Hello Martha,

I am happy that you had a nice vacation in China, around that same time another traveller, from Canada Ani Ashekian got lost in Hong Kong.
She had started off in China, moved to Hong Honk and had plans to travel to several other Asian countries to finally return home from India on December 15 2008, however, she disappeared in Hong Kong around November 10. Ani never left HK according to the authorities.

Description of Ani Ashekian:
Age: 30
Height: 5'4" - 163 cm
Weight: 120 pounds - 55 kg. Athletic build
Hair: Brown - Long - May be curly or straight
Eyes: Brown
She was traveling with a black and blue backpack. Last seen in a white T-shirt.

My question is did you or anyone else reading this by any chance meet Ani in China, or airport or on plane? talk to her??? Or have any advice...
Please check this website: http://www.FindAni.com you can also check the facebook group http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...id=54077259736
spread the news...Help us find Ani

thank you.
Anahid

Martha, You had a great trip! I was on the Victoria Rose this past fall, too. I preferred that it was small. We got to meet more of our fellow travellers on deck and at dinner. I enjoyed the Yangzi cruise very much. Even though the river is rising, it is still beautiful to sail on. Continued luck with your future travels.
Pellegrina

Great report, glad this got topped as I missed it the first few times.

Martha,

Do you have the address or phone # of Maogang Xiangcaiguan in Xi'an? I can't find any contact for it.

Thanks so much.

Martha,
Thank you for the great trip report. We are use to traveling to Europe independently, but have been thinking about an organized tour to China. Your report has got me rethinking that! Do you have any idea how much your trip cost versus going with a major tour company? It seems as though you got a much better travel experience for a lot less $$$. Was it difficult finding good tour guides and were they knowlegable and able to give you unbiased views about China?

Maogang Xiangcaiguan serves Hunan cuisine.
It has two outlets in Xian.
One near Sheraton Hotel.
The one Martha1953 ate locates near small wild goose pagoda, the address is
99 Youyi West Road, Xian.

phone #029-87820555 87820666

Five years ago, most Yangtze cruize ran between Chongqing & Wuhan.
Now the terminals are changed, they are Chongqing & Yichang. One reason is because of the expansion of Yichang Airport, now safe enough for the big planes to land and take off.
For tourist couldn't make the flight out from Yichang.
They can go see Gezhouba Dam, built in the 70s & completed in the 80s.
There is an exhibition room open for tourist.
The room has an electric model of the Gezhouba Water Control Project and some documentary films.
Tourist can also visit a Chinese Sturgeon Museum in Yichang,
the museum exhibits living Chinese Sturgeons as well as other sturgeon species and sturgeon samples.
For tourist making the flight out from Yichang, the local guides would still try to make a tourist trap stop,
they call it Embroidery factory.

Victoria Yangtze fleet had never been on top of the line no matter how much they spent advertising.
The act of making solicitation to squeeze big gratuities at the end of the cruise is despicable & low taste.

Believe it or not!
In Shanghai, there is a Bund Sightseeing Tunnel for tourist.
The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel ride is to take a train car going from one side of Whampoa river to the other.
The car went through a tunnel slowly with some flashing lights.
The original plan of The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel was big, like a white elephant.
It was supposed to build a pedestrian moving stairway linking between the both sides of the river.
Upon completed, commuters would be able to step on one side of the moving stairway at the Bund and go to the other side in Pudong.
This was about 20 years ago.
What a good foresight!

De Fa Chang Dumpling House near the Bell Tower in Xian has been spoiled.
Food is still ok, service is lousy.
The waitresses look like people attending funeral service.

There are still good tour guides in China.
It might be a little difficult to find.
Cost of living in China is getting higher and higher by day. Everyone is trying hard to make ends meet.
Most big tour operators in China induce a "kickback quota" to their guides.
The minute the guide steps on the tour bus, they would be like college graduates making struggle to repay student loans.

Which B&B did you stay at in Beijing? Ive really enjoyed your report. Thanks. What is best way to book a Kung Fu show and how much in advance to get a good seat?