Grand Circle "China and the Yangtze" Trip Report
Jun 5th, 2007, 11:45 AM
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Grand Circle "China and the Yangtze" Trip Report
We just returned from Grand Circle's "China and the Yangtze" at the beginning of May. It was an outstanding trip.
This was our seventh Grand Circle trip. We were very fortunate; there were only fourteen of us on the trip, and, with 21 days together,we became good friends. I'll try a quicky trip report in this response.
Day 1
Depart Boston on United to connect in Chicago. We met 6 other travelers there. There was a Grand Circle staffer there also, to make sure that everything went as planned. The other 6 took the pretrip in Japan, which they all seemed to enjoy.
Day 2. Took a polar route, up through Canada and down through Siberia and Manchuria, go our first look at the Great Wall. Arrived in Beijing about 3:00 PM. Met by our program director Andy (Feng Chao). Beijing's airport was very modern. Passport processing was slow. Andy was waiting for us as we cleared customs. One aggravation was the women that descended on us as we went to the bus, grabbing our luggage carts to secure tips. There was much landscaping, road and monorail construction along the bus route, Andy distributed envelopes with room keys on the bus. The hotel was the Jing Guang New World Hotel. There was a Bank of China branch on the fourth floor (I believe), with an ATM. There was also a health club and pool on that floor. Not all of the rooms had in room safes, but there were safety deposit boxes at the front desk. I don't really remember what we did for supper that night.
Day 3
Good buffet breakfast, Western and Chinese, with omelet station, (Ate too well on this trip) on the fourth floor. Based on your Grand Circle name tags, they tried to seat us all together. Orientation meeting on the second? floor after breakfast, where everyone introduced themselves. Met our bus and local guide James (Jin Chao) for ride to Tiananmen Square. Walked through Tiananmen with plenty of time for picture taking before taking underground passage over to Forbidden City. The vendors in Tiananmen square were among the most aggressive we ran into. The forbidden city is undergoing renovations, which is quite interesting as some buildings have been totally redone with brilliant colors, some are covered in netting and in process and others are in original condition, with more muted colors. After the forbidden city we walked to the bus and went to a local restaurant for what would be a fairly typical meal, a lazy susan with about twenty different dishes and chopsticks to eat with.
A few general notes at this point. If you have any specific dietary requirements, they will be accommodated, just let your program director know in advance, and the will be addressed. Beijing's traffic is terrible. The only city that we have been in that is worse is Moscow, but they are building 6 subway lines and an airport monorail. They also have an extensive road system, but it is overwhelmed. The construction in Beijing tremendous. They say that China currently has half of the worlds construction cranes. The area of the hotel had very heavy construction going on. Accessibility is not an issue. We had three people with moderate mobility issues, but they had no problems. As we had the program director and a local guide with us at all times, one was available to assist individuals. Toilets, in general are squat toilets, but the guides and programs directors will find western style toilets most of the time. When they tell you that there is a four or five star toilet available, use it, as the next one available may be a squat toilet. These are actually not as bad as many in Greece or Turkey, as they do flush in general, but most Americans are not used to holding a squatting position for very long. For meals, if you wish, they will provide knives and forks, but getting used to eating with chopsticks is a part of the experience.
That night the was a Peking duck dinner at the hotel.
Day 4
Again, excellent breakfast, Morning optional tour of the summer palace, well worth doing; everyone on our tour did it. If this wasn't offered, we planned to do it on our own. In the afternoon, there was an included bicycle rickshaw ride through the hutongs (alleys) and a visit in the home of a local artist, where light snacks were provided. In the evening, there was an optional Beijing opera show with dinner, but we did not choose to do it. I don't remember what we did for lunch and dinner.
Day 5
After another excellent breakfast, we headed to a cloisonne (enamelware) factory with demonstrations of the art, and chances to buy. There was also a chance to try the art. We continued on to the Great Wall at Badeling Hills. It was very interesting to actually walk on the wall. You can proceed as far or as short as you wish, as you go out and back from the entrance gate. There were many vendors, but they were pretty low pressure. There is a buffet lunch in a local hotel. On the way back we visited the Ming tombs which were pretty low key. After we got back into the city we visited a Kung Fu school, where the students put on a demonstration. I don't think we bothered with dinner this night, as we had been eating too well.
Day 6
Another excellent breakfast. Optional Temple of Heaven tour. Not everyone took this tour, but it gave and insight into the Chinese people. The temple is a place where the locals go to play cards, music, dance, etc. Women retire at 60 or 62 and men retire at 65, so the have plenty of time for social activities. The actual temple was beautiful, but seeing the people in this environment was rewarding. This afternoon we left for the airport and Xian. Someone at the airport came over to our program director with our boarding passes. China has the tourism infrastructure down pat, in preparation for the Olympics. We flew Hainan airways, which is far superior to domestic US flights. As the flight was late, and the trip from the airport is Xian is fairly long, through farm country, a scheduled hot pot dinner for this night was put off to another night. We were met at the airport by our local guide Nan, who had our room keys and tags to put on our luggage with our room numbers, porters had already retrieved the bags and we did no bag handling. We were astounded when we got to our room, It was about a thousand square foot suite, that several of us got as Inner circle members.
Day 7
Buffet breakfast here was just as good, but the dining room was more crowded than in Beijing, as there we more tour groups. We then went to the museum over the pits of the Terra Cotta army. These were very impressive buildings with excavations and restoration still underway. We then stopped at a restaurant for lunch with a noodle making demonstration. There was a large gift shop and a chance to spend money. On the way back to the hotel, we visited a primary school in a relatively poor area of the city. The students sang songs and seemed to enjoy the visit. If you bring some small school oriented gifts, they would be appreciated by the teachers. This night there was an optional Tang Dynasty Cultural show that everyone attended. This was a dinner show and we had front row seats. It was worth doing.
Day 8
Crowds weren't quite as bad for breakfast. Went to tour the city wall, which is very impressive. I forget how many miles it is around. There were bicycle rickshaw rides available along the top of the wall, which was in excellent condition. We then went to the Small Wild Gooses Pagoda, which was a very pleasant park with women doing their exercises. We then went to lunch in a dumpling restaurant, in the center of the city. I can't remember the number of courses. After lunch we went for a walk down Moslem street, which was very interesting. In the Hotel everything was printed in Chinese, English and Arabic. Tonight we had the hot pot dinners, where each person has a pot of boiling broth in front of the, and put meat and vegetables in to cook them. Andy had his parents join us as he was from Xian.
Day 9
After breakfast, bus to the airport for the flight to Chongqing. As usual very smooth transition through airport. Lunch in Chongqing, but I can't remember it. Chongqing is an extremely hilly city with basically no bicycles, as opposed to Beijing and Xian. Visited the zoo and saw about 8 different pandas including a baby. There were far fewer people there than I expected. Visited the Stillwell museum, which was not that interesting. The original plan was to board the Yangtze cruise ship in Chongqing, but low water levels prevented it. We bussed about and hour and a half down river to Fu Ling to board the ship. This was the poorest bus of the trip, and it was intended only for a local, in town trip. The shocks were not good. We arrived in Fu Ling in the dark, and these were many steps (at least 150) down to the ship, with no railing. They sent crew members up to street level to assist us down to the ship, carrying our carry-ons and taking our elbows. On the dock, the was a band made up of crew members to welcome us. The ship was the Princess Elaine. This ship was a sister ship to one that we had taken in Russia, between St. Petersburg and Moscow. This ship was definitely better outfitted, whether due to an overhaul or original specifications. Th cabins were quite small, but, for four nights, adequate. The common spaces were fine. All of our cabins were together on one corridor, except for one couple that upgraded to a suite. They were all near the library, which gave us a nice sitting and meeting area. There was a nice meal after we boarded. This meal was traditional lazy susan with many dishes. If you had special dietary requirements someone was assigned to you for all meals to make sure the were met,
Day 10
Departed Fu Ling. As with all of the rest of the meals on the ship, breakfast was a buffet. A little less that half of the passengers were westerners. We were assigned to a group of tables assigned to Grand Circle. By the end of the day all of the servers for our tables knew us by name and what our specific requirements were. Their English was very good. There was a morning introductory talk on the cruise and Chinese medicine, with demonstrations, including complimentary massages. Arrived at Fengdu. Many steps up to road level; one person counted 230, another 250. There were tracks for a funicular, but no cars yet. At the top of the stairs were local merchants. We went to visit a woman who had been relocated due to the dam project, She was in a new village for the relocated. Her home was very nice and she had a market on the first floor. I sensed a little more ' party line' in discussions on the relocation that I liked, but,overall, it seemed totally justified, with navigability, electric generation and flooding deaths more than offsetting the relocations. After this visit we stopped at a local school, where the students seemed to totally enjoy the Americans visit. We then went to a local street market, where we seemed to be a bid of a curiosity, also visiting and mah jong parlor.
Day 11
Cruise through the Wu Gorge, the most impressive of the three gorges. Although the river has risen, the gorges are still spectacular. Excellent narration from within the lounge, viewing inside or outside. At this point, I'm a little unclear of the details, since I didn't keep a journal, but after the second gorge we docked in a town where the lesser three gorges cruises went from,, and took that cruise. It was very interesting, but, at this point the water levels were high, so the rapids that we would have normally traversed were submerged. It was still worth doing.
Day 12
Continued to Maoping. Disembarked to tour the dam. This was very impressive. Unlike the “big dig” in Boston, landscaping and tourist areas are being done in parallel with the actual dam project. Extremely interesting engineering project. The scope of this project was amazing. When we were there only one of the two sets of locks were complete. There are five locks in each, so they have to stagger up river and down river times. When both are open this summer, the can accommodate simultaneous up and down river traffic. There is also a ship elevator under construction to raise and lower ships much more quickly, and at a higher price. When the locks are fully operational, I believe that the cruises will continue on to Wuhan.
Day 13
Disembarked in Moaping, bussed to Wuhan. Had lunch in Holiday Inn, typical Chinese lazy susan meal. Did a walkaround in Wuhan, before heading to airport for Shanghai. Wuhan was a very modern city. On arrival in Shanghai, our local guide, Steven, met us with room keys, etc. Very impressive city with maglev train from airport, although we bussed,
Day 14
Our hotel, the Jian Gong Jin Jiang, was very nice with a view overlooking a park where the locals did their Tai Chi in the morning. It was a a relatively quiet residential area, but only one block away from a street with many clubs and international restaurants. Nice coffee shop with buffet breakfast on the second floor. Our reserved tables were by the windows overlooking the street. Visited the Shanghai Museum of Art and History. There was a very nice park behind it with many spectacular municiple buildings surrounding it. We then visited a local carpet factory and saw them making beautiful carpets, also spent time in the showroom. Some people bought. There was an interesting restaurant on the premises. It was a Mongolian Barbecue. You went through a buffet line loading up bowl with meat and vegetables and handed them to a cook who then sauted them on a large skillet and scooped them into a clean bowl with much flourish. After lunch we proceeded to the Bund and saw the extremely heavy traffic in the harbor and the impressive new architecture across the river, In the evening, we attended a spectacular acrobatic show in a theater and proceeded out to dinner.
Day 15
After breakfast, bused to the train station to go to Suzhou for an optional tour. The train station was very impressive with airport like security and huge waiting rooms, with signage in in English and Chinese. There were very few westerners. The train was very modern and clean. It traveled at speeds of about 100 mph. The area of the train station in Suzhou was quite congested. We boarded our bus to travel a short distance to meet our canal boat, which took us through small ands large canals. The canals were very different that others than we've been through, Venice, Amsterdam, Bangkok, etc. It was an interesting ride. We then stopped for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we visited a silk factory, with another opportunity to shop. Then we visited a traditional Chinese garden and reurned to Shanghai by bus, Dinner was in the hotel tonight.
Day 16
After breakfast boarded a bus to visit a local senior center that served a neighborhood of about 60,000 people, where the member put on a fashion show and sang and danced. Our group also put on a little show for them. The director then boarded the bus with us and took us to a local market, which was very similar to European indoor markets, but with much cooked and raw food, including live fish and eels, The place was all tiled and very clean. We were then taken to a large modern apartment complex for a home hosted lunch. The hosts, an older couple, spoke some English, and were very affable. Lunch had many courses and was quite good. Of course, we didn't know everything that we were eating. And we didn't have our guides with us to tell us. We then reboarded the bus and proceeded to the airport to proceed to Guilin. As usual the arrangements at the airport went smoothly. Upon arrival at Guilin, we were met by our local guide Christine. The Guilin airport was the lowest key one of the trip. The ride into the city was through rice paddies, with the karst mountains rising in the distance and coming closer. We stayed in the Lijang Waterfall hotel, which was very impressive and well located, on the river with nice parks next to it and across the street. The back of the hotel has a waterfall that is turned on very night. It draws quite a crown to the large city center plaza that is back there. On one side of the hotel, there is a pedestrian street with many restaurants, bars and shops.
Day 17
After breakfast, boarded a bus for about a half our ride to a riverboat port on the Li river. We were assigned to tables where we could leave our things and we were served a lunch later on. Fishing boats would pull up to our stern and sell fresh sea (river) food to the kitchen while we were under way. There was a long line of boats going down the river through the magical scenery of the karst mountains. Most people stayed on the top deck to appreciate the scenery for the entire trip except at lunch. Lunch was not great, but it was sufficient. Disembarked in Yangshuo. To leave the dock area, you go through a street of vendors. These were the most aggressive vendors that we encountered on the entire trip. We bused back to Guilin, stopping along the way for people to take pictures as we passed local farms. Dinner was western style at the hotel.
Day 18
There was an optional tour and lecture at a local tea garden, but no one took it. We had wanted to see the Reed Flute Cave just outside of Guilin, so we took a taxi there. We went to the doorman and asked him to get us a taxi. He told the driver where we wanted to go. Everyone in China that deals with tourists, except the taxi drivers, speaks at least some English. After we got to the caves, I tried to pay him, but he gestured that he would wit for us. He not only waited, but led us in to the group entrance to the cave, bypassing lines, which we would not have found on our own. When we came out, about an hour later, he was waiting for us right at the cave exit. The total fare, including waiting time (metered) was under 60 yuan, or about $8.00. The caves were the most impressive that we have seen, with flowing limestone formations. They made it a little over dramatic, with colored lighting throughout, but it was very interesting. Footing was very good throughout. We spent the rest of the day wandering around the city in the area of the hotel, which was quite serene. Dinner was a western style meal in the hotel. After dinner, we boarded our bus to the airport. As this was technically and international flight, Hong Kong still being separate politically form China, we did have to handle our bags a little. Due to heavy rain in Hong Kong, our flight was delayed several hours, but Andy secured snacks and beverages for everyone on board from the airline. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, sometime in the middle of the night, we were met by our local guide Polly, once again with our hotel keys and baggage tags. She gave us an orientation on our way to the hotel, although it was too dark to see anything. The hotel, the Majestic, was not as nice as the others, but the location more than made up for it. It was half a block from the main shopping street with a subway line and bus routes, and two blocks from the night market.
Day 19
After another great buffet breakfast, in a private dining room, we boarded our bus to catch the Star Ferry over to Hong Kong island. The hotel was on the Kowloon peninsula. The skyline and port of Hong Kong are very impressive. It is a short ferry ride across, but it is something you have to do if you are there. The bus met us on the other side, and we toured Hong Kong, including driving up Victoria peak and spending time up there. It was cloudy and foggy so we couldn't see as much as we would have liked. Continued touring on the way back to the hotel. Walked around to take in the area in the afternoon. That evening we took a bus back down to the Start Ferry terminal so that we could see the laser light show that is put on from the skyscrapers across the harbor. Coming back, we got off the bus early and wander through the night market doing some shopping.
Day 20
After breakfast, we took and optional tour of Kowloon and the New Territories, visiting Bird street, a park where pet birds and accessories for them are sold and the flower market. Then we visited a Budhist temple. Following this we went to a fishing village for an excellent sea food lunch, right on the harbor. In the afternoon we walked around the city. That night was our breakup dinner.
Day 21
We were the only ones with a late departure, so when we got down to breakfast, everyone else was gone to the airport, but Andy came in and joined us. We took a walk down to the Star Ferry terminal, strolling through the Peninsula Hotel on the way. We took the public bus back, with plenty of time to meet our airport transportation. About 10 minutes early, Polly showed up with a bus to deliver us to the airport. Just as we got on, Andy showed up to say good bye to us. Polly stayed with us until we were all checked in. Then came the worst part of the trip. 13.5 hours on the plane, non-stop to Chicago, an hour faster than scheduled, thanks to a tailwind.
Overall reactions.
This was a wonderful trip as everyone agreed. Everything went relatively flawlessly, and any minor things that went wrong were resolved quickly. Having the one program director, Andy, for the whole trip made a world of difference, as he got to know all our needs and quirks, and could anticipate our needs. Although we may have skipped a few meals, due to eating too well, we did not buy a single meal during the entire trip. China was much more modern and prosperous than we expected. There are areas of significant poverty by western standards, but that was expected, but conditions were much better than we expected. The Chinese people were, in general, friendly and helpful. One place that they are not in in queue for a train or plain. They get a little pushy then. Their street vendors, at times, can be annoying, but this varies by city, Hong Kong being the least aggressive and Beijing the most. The weather was excellent with only a few days of brief showers out of three weeks. The cities were very clean, both in terms of people not littering, and people cleaning up after those that did. Some people complained of hard mattresses particularly in Xian and Guilin, but that is the local standard. We we happy because we prefer an extra firm mattress. All of our guides were local natives, regardless of their American names. They choose these names when the enter English language schools. Massages were plentiful and economical both on the cruise ship and in the hotels. Internet access was plentiful, either in the hotel or in internet cafes. ATMs were plentiful, either in the hotel or at banks. Bank of China branches were the best option. The hotel desks were willing to change the larger bills obtained from ATMs to smaller ones. Except for the hotel in Beijing and on the Yangtze all the hotels had in room safes. In those two they had safes at the front desk.
China is definitely getting ready for next years Olympics and, based on what we saw, they should be well prepared. All of their airports were modern and their internal airlines beat ours. Ground transportation is what needs improving
We would be glad to answer any questions, either in this forum or by Email.
Jack and Ann Donoghue
[email protected]
This was our seventh Grand Circle trip. We were very fortunate; there were only fourteen of us on the trip, and, with 21 days together,we became good friends. I'll try a quicky trip report in this response.
Day 1
Depart Boston on United to connect in Chicago. We met 6 other travelers there. There was a Grand Circle staffer there also, to make sure that everything went as planned. The other 6 took the pretrip in Japan, which they all seemed to enjoy.
Day 2. Took a polar route, up through Canada and down through Siberia and Manchuria, go our first look at the Great Wall. Arrived in Beijing about 3:00 PM. Met by our program director Andy (Feng Chao). Beijing's airport was very modern. Passport processing was slow. Andy was waiting for us as we cleared customs. One aggravation was the women that descended on us as we went to the bus, grabbing our luggage carts to secure tips. There was much landscaping, road and monorail construction along the bus route, Andy distributed envelopes with room keys on the bus. The hotel was the Jing Guang New World Hotel. There was a Bank of China branch on the fourth floor (I believe), with an ATM. There was also a health club and pool on that floor. Not all of the rooms had in room safes, but there were safety deposit boxes at the front desk. I don't really remember what we did for supper that night.
Day 3
Good buffet breakfast, Western and Chinese, with omelet station, (Ate too well on this trip) on the fourth floor. Based on your Grand Circle name tags, they tried to seat us all together. Orientation meeting on the second? floor after breakfast, where everyone introduced themselves. Met our bus and local guide James (Jin Chao) for ride to Tiananmen Square. Walked through Tiananmen with plenty of time for picture taking before taking underground passage over to Forbidden City. The vendors in Tiananmen square were among the most aggressive we ran into. The forbidden city is undergoing renovations, which is quite interesting as some buildings have been totally redone with brilliant colors, some are covered in netting and in process and others are in original condition, with more muted colors. After the forbidden city we walked to the bus and went to a local restaurant for what would be a fairly typical meal, a lazy susan with about twenty different dishes and chopsticks to eat with.
A few general notes at this point. If you have any specific dietary requirements, they will be accommodated, just let your program director know in advance, and the will be addressed. Beijing's traffic is terrible. The only city that we have been in that is worse is Moscow, but they are building 6 subway lines and an airport monorail. They also have an extensive road system, but it is overwhelmed. The construction in Beijing tremendous. They say that China currently has half of the worlds construction cranes. The area of the hotel had very heavy construction going on. Accessibility is not an issue. We had three people with moderate mobility issues, but they had no problems. As we had the program director and a local guide with us at all times, one was available to assist individuals. Toilets, in general are squat toilets, but the guides and programs directors will find western style toilets most of the time. When they tell you that there is a four or five star toilet available, use it, as the next one available may be a squat toilet. These are actually not as bad as many in Greece or Turkey, as they do flush in general, but most Americans are not used to holding a squatting position for very long. For meals, if you wish, they will provide knives and forks, but getting used to eating with chopsticks is a part of the experience.
That night the was a Peking duck dinner at the hotel.
Day 4
Again, excellent breakfast, Morning optional tour of the summer palace, well worth doing; everyone on our tour did it. If this wasn't offered, we planned to do it on our own. In the afternoon, there was an included bicycle rickshaw ride through the hutongs (alleys) and a visit in the home of a local artist, where light snacks were provided. In the evening, there was an optional Beijing opera show with dinner, but we did not choose to do it. I don't remember what we did for lunch and dinner.
Day 5
After another excellent breakfast, we headed to a cloisonne (enamelware) factory with demonstrations of the art, and chances to buy. There was also a chance to try the art. We continued on to the Great Wall at Badeling Hills. It was very interesting to actually walk on the wall. You can proceed as far or as short as you wish, as you go out and back from the entrance gate. There were many vendors, but they were pretty low pressure. There is a buffet lunch in a local hotel. On the way back we visited the Ming tombs which were pretty low key. After we got back into the city we visited a Kung Fu school, where the students put on a demonstration. I don't think we bothered with dinner this night, as we had been eating too well.
Day 6
Another excellent breakfast. Optional Temple of Heaven tour. Not everyone took this tour, but it gave and insight into the Chinese people. The temple is a place where the locals go to play cards, music, dance, etc. Women retire at 60 or 62 and men retire at 65, so the have plenty of time for social activities. The actual temple was beautiful, but seeing the people in this environment was rewarding. This afternoon we left for the airport and Xian. Someone at the airport came over to our program director with our boarding passes. China has the tourism infrastructure down pat, in preparation for the Olympics. We flew Hainan airways, which is far superior to domestic US flights. As the flight was late, and the trip from the airport is Xian is fairly long, through farm country, a scheduled hot pot dinner for this night was put off to another night. We were met at the airport by our local guide Nan, who had our room keys and tags to put on our luggage with our room numbers, porters had already retrieved the bags and we did no bag handling. We were astounded when we got to our room, It was about a thousand square foot suite, that several of us got as Inner circle members.
Day 7
Buffet breakfast here was just as good, but the dining room was more crowded than in Beijing, as there we more tour groups. We then went to the museum over the pits of the Terra Cotta army. These were very impressive buildings with excavations and restoration still underway. We then stopped at a restaurant for lunch with a noodle making demonstration. There was a large gift shop and a chance to spend money. On the way back to the hotel, we visited a primary school in a relatively poor area of the city. The students sang songs and seemed to enjoy the visit. If you bring some small school oriented gifts, they would be appreciated by the teachers. This night there was an optional Tang Dynasty Cultural show that everyone attended. This was a dinner show and we had front row seats. It was worth doing.
Day 8
Crowds weren't quite as bad for breakfast. Went to tour the city wall, which is very impressive. I forget how many miles it is around. There were bicycle rickshaw rides available along the top of the wall, which was in excellent condition. We then went to the Small Wild Gooses Pagoda, which was a very pleasant park with women doing their exercises. We then went to lunch in a dumpling restaurant, in the center of the city. I can't remember the number of courses. After lunch we went for a walk down Moslem street, which was very interesting. In the Hotel everything was printed in Chinese, English and Arabic. Tonight we had the hot pot dinners, where each person has a pot of boiling broth in front of the, and put meat and vegetables in to cook them. Andy had his parents join us as he was from Xian.
Day 9
After breakfast, bus to the airport for the flight to Chongqing. As usual very smooth transition through airport. Lunch in Chongqing, but I can't remember it. Chongqing is an extremely hilly city with basically no bicycles, as opposed to Beijing and Xian. Visited the zoo and saw about 8 different pandas including a baby. There were far fewer people there than I expected. Visited the Stillwell museum, which was not that interesting. The original plan was to board the Yangtze cruise ship in Chongqing, but low water levels prevented it. We bussed about and hour and a half down river to Fu Ling to board the ship. This was the poorest bus of the trip, and it was intended only for a local, in town trip. The shocks were not good. We arrived in Fu Ling in the dark, and these were many steps (at least 150) down to the ship, with no railing. They sent crew members up to street level to assist us down to the ship, carrying our carry-ons and taking our elbows. On the dock, the was a band made up of crew members to welcome us. The ship was the Princess Elaine. This ship was a sister ship to one that we had taken in Russia, between St. Petersburg and Moscow. This ship was definitely better outfitted, whether due to an overhaul or original specifications. Th cabins were quite small, but, for four nights, adequate. The common spaces were fine. All of our cabins were together on one corridor, except for one couple that upgraded to a suite. They were all near the library, which gave us a nice sitting and meeting area. There was a nice meal after we boarded. This meal was traditional lazy susan with many dishes. If you had special dietary requirements someone was assigned to you for all meals to make sure the were met,
Day 10
Departed Fu Ling. As with all of the rest of the meals on the ship, breakfast was a buffet. A little less that half of the passengers were westerners. We were assigned to a group of tables assigned to Grand Circle. By the end of the day all of the servers for our tables knew us by name and what our specific requirements were. Their English was very good. There was a morning introductory talk on the cruise and Chinese medicine, with demonstrations, including complimentary massages. Arrived at Fengdu. Many steps up to road level; one person counted 230, another 250. There were tracks for a funicular, but no cars yet. At the top of the stairs were local merchants. We went to visit a woman who had been relocated due to the dam project, She was in a new village for the relocated. Her home was very nice and she had a market on the first floor. I sensed a little more ' party line' in discussions on the relocation that I liked, but,overall, it seemed totally justified, with navigability, electric generation and flooding deaths more than offsetting the relocations. After this visit we stopped at a local school, where the students seemed to totally enjoy the Americans visit. We then went to a local street market, where we seemed to be a bid of a curiosity, also visiting and mah jong parlor.
Day 11
Cruise through the Wu Gorge, the most impressive of the three gorges. Although the river has risen, the gorges are still spectacular. Excellent narration from within the lounge, viewing inside or outside. At this point, I'm a little unclear of the details, since I didn't keep a journal, but after the second gorge we docked in a town where the lesser three gorges cruises went from,, and took that cruise. It was very interesting, but, at this point the water levels were high, so the rapids that we would have normally traversed were submerged. It was still worth doing.
Day 12
Continued to Maoping. Disembarked to tour the dam. This was very impressive. Unlike the “big dig” in Boston, landscaping and tourist areas are being done in parallel with the actual dam project. Extremely interesting engineering project. The scope of this project was amazing. When we were there only one of the two sets of locks were complete. There are five locks in each, so they have to stagger up river and down river times. When both are open this summer, the can accommodate simultaneous up and down river traffic. There is also a ship elevator under construction to raise and lower ships much more quickly, and at a higher price. When the locks are fully operational, I believe that the cruises will continue on to Wuhan.
Day 13
Disembarked in Moaping, bussed to Wuhan. Had lunch in Holiday Inn, typical Chinese lazy susan meal. Did a walkaround in Wuhan, before heading to airport for Shanghai. Wuhan was a very modern city. On arrival in Shanghai, our local guide, Steven, met us with room keys, etc. Very impressive city with maglev train from airport, although we bussed,
Day 14
Our hotel, the Jian Gong Jin Jiang, was very nice with a view overlooking a park where the locals did their Tai Chi in the morning. It was a a relatively quiet residential area, but only one block away from a street with many clubs and international restaurants. Nice coffee shop with buffet breakfast on the second floor. Our reserved tables were by the windows overlooking the street. Visited the Shanghai Museum of Art and History. There was a very nice park behind it with many spectacular municiple buildings surrounding it. We then visited a local carpet factory and saw them making beautiful carpets, also spent time in the showroom. Some people bought. There was an interesting restaurant on the premises. It was a Mongolian Barbecue. You went through a buffet line loading up bowl with meat and vegetables and handed them to a cook who then sauted them on a large skillet and scooped them into a clean bowl with much flourish. After lunch we proceeded to the Bund and saw the extremely heavy traffic in the harbor and the impressive new architecture across the river, In the evening, we attended a spectacular acrobatic show in a theater and proceeded out to dinner.
Day 15
After breakfast, bused to the train station to go to Suzhou for an optional tour. The train station was very impressive with airport like security and huge waiting rooms, with signage in in English and Chinese. There were very few westerners. The train was very modern and clean. It traveled at speeds of about 100 mph. The area of the train station in Suzhou was quite congested. We boarded our bus to travel a short distance to meet our canal boat, which took us through small ands large canals. The canals were very different that others than we've been through, Venice, Amsterdam, Bangkok, etc. It was an interesting ride. We then stopped for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we visited a silk factory, with another opportunity to shop. Then we visited a traditional Chinese garden and reurned to Shanghai by bus, Dinner was in the hotel tonight.
Day 16
After breakfast boarded a bus to visit a local senior center that served a neighborhood of about 60,000 people, where the member put on a fashion show and sang and danced. Our group also put on a little show for them. The director then boarded the bus with us and took us to a local market, which was very similar to European indoor markets, but with much cooked and raw food, including live fish and eels, The place was all tiled and very clean. We were then taken to a large modern apartment complex for a home hosted lunch. The hosts, an older couple, spoke some English, and were very affable. Lunch had many courses and was quite good. Of course, we didn't know everything that we were eating. And we didn't have our guides with us to tell us. We then reboarded the bus and proceeded to the airport to proceed to Guilin. As usual the arrangements at the airport went smoothly. Upon arrival at Guilin, we were met by our local guide Christine. The Guilin airport was the lowest key one of the trip. The ride into the city was through rice paddies, with the karst mountains rising in the distance and coming closer. We stayed in the Lijang Waterfall hotel, which was very impressive and well located, on the river with nice parks next to it and across the street. The back of the hotel has a waterfall that is turned on very night. It draws quite a crown to the large city center plaza that is back there. On one side of the hotel, there is a pedestrian street with many restaurants, bars and shops.
Day 17
After breakfast, boarded a bus for about a half our ride to a riverboat port on the Li river. We were assigned to tables where we could leave our things and we were served a lunch later on. Fishing boats would pull up to our stern and sell fresh sea (river) food to the kitchen while we were under way. There was a long line of boats going down the river through the magical scenery of the karst mountains. Most people stayed on the top deck to appreciate the scenery for the entire trip except at lunch. Lunch was not great, but it was sufficient. Disembarked in Yangshuo. To leave the dock area, you go through a street of vendors. These were the most aggressive vendors that we encountered on the entire trip. We bused back to Guilin, stopping along the way for people to take pictures as we passed local farms. Dinner was western style at the hotel.
Day 18
There was an optional tour and lecture at a local tea garden, but no one took it. We had wanted to see the Reed Flute Cave just outside of Guilin, so we took a taxi there. We went to the doorman and asked him to get us a taxi. He told the driver where we wanted to go. Everyone in China that deals with tourists, except the taxi drivers, speaks at least some English. After we got to the caves, I tried to pay him, but he gestured that he would wit for us. He not only waited, but led us in to the group entrance to the cave, bypassing lines, which we would not have found on our own. When we came out, about an hour later, he was waiting for us right at the cave exit. The total fare, including waiting time (metered) was under 60 yuan, or about $8.00. The caves were the most impressive that we have seen, with flowing limestone formations. They made it a little over dramatic, with colored lighting throughout, but it was very interesting. Footing was very good throughout. We spent the rest of the day wandering around the city in the area of the hotel, which was quite serene. Dinner was a western style meal in the hotel. After dinner, we boarded our bus to the airport. As this was technically and international flight, Hong Kong still being separate politically form China, we did have to handle our bags a little. Due to heavy rain in Hong Kong, our flight was delayed several hours, but Andy secured snacks and beverages for everyone on board from the airline. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, sometime in the middle of the night, we were met by our local guide Polly, once again with our hotel keys and baggage tags. She gave us an orientation on our way to the hotel, although it was too dark to see anything. The hotel, the Majestic, was not as nice as the others, but the location more than made up for it. It was half a block from the main shopping street with a subway line and bus routes, and two blocks from the night market.
Day 19
After another great buffet breakfast, in a private dining room, we boarded our bus to catch the Star Ferry over to Hong Kong island. The hotel was on the Kowloon peninsula. The skyline and port of Hong Kong are very impressive. It is a short ferry ride across, but it is something you have to do if you are there. The bus met us on the other side, and we toured Hong Kong, including driving up Victoria peak and spending time up there. It was cloudy and foggy so we couldn't see as much as we would have liked. Continued touring on the way back to the hotel. Walked around to take in the area in the afternoon. That evening we took a bus back down to the Start Ferry terminal so that we could see the laser light show that is put on from the skyscrapers across the harbor. Coming back, we got off the bus early and wander through the night market doing some shopping.
Day 20
After breakfast, we took and optional tour of Kowloon and the New Territories, visiting Bird street, a park where pet birds and accessories for them are sold and the flower market. Then we visited a Budhist temple. Following this we went to a fishing village for an excellent sea food lunch, right on the harbor. In the afternoon we walked around the city. That night was our breakup dinner.
Day 21
We were the only ones with a late departure, so when we got down to breakfast, everyone else was gone to the airport, but Andy came in and joined us. We took a walk down to the Star Ferry terminal, strolling through the Peninsula Hotel on the way. We took the public bus back, with plenty of time to meet our airport transportation. About 10 minutes early, Polly showed up with a bus to deliver us to the airport. Just as we got on, Andy showed up to say good bye to us. Polly stayed with us until we were all checked in. Then came the worst part of the trip. 13.5 hours on the plane, non-stop to Chicago, an hour faster than scheduled, thanks to a tailwind.
Overall reactions.
This was a wonderful trip as everyone agreed. Everything went relatively flawlessly, and any minor things that went wrong were resolved quickly. Having the one program director, Andy, for the whole trip made a world of difference, as he got to know all our needs and quirks, and could anticipate our needs. Although we may have skipped a few meals, due to eating too well, we did not buy a single meal during the entire trip. China was much more modern and prosperous than we expected. There are areas of significant poverty by western standards, but that was expected, but conditions were much better than we expected. The Chinese people were, in general, friendly and helpful. One place that they are not in in queue for a train or plain. They get a little pushy then. Their street vendors, at times, can be annoying, but this varies by city, Hong Kong being the least aggressive and Beijing the most. The weather was excellent with only a few days of brief showers out of three weeks. The cities were very clean, both in terms of people not littering, and people cleaning up after those that did. Some people complained of hard mattresses particularly in Xian and Guilin, but that is the local standard. We we happy because we prefer an extra firm mattress. All of our guides were local natives, regardless of their American names. They choose these names when the enter English language schools. Massages were plentiful and economical both on the cruise ship and in the hotels. Internet access was plentiful, either in the hotel or in internet cafes. ATMs were plentiful, either in the hotel or at banks. Bank of China branches were the best option. The hotel desks were willing to change the larger bills obtained from ATMs to smaller ones. Except for the hotel in Beijing and on the Yangtze all the hotels had in room safes. In those two they had safes at the front desk.
China is definitely getting ready for next years Olympics and, based on what we saw, they should be well prepared. All of their airports were modern and their internal airlines beat ours. Ground transportation is what needs improving
We would be glad to answer any questions, either in this forum or by Email.
Jack and Ann Donoghue
[email protected]
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thelmaandlouise
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Aug 25th, 2006 05:18 AM
