Hi all, <BR> <BR>I just got back from a 5 city (Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Hangzhou & Shanghai) trip through China with Ritz Tours. I want to thank everyone for all the help and patience in answering questions that I had previous to my trip. The trip went smoothly despite the fact that FBI sent out an alert a day before I was set to fly. Arrived at the airport at the suggested check in time of 3 hours, lines were long, but they seem to have extra clerks on hand and I was through in an hour and ended up having lunch at the airport while awaiting my flight. On my last city stop, we just missed President Bush, the APEC conference and crowd was over right before I landed in Pudong, Shanghai. <BR> <BR>Ritz Tours ran a smooth operation for the most part. Hotels were all very nice, though I wished they would have been more central to the downtown area. Food was generally good and they had a nice variety of Chinese Food so we weren’t eating the same things. On our own, we also tried Mongolian Hotpot which was a lot of fun and we had the most wonderful Shanghai? Dumpling (made with crab meat) in Shanghai. It’s near the Yu Yuan Gardens and it’s supposedly THE PLACE for this since any local can direct you there. When we arrived, there were long lines of locals at the take-out window. <BR> <BR>We had a wonderful group on our tour and can’t wait to return for a more extended visit. <BR> <BR>If I can return the favor and help to answer anyone’s question, I am more than please to try! <BR> <BR>Bon Voyage, <BR> <BR>Jenn <BR>

Hi Jenn,<BR>I need some advice and info as I am planning a backpacking trip to China mid- end of January. Any comments concerning safety, travelling alone as a woman? How long was your trip? You think it would be doable unorganized in 3 weeks? <BR>I am looking forward to receiving 'fresh'information. <BR>Thanks a lot in advance<BR>Myriam

Jenn, <BR>Glad you cam back safe, i'm going to China for 16 days in Jan. How was Xian, Guilin and Hangzhou ? Any advice ? I don't want to be on a rush, and plan on starting in Guangzhou, (maybe Xian), then fly to Guilin, then to Nanning, and fly back to HK..

Jenn,<BR><BR>Those delicious dumplings are called 'Nanxiang' dumplings originatd from a place with the same name which is about an hour drive from Shanghai. I was told by the local, the dumplings they served in Shanghai are slightly different from those in Nanxiang, thicker 'skin' there, but bigger filling in those served in Shanghai. The restaurant you went is, most likely to be Nanxiang dumpling restaurant. The restaurant does a set lunch menu which includes eight Nanxiang dumplings and six other snacks(I think), a bit like dim sum really. <BR><BR>Carlos, <BR>Hanzhou is probably warrant one or two nights stay. If you take the standard boat ride, you will not appreciate the beauty of West Lake. If you can ride bicycle, rent a bike and ride around the lake and you will then appreciate why West Lake is so famous. Otherwise try walking to some parts of the lake. The are a few temples in Hangzhou, the famous one is called Zhingyin(Spelling)which worth a visit. The Dragon- Well tea plantation is also a must if you are into green tea. If you are an early riser you will probably catch sight of locals exercising, dancing or stretching their limbs by West Lake. I didn't do Guilin this trip, plan to do it on my next trip to China. <BR><BR>Sorry Jenn, I didn't mean to hijack your posting. <BR><BR>

Hi Myriam,<BR><BR>Where about in China do you plan to go?<BR>I found myself wasting time and missed out on sight-seeing when I wasn't too organized and didn't plan my itinerary well.<BR><BR>I just came back from a 3-week trip, the first part was with a group of friends and the last part was on my own. I'm really glad I went with a group first to ease myself into the environment. The first day on my own was really hard as I was really bothered by the rudeness, spitting, littering, and lack of order in general.<BR><BR>As in any other places in the world, you have to be careful. I pay special attention when I ride on the bus and especially the train. There were many times that I was constantly followed by touts (many of them) and I was worried that they might grab my belongings and ran away so I was really tense. But maybe my heightened attention helped as I had not lost anything nor was any of my bags slit open.<BR><BR>The real inconvenience was going to the washrooms. I tried to find a nice hotel and use the washroom there, but sometimes you don't have a choice. I was stuck in a train station for 4 hours and had to use the squat toilet with one big backpack on my back and a knapsack in front. I barefly was able to stand back up afterwards ;-).

Hi Myriam,<BR><BR>I went on a 14 day Group tour that was actually only 12 nights. It felt rushed and ideally I would have liked to have more time to explore the cities more in depth. I recommend having a tentative plan on some major sites that you’re interested in, then allow some free time to soak in the local flavor. Since we were in a group, I felt pretty safe. On our free days, we used the subway and taxis to get around. Our hotel concierge gave us a map for the subway and pointed out which stops to get off. Not hard to use, but get ready for the crowds! Stay away from peak travel time like 5-6pm... You think your car is packed and no one else can get on. Wrong!…another 10 people behind just pushes you in. Another thing, you can walk further down the track where it’s emptier. I didn’t feel threaten within the crowds, just like a sardine. That sure was an experience! <BR><BR>We took taxi’s to get around late at night, but only in Beijing and Shanghai. <BR>Feel free to e-mail me at my personal e-mail for any other info.<BR><BR>Jenn<BR>

Hi Again!<BR><BR>Carlos:<BR><BR>Don’t skip any of those cities, each had it’s own beauty. Agree with Ivan’s advice. Too bad I didn’t know about the bike ride around the West Lake, that might have been more enjoyable since I just went on a cruise in Guilin. I also went to the Tea Plantation. Enjoyed listening to Dr. Tea’s explanation for the best quality green tea. Can’t believe I paid $35 US for a small can of tea. He kind of scared me when he told us the $5 tea sold by outside vendors are sometimes tea that has been re-used…...course my middle name is “GUILLIBLE”<BR><BR>Ivan…feel free to hijack my postings, especially since I'm sure your advice is much appreciated <BR><BR>You’re right on in regards to the Nanxiang Steamed Buns Restaurant. Address: 85 Yu Yuan Road. We did not order any of the OTHER DIM SUM from the set menu since it was mainly fried. We had 8 racks of JUST their special dumplings split amongst 6 people….very inexpensive. This is a very local restaurant so be prepared to share tables with strangers. <BR><BR>Didn’t really experience any rudeness,… not as much spitting as I imagine there would be.<BR><BR>If touts are those people trying to sell you something. For those people, I would just hold up my hand and walk on. I kept small bills in an outer pocket in case I wanted to buy anything. Otherwise, my purse with the more substantial bills were under my vest which was hard to get at and left my passport in the hotel’s safe.<BR><BR>Feel free to e-mail me at my personal e-mail for any other info.<BR><BR>Jenn<BR>