Travel to China

After many years of wishing and procrastinating, I finally decided to make a trip to China. I had been to Taiwan and Hong Kong years earlier, but I wanted to see what I considered the "real" China. I contacted many travel services in China and outside China before finally deciding to trust and rely on China Odyssey Tours of Guilin, China. The reason I chose them out of the many travel companies was because of Ms. Vera* Zhao who was my contact and who became my agent. She replied quickly to my inquiries, and I felt like I was working with a friend rather than working through a distant and unfamiliar company. She assured me her company could meet my travel needs, and she was true to her word. I had a wonderful trip.

The first thing I had to do was decide where in China I wished to visit. There are so many wonderful places to see and so many options that initially I was confused, but Vera helped me decide on a Beijing-Xi'an- Shanghai tour. The days and dates did not match my schedule and I was anxious until Vera assured me she could work out any problems. We extended my tour for an extra day in each city so that I would not feel rushed. The extra time allowed me to see as many sites as I could, and I was able to link up with at least one pen friend in each city.

Beijing

My first stop had to be Beijing. The Forbidden City, Tian An Men Square, hutongs, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, and even Wang Fu Jing Street were waiting for me. My tour guide Jack was terrific. Getting through the airport was a minor challenge but it was less difficult than I expected it to be. Everyone seems to be preparing to host the world at the upcoming Olympics and the Immigration and police were professional and thorough but also helpful. My tour guide and driver picked me up and helped me check in to the Red Wall Hotel next to the Forbidden City. Although I was tired from my long flight, I couldn't resist rushing right out to start experiencing Beijing. I dashed over to Jing Shan Park and took advantage of the great views overlooking the Forbidden City to preview what I would see the following day. The weather had just cleared after a rainstorm, so the views were excellent. The next four days flew by as I jammed as much as I could into each day by rising early and staying out as late as I could. I would probably need to live in Beijing for years to see everything I would like to see, but Vera and Jack ensured I saw all the major highlights in the time I had allotted. After seeing Beijing the modern capital, I knew I had to see the ancient capital near Xi'an where China was first unified.

Xi'an

It was sad to say good-bye to Jack, but Jennifer was ready and waiting for me at the airport. She was also diligent and professional. She was proud of how much she knew about Xi'an, and she was always able to answer my questions. She was also anxious to go the extra mile whenever I requested something new or wished to make a deviation. I was thoroughly impressed with her demeanor and spirit. She helped me link up with more pen friends and gave me advice on places to visit with them when I was sightseeing after my tour day ended. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Terra Cotta Warriors, the Xi'an City Walls, the Bell and Drum Towers, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the "extra" sights I visited with friends including the Muslim Quarter and the 8th Route Army Museum. I did not wish to leave Xi'an but Shanghai was calling so Jennifer took me to the airport and we said good-bye.

Shanghai

Vera had prepared me for Shanghai so my first stop after clearing the airport was the Maglev train into town. Moving at 430km\hour while still being on land—or being carried along on a magnetic field--was a first for me. After meeting my new guide Jojo, I checked into my hotel and went right out to experience Shanghai. What a contrast to Beijing and Xi'an. I could not be happier with my choices for cities to visit. Jojo and her buddy the driver took me to the Bund, Pudong, Nanjing Road, People's Square, the Shanghai Museum, and Yu Yuan Gardens. Along the way we stopped to visit some shops and I picked up some gifts for friends at home. Shanghai was as interesting as Beijing and Xi'an, but it was also different. I could feel the Western influence in many ways. At night I explored with a friend and managed to find out how crowded buses and subway cars can get in Shanghai at rush hour. Public transportation is something every visitor to Shanghai should experience. The bumping and jostling was so strange to me. Most Chinese people will not hold hands or express affection in public, but they seem to think nothing of pushing or pulling or bumping to get past someone if they need to get on or off a bus or subway. I was not hurt nor did I ever feel threatened, but I did cause some commotion while getting on a subway car during rush hour. Time for a quick digression and one of my favorite stories of my trip.

I had met a friend in Shanghai and we had shared an early dinner. I was heading back to my hotel early and the subway was still packed with commuters. I switched subway lines at Remin Square and I just had time to make my connection. I literally jumped aboard the subway as the doors were closing, but like a big footed lao wai, I accidentally stepped on a ladies toe. She was obviously shocked, maybe a little hurt and she responded with a string of Chinese that I could not understand. I could not even tell if she was berating me in Mandarin, Shanghainese, or Cantonese. I knew she was mad, and that was all I needed to know. My Chinese was not good enough to apologize, so I just let her vent and endured her elbow in my back every time the subway lurched around a curve. I was lucky in that I only had two stops until I could get away. Right before my stop the injured lady ran out of steam and stopped poking me and yelling at me. As the doors opened I turned to her and said, "Dui bu qi 對不起" and her demeanor completely changed. Her face lit up and she even smiled. She was amazed that I knew any Chinese at all, and I could tell things were now all right. My advice to every visitor is to learn at least the basics of polite Chinese.

End

So, I was more careful where I put my big feet and I finished my visit to Shanghai without getting into any additional trouble. My entire China trip was incredible, but there are some things I would do differently if I were to go back again--which I hope to do. Vera and all my guides were great, but I did not communicate as well as I should have. My hotel in Xi'an was further from downtown then I wished it had been, but I never explained my preferences to Vera. Also, I was touring by myself and I was initially put off when the tour guides did not eat lunch with me. When I ate, I was by myself surrounded by enough plates of food to feed at least three more people, but my driver and tour guide would not eat with me. They explained that my meal was covered but theirs was not. It took me way too long to ask the simple question. I tried to pay for them, but they would not let me. I would not hesitate to recommend Jennifer or Jack to anyone visiting Beijing or Xi'an, and a special thanks goes to Vera for all her work on the numerous changes and last minute great ideas that I threw her way. She was a professional at all times. I will not hesitate to contact her when I return someday to China. If anyone has any questions about my trip, feel free to contact Vera and she can relay to me.