| Andrea |
Jan 8th, 2001 12:58 AM |
It really depends on how many places you are planning to travel and whether you will be backpacking or staying in "tourist class" hotels (in which case the concierge will be bilingual and can help you a lot). <BR> <BR>I am an American living and working in Shanghai, who arrived 2 years ago not speaking a word of Chinese. <BR> <BR>I think that your S. America plan sounds just fine for China. Having been to many other countries with a complete language barrier (little/no English spoken, different alphabet or characters used on street signs, etc), I find China to be no more challenging other similar places. <BR> <BR>Do get the name and address of your hotel in every city faxed to you in advance. That way, you can just get off the plane (or train) and hop in a taxi (always the most efficient form of transport except in Hong Kong). <BR> <BR>I would recommend that you bring a phrase book with you that has simplified Chinese characters, pinyin, and English. This will be more and more helpful the farther you are away from the desk at a 5 star hotel in Beijing or Shanghai. If you are lucky enough to find a guidebook that has the destinations written in both English and Chinese, snap it up!! That will be really helpful as well. <BR> <BR>In Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, and other major tourist destinations, your hotel concierge should be bilingual and can point you in the right direction for self-directed exploration of the city. Even if you do go get a planned tour, do take advantage of the concierge for your free time exploration. Have them write the destination on a piece of paper for you to show taxi drivers (or passers-by if you're walking - but taxis are really cheap and plentiful). <BR> <BR>I do recommend a private tour for the Great Wall (it is usually combined with the Ming Tombs). We had a private tour that wasn't too expensive and was very "hands off." They picked us up in a private car, drove us to the sights and dropped us off, letting us explore on our own. MUCH nicer than a bus full of other tourists. Do be aware that unless you SPECIFICALLY INSIST that you don't want them, they will take you to several tourist traps on the way to and from, like jade and porcelain factories. The things there will be very overpriced compared to what you will find in the main city. <BR> <BR>There are 3 areas that you might run into SLIGHT problems (or adventures, depending on how you look at it!). <BR> <BR>Taxis: Be sure to insist that they use the meter. Even if you get cheated by being taken the longest way (more of a risk in BJ), it should never cost you more than US $10 - $15. One way of cutting down on taxi trickery is to make a big show upon entering the taxi of writing down their licence number (on the dashboard) when you get in. They can have their licence revoked if they cheat someone. You can also loudly confirm the time it will take to reach your destination with the hotel staff. <BR> <BR>Eating out: If you want to eat in Chinese restaurants, language will be a problem, as most will neither have English menus nor speak any English. Some do, though, and a guide book with some food or dish names in Chinese should work just fine. <BR> <BR>Bargaining: In markets or stalls, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, reel in shock, laughing or gasping for air when someone tells you the first price. Even if the price is one tenth of what you expected. Try offering 30% of what they first offered, then laugh at their insistance on such a rediculous price and try walking away. Bargaining is an art in China, and it is half the fun for both the seller and the buyer. <BR> <BR>Gosh! Long post! Feel free to post other questions, esp. itinerary or hotel questions.
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