go...

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Dave McMillan
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/mcmillan/