Welcome to China...

...or so I thought. But first I had to leave Vietnam. By the time the Vietnamese customs officer asked me to follow me into his office I knew something didn’t go to plan. It turned out that my Vietnamese visa expired the day before and he didn’t like this at all (I was just too stupid and completely forgot to check the expiry date). After a lengthy call with his bosses and searching for an English speaking official, they explained that I have to pay a fine of 1,000,000 Vietnamese Dong (USD 55). After withdrawing and handing over the money mood suddenly improved on both sides and they let me continue with my journey.

China here I am!

I boarded the night bus to Kunming and slept with my legs on the locked daypack, all covered by the blanket, as I was warned about thieves operating in buses on that route. When everyone started shouting at 4am I realized that my daypack had been cut open with a knife or razor blade. The two thieves left through the window.
Luckily nothing had been stolen from my backpack, the guidebook must have blocked access to the valuables. Other passengers were missing wallets, cameras etc so everyone went to the police when we arrived. This was definitely too much excitement for one day/night and I decided to spend the day relaxing in a quiet guesthouse in Kunming, planning the days ahead.