some help with a China decision, please

[ROCruiser]

We did the Yangtze River cruise twice and loved them both! First time from Wuhan to Chonqing, second time from Shanghai to Chonqing. We went through the locks during the day, both times. Knowing the history of the area would highly enhance your experience on the Yangtze. There are many stories throughout the years of history that happened along this great river. True, the cruise itself may not be luxurious and appears cheesy at times, but the experience can't be beat.

[maryann ns]

Young Chinese women (almost without fail very healthy and very thin) wear short skirts. In Shanghai in particular, we saw many obviously fashion conscious women. So if you are comfortable in skirts you should be OK. I saw no one in shorts ever, but we were there in March.

[stowaway2k]

I wear shorter/short shorts or jeans and dresses and skirts at home

 

 

 

Very short-shorts and very short skirts are common during the hot months in China. On women. :rolleyes:

[Turtles06]

We did the Yangtze River cruise twice and loved them both! First time from Wuhan to Chonqing, second time from Shanghai to Chonqing. We went through the locks during the day, both times. Knowing the history of the area would highly enhance your experience on the Yangtze. There are many stories throughout the years of history that happened along this great river. True, the cruise itself may not be luxurious and appears cheesy at times, but the experience can't be beat.

 

For anyone cruising the Yangtze, I would highly recommend reading Peter Hessler's River Town before you go. It's about the two years he spent in the Peace Corps (around 1996) teaching in a town along the Yangtze, as the dam was being built but before the area was totally flooded. It was fascinating, and made me appreciate what I then saw even more.

[Omega1]

We'll be back June 30th. I'll come back and write a review. We're doing Beijing, Datong, Huang Shun, X'ian, Tunxi, Yangzte River Cruise and Shanghai. It's just the two of us with a driver and guide in each location. I have also arranged for special cooking classes and wine and dine at Black Sesame Kitchen, a cricket trainer tour, a tea ceremony and an evening at the Opera in addition to the traditional tours and shows that come with the tour. I'll post our spreadsheet too if it's worth it for others to do the same thing. I have also changed the hotels based on Trip Advisor reviews.

 

Thank you for the recommendation about "Up the Yangzte". It was very interesting.

 

I will be really interested to read your review, particularly of your visit to Datong. In 2008, I led a group of nine school principals on a cultural/educational exchange visit to Datong and had a wonderful time. Our home city has cultural/twinning links with Datong. There are some wonderful sites and sights in what is essentially an industrial city, particularly the Yungang grottoes. I hope you have the opportunity to visit the hanging temple (Mt Heng).

In 2011, I went back to China with my wife for an extended land tour which included a Yangtse River Cruise. Happy travels.

[beadshopper]

We cruised the Yangtze River with our family of four.

 

We really enjoyed the cruise and scenery - the cruise was a great highlight of our trip to China.

 

The boat was not a luxury ship - but still of a very good standard.

[lori450]

Omega - I chose the extra trip to Datong specifically for the Hanging Monastery. It looked amazing.

Turtles - Thank you for the tip on River Town. I have down loaded it to the Kindle app on my iphone and will be reading it as much as I can before we leave and on the plane.

Shopper- Thanks for the reassurance about the cruise.

[Kylie]

We are looking at this trip too so anxious for the review. I want to do the Yangtze River cruise but I hope it's a nice boat and we do the locks during the day. I guess that's something to check out before I book with any particular company.

[beadshopper]

Our boat went through the locks late at night - don't let that worry you, as the whole area has major lighting, almost like day light!!!

 

Also, you won't feel tired - as it is very exciting.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[lori450]

We're back!

what an amazing trip! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed China. I was surprised at how much I love it. Here goes my review... it will be in phases as I am back to work and don't have a lot of time.

 

We boarded United Airlines 737 to Newark on June 11th. The short hop to Newark was a disappointment. It was an older plane without any amenities. We arrived in Newark with just the right amount of time to catch our 14 hour flight to Beijing. This flight did not disappoint! We were able to get a great deal on Business/First Class and I don't know how we will ever go back t economy! If this is how the other half live, they live a much more comfortable life. We were in 2K and 2L. Perfect seats. each seat was it's own cocoon. although we didn't have individual suites, it was heaven on earth (or should I say sky). Each seat had a nook with a USB port, headphones and a kit with socks, lotion, ear plugs, eye mask, toothbrush and paste and floss. It also had a comb. I think that's it. we had our own TV with dozens of movies, TV shows, music, video games and regular games. The controller was attached to the side of the seat with a retractable cord. We played chess with each other and watched recently released movies. Under the TV was a shelf and then an ottoman. Being short, I loved the controller for my legs. I was able to raise them to any height I wanted (not more dangling feet!). The head was adjustable and as it went down, the seat moved forward to meet up with the ottoman providing a comfy 180 degree bed. I can not tell you how spectacular this was. It made the trip fly by and prevented a lot of the effects of jet lag. The food was airplane food. enough said. The flight crew were delightful. Happy, upbeat and accommodating. Evidently, this is a much coveted route and only the most senior flight attendants are able to get it. There was a double crew (2 pilots, 2 co-pilots....). The flight attendant told me they had their own beds and switched off during the flight.

 

We arrived in Beijing well rested and excited. Unfortunately, our guide was no where to be found. We watched other passengers meet up with their guides as we wandered around for 10-15 min. Finally, a masked girl came up to us and through gesture and a couple of unrecognizable words took us to the van. it was an inauspicious beginning that boded the poor experience we were to have in Beijing. She barely spoke English and her words were unrecognizable. She would say only one syllable of a word and we had to guess what the word might be (cor was corridor, flog was flag, etc...). We quickly learned that her speech was imminently better than her understanding of English, which is to say, she didn't understand a word. Had we only gone to Beijing, I would have never used this travel agency again. She denied any request and tried to dump us off places and not return for us. It was only at my insistence that she sent the driver back for us. Her facts were out an out wrong. She would say one thing and the sign would say something else. I even heard other guides telling their guests totally different information. Evidently, they only get paid until 6pm, so forget seeing any nightlife. her name was Imay (maybe Amy- who knows) We were saved by the arrangements I made on my own. I had arranged for a market tour and cooking class with Black Sesame Kitchen. This was the best experience we had in Beijing. Our guide was Candice. She is an American born Chinese. She took us through the market and we were wowed. I don't know who was more tickled to be there, us or the vendors. Evidently, they don't see many Caucasians (this was to be pretty common throughout our trip) and were delighted to see us. The fact that my son speaks a little Chinese and I was making some attempts, made them even more delighted. We sampled fruits that I had never seen before (yumm) and I even tried marinated pigs' ears (crunchy- not in a good way, but delish). After the market tour we went back to BSK for a cooking class. not only did they teach us how to properly chop veggies and slice meat with a cleaver, but they also demonstrated the cooking with a running commentary. My son was able to make sweet and sour pork for us. The food was amazing and plentiful. We did not need to eat for the rest of the day!

We were taken to all the average sites. The Forbidden City was a big let down. i's the same thing over and over and over and.... you get the idea. The buildings all look alike and in each one is a throne. That's it. Bobo (as we grew to call her) told us all the wrong descriptions of the rooms. We finally let her in the dust. The summer palace was beautiful. There were a lot of people there. A lot! People in China socialize outside their homes. Evidently their homes are so small, they do everything outside. So we saw women crocheting and trying to sell their wares (they were beautiful), men playing mahjongg on the railings, cards, picnicking, etc.

The Temple of Heaven was wonderful too. Just outside the gate their are many people dancing or playing "hacky sack with large badminton birdies or doing tai chi or writing calligraphy on the stones with water. it was glorious.

 

Will continue later and try to figure out how to post photos.

[paul929207]

Welcome back. Thanks for the comments

[Turtles06]

Welcome back, Lori! I'm sorry about your guide in Beijing -- but it sounds like you made the best of a bad situation, and were still able to enjoy your time there. I loved Beijing, I wish it weren't half a world away.

 

Candice at Black Sesame Kitchen was the events mgr when we were there in 2011. She was wonderful, and I sure miss that food!

 

I look forward to hearing more about your trip!

 

(We had our first experience with United's "lie flat" business class seats in January when we flew to Buenos Aires from Newark. I agree -- they really are special on long, overnight flights! A person could get spoiled...:))

[mustgo]

Welcome back and thank you for posting your trip. We will be in Beijing in 3 months and I sure hope we are not booked with the same guide you had. Glad your Black Sesame tour was so interesting. I will be looking for more of your review as you have time to write. Reviews are so helpful.

[ROCruiser]

We're back!

what an amazing trip! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed China. I was surprised at how much I love it. Here goes my review... it will be in phases as I am back to work and don't have a lot of time.

 

We boarded United Airlines 737 to Newark on June 11th. The short hop to Newark was a disappointment. It was an older plane without any amenities. We arrived in Newark with just the right amount of time to catch our 14 hour flight to Beijing. This flight did not disappoint! We were able to get a great deal on Business/First Class and I don't know how we will ever go back t economy! If this is how the other half live, they live a much more comfortable life. We were in 2K and 2L. Perfect seats. each seat was it's own cocoon. although we didn't have individual suites, it was heaven on earth (or should I say sky). Each seat had a nook with a USB port, headphones and a kit with socks, lotion, ear plugs, eye mask, toothbrush and paste and floss. It also had a comb. I think that's it. we had our own TV with dozens of movies, TV shows, music, video games and regular games. The controller was attached to the side of the seat with a retractable cord. We played chess with each other and watched recently released movies. Under the TV was a shelf and then an ottoman. Being short, I loved the controller for my legs. I was able to raise them to any height I wanted (not more dangling feet!). The head was adjustable and as it went down, the seat moved forward to meet up with the ottoman providing a comfy 180 degree bed. I can not tell you how spectacular this was. It made the trip fly by and prevented a lot of the effects of jet lag. The food was airplane food. enough said. The flight crew were delightful. Happy, upbeat and accommodating. Evidently, this is a much coveted route and only the most senior flight attendants are able to get it. There was a double crew (2 pilots, 2 co-pilots....). The flight attendant told me they had their own beds and switched off during the flight.

 

We arrived in Beijing well rested and excited. Unfortunately, our guide was no where to be found. We watched other passengers meet up with their guides as we wandered around for 10-15 min. Finally, a masked girl came up to us and through gesture and a couple of unrecognizable words took us to the van. it was an inauspicious beginning that boded the poor experience we were to have in Beijing. She barely spoke English and her words were unrecognizable. She would say only one syllable of a word and we had to guess what the word might be (cor was corridor, flog was flag, etc...). We quickly learned that her speech was imminently better than her understanding of English, which is to say, she didn't understand a word. Had we only gone to Beijing, I would have never used this travel agency again. She denied any request and tried to dump us off places and not return for us. It was only at my insistence that she sent the driver back for us. Her facts were out an out wrong. She would say one thing and the sign would say something else. I even heard other guides telling their guests totally different information. Evidently, they only get paid until 6pm, so forget seeing any nightlife. her name was Imay (maybe Amy- who knows) We were saved by the arrangements I made on my own. I had arranged for a market tour and cooking class with Black Sesame Kitchen. This was the best experience we had in Beijing. Our guide was Candice. She is an American born Chinese. She took us through the market and we were wowed. I don't know who was more tickled to be there, us or the vendors. Evidently, they don't see many Caucasians (this was to be pretty common throughout our trip) and were delighted to see us. The fact that my son speaks a little Chinese and I was making some attempts, made them even more delighted. We sampled fruits that I had never seen before (yumm) and I even tried marinated pigs' ears (crunchy- not in a good way, but delish). After the market tour we went back to BSK for a cooking class. not only did they teach us how to properly chop veggies and slice meat with a cleaver, but they also demonstrated the cooking with a running commentary. My son was able to make sweet and sour pork for us. The food was amazing and plentiful. We did not need to eat for the rest of the day!

We were taken to all the average sites. The Forbidden City was a big let down. i's the same thing over and over and over and.... you get the idea. The buildings all look alike and in each one is a throne. That's it. Bobo (as we grew to call her) told us all the wrong descriptions of the rooms. We finally let her in the dust. The summer palace was beautiful. There were a lot of people there. A lot! People in China socialize outside their homes. Evidently their homes are so small, they do everything outside. So we saw women crocheting and trying to sell their wares (they were beautiful), men playing mahjongg on the railings, cards, picnicking, etc.

The Temple of Heaven was wonderful too. Just outside the gate their are many people dancing or playing "hacky sack with large badminton birdies or doing tai chi or writing calligraphy on the stones with water. it was glorious.

 

Will continue later and try to figure out how to post photos.

 

 

You forgot the pajamas. :p I know what you mean flying first class/business. I always hate to leave the plane and thinking the flight should have been longer. Glad you had a good trip. Can't wait for the rest of your report.

[lori450]

Our first stop in Beijing was at the Dong La Shun Hot Pot restaurant. It was a recommendation by my son's Chinese teacher. It was an interesting experience (unfortunately we had never seen hot pot before and I relied on the guide for help, she didn't). I would try this again with someone who could show me how to properly order. After supper, I had requested that we visit a Night Market. It was such a sight! I wish I could post some photos. If someone knows how, please let me know.

The magic of China is simply seeing everything and everyone. The people, the colors.... it's a sightseer's delight. The vendors were very animated and the samplings varied from honey coated fruit on a stick to scorpions on a stick, or silk worm cocoons on a stick. Dumplings and bar-b-que were also to be had. It was fun. We were delivered to our hotel, the Fairmont where we were very pleasantly greeted and shown to our room. The room was very nice and the beds were soft and fluffy. Perfect for a good night's rest! After changing some money at the front desk (no charge. The hotels have agreements with banks and so provide the exchange rates that you would get at the bank). the next morning I discovered a China Construction Bank next door and used them to access the money from my special debit card I bring with me on all my vacations (separate checking account from Capital One with no transaction fees) since I only use it for vacation, there is a limited amount of money in the account. All the ATMs had options for English. The bigger the town, the larger amount you can withdraw at a time.

After a wonderful night's sleep, we went downstairs for breakfast. It was a lovely buffet with American, European and Chinese breakfast offerings. There was a Viking Cruise group there at the same time.

The next morning we had our Cooking Class at Black Sesame Kitchen. Our guide picked us up super early to try to avoid the morning traffic, but there was none, so we got to the appointed spot almost 2 hours early. Let me just add here that the car rides to the places we went were just as exciting and a delight for the eyes as the sites themselves. Countless people on old bikes, whole families on the same motorscooter, people transporting items so large that you would never believe they could be transported on a scooter, but there they are! People walking with small cellophane bags containing their breakfast or lunch that they just puirchased from a street vendor. People riding bikes with a flatbed attached. I could go on and on. the flavor of the streets in each city has its own texture and taste.

Anyway, since we got to the meeting place so early, the guide took us down the street to a large market (it turned out to be the public side of the wholesale market Candice would take us to in about an hour and a half.) We passed a man selling crickets in a hexagonal basket type container. Crickets are good luck. People would spread a sheet on the street and sell their produce right there. There were people selling things on the street in a haphazardly constructed display. Even false teeth!! The false teeth man got upset when I took a photo. I was told that the teeth were bad or not legal (I couldn't figure out which). We had a great time at the market. My son and I were testing our Chinese. Saying Good Morning to everyone, please and thank you and the vendors were all tickled to hear us learning Chinese.

At the appointed time, Candice met us and took us into the market through the back door. Here is where we learned (and tasted) pigs' ears, lotus root, yang mei, mangosteens, and countless types of produce and meats. The vendors clearly knew Candice and were happy to show us their wares. We even bought some marinated pigs' ears which Candice and I snacked on and some yummy fruit.

At the end of the market tour we headed over to BSK. It's tucked in a hutong in an area that is becoming very hip. BSK is a converted home (but not too converted ;) ) We were joined by seven other people and were taught how to make the Imperial Dishes I mentioned in my last post.

Sated and happy were moved on to our afternoon at the Summer Palace. As I mentioned in my last post, it was lovely and the people watching was spectacular.

That evening we were scheduled to have Peking Duck. After I was told that I couldn't go the restaurants that were famous for their peking duck, we were taken to a restaurant where we were given a traditional dinner but they put some cold duck on a plate as an appetizer. We never had Peking duck in Peking. I was not a happy camper. I had arranged to see the Opera when I was making our plans. I'm not sure what it was that we were taken to, but it wasn't the real opera. There were three people in the audience, my son, myself and someone else. We were seated at a table and given tea. There were only two people on the stage. The small group of musicians were hidden behind a pole :(. The translation was given on a led screen but it was still unintelligible. By now, jet lag had set in and we yelled "uncle" during intermission. We returned to the hotel and passed out.

 

After another pleasant breakfast at the hotel, we were off to the Temple of Heaven (best part were the people in the park just outside - what a wonderful way to live). since our guide didn't speak English (I was finally figuring this out) and didn't know about the sites, we basically wandered through the Temple and it was only when we got back to our hotel and my China Eye Witness Guide that I was able to read what we had seen. After this, I brought the book with us. After the temple of Heaven, we were walked through Tienenman Square (with no narration). I asked to stop to see the statues and she said something about Mao's body being on display. I asked to go there, but it's only open in the morning. We went on the Forbidden City. This was initially awe inspiring, but once you get past the first building, you find that it is more of the same. This was a disappointment since I had done a lot of reading and research on the Forbidden City. It was tremendously fun to see in real life that which I had been studying for so long.

That evening we were back to BSK for their Friday night Wine and Dine. We sat at the kitchen table and had an absolutely delightful and delicious meal. We were seated with a few couples who were working in Beijing for American companies, an American woman who was a teacher in Chengdu, a couple from Scandinavia and their daughter. The meal was excellent, the company great, and we all reticently left at 10pm. We walked along the hutong back to the driver's home (yep he lived two clocks away). Since our guide had left before we went to dinner (subway stops working at 6pm???), the driver and his mother returned us to our hotel for another wonderful night's sleep.

The next day we were given a Hutong tour. We were driven around the alleyways in a bicycle drawn rickshaw. It was pleasant, and as usual, I couldn't tear my eyes off the sites and the people. I never got enough of watching everything within my line of sight. We then stopped at a home in the hutong. A very kind lady gave us a tour of her home. A unique design that is hard to explain. the home's center is an atrium type area that is open to the sky. Each room can be entered only from this central area or an alley between the rooms. The rooms are VERY small and the kitchen miniscule. I understood why they eat out all the time. At another home we were met by the Cricket Trainer. I had arranged for this extra tour and was delighted that it was exactly what I had asked for. The Cricket trainer is quite famous and he showed us his crickets, their homes (and teeny tiny furniture :)) and a lot of clippings of him with famous people and articles written about him. He was a riot. Not a word of English, but you knew what he was trying to say. It's a small little extra, but an absolute delight!

We headed out to the Great Wall. When I asked to go to the Mutianyu section for the cable car and toboggan, the guide refused and said it would be too expensive and too far. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper - again. We went on to the a section that started with a J. Sorry, she was unintelligible. It wasn't as crowded as Badaling is reported to be,, but it was a VERY tough climb. The steps are steep and I am only 4' 10" so each step was up to my waist. But, I DID IT!! Now I can say I climbed the The Great Wall of China!

I had asked to go to the Pearl Market or Silk Market but the guide had said no to the Pearl Market and just kept saying the silk market was near our hotel, but wouldn't tell me how to get there. Well, a happy surprise, she decided to take us to the Pearl Market. We explored and tried our first attempts at bargaining. We ended up buying 7 sets of Beats headphones for my son's friends (for $10 American each). I bought a battery for my new camera ($80 in US - $20 at the Pearl Market & it worked through our whole trip!). A return to the hotel and a rest for a while, followed. We were taken out to dinner by the tour (I can't remember where) and then to a Kung Fu show. It was very enjoyable and very popular. We ran into a family who was there to pick up their adopted daughter and another woman who was with her daughter who she had adopted years ago. Ironically, after returning to the US, her company relocated her to Shanghai China. The show was a hit, then back for another night at the Fairmont.

The next morning we were off to Datong. I'll be back with Datong's review. Just a note, fantastic guide, amazing town, should be included in everyone's trip to China.

Bye for now

[banditoo]

I am enjoying your review as we will be spending a few days in Beijing prior to our cruise this October. I have been there before but it will be new for my husband so we plan on taking in most of the highlights you refer to. Can I ask you which organization you booked your guide with or was it a private guide? We have booked guided tours for our few days there and I want to make sure we don't end up with the type of guide you had for our Beijing tours. :eek:

I look forward to more of your review. Thanks for sharing!

[lori450]

I don't want you to get the idea that this agency was bad. Kristie Roberts was the agent for China Discovery Tours. She is amazing. I can't tell you how many changes I made and how accommodating she was. I also don't want you to think that the whole trip was like this. Most of our guides were amazing. I spoke to Kristie yesterday. It turns out that the guides we had in Beijing and Shanghai were not the ones scheduled for us. They must have been last minute replacements. Kristie said that wasn't an excuse, the replacements should have been just as good as the originals. She is determined that this not happen again. In addition, she has asked me to forward her my review so she can present it to her boss.

This turned out to be an average tour company. It was not upscale. I did, however, change all the hotels (except the Beihai on top of the Huangshan Mountains) and was thrilled with each and every hotel. I would suggest that all restaurants be provided to you prior to finalizing your trip. I changed the hotels once I saw the ones listed. It didn't cost much to upgrade the hotels, they are all much cheaper than the US. I suspect that if I had done the same with the restaurants, those would have been much better too. TripAdvisor and CC were great resources.

Before I left, a friend of mine said, "Be sure to bring your sense of humor". I remembered this throughout our trip and China was so amazing, even the disappointments couldn't spoil the trip.

It was a private tour (as most china tours are). Just my so and myself. A driver and a guide in each location.

I wll try to include all the details I can think of, but if you have any questions. Just ask.

[lori450]

Day 5. We’re off to Datong. We left the hotel super early to catch our 7:15am flight to Datong. The guide and driver were on time and the guide checked me in. She arranged to meet us when we returned in two days and we were off. All the stories you hear of Chinese airlines and long delays are not true. We took off on time, the crew was delightful and we were on our way. Sort of. Halfway to Datong they told us that thunderstorms were preventing us from landing in Datong (1hr 5min flight in total), so they were turning around and going back to Beijing. We were quickly back in Beijing and waited in the plane for about an hour for the weather to clear. This turned out to be a propitious event. During the wait, I met two engineers who were in Beijing teaching for two weeks and traveling for two more. Well, they were the nicest people. They told me about a show in Xi’an called “The Song of Neverending Sorrow”. After their explanation, I was determined to see this awesome show. They also spent time talking to my son about his plans for his future in engineering.

Within an hour we were off to Datong. We were met at the airport by Kingston. He was awesome. What a delightful, educated, accommodating gentleman. His English was very good, but he was constantly trying to improve it. We had great fun helping each other with our pronunciation in English and Chinese respectively. I asked him to help me change our show in Xi'an to the Song of Neverending Sorrow. Without a hiccup, he got on the phone and left messages to get the phone number of our guide in Xi'an and then followed up with him. He must have made a half a dozen phone calls. He made the changes for us and gave me options for which seats we would purchase (it cost a little more than the scheduled show - I had no problem with this).We stayed at the Grand Metro Park Hotel. It was grand. We first stopped for lunch. It was delish and provided by the tour company. Then headed out to the Yungang Grottoes. Well, I had finally found someone who spoke English so I was catching up ;). We entered the Grotto while I was chattering away and mid-word I froze. I can not describe the awe inspiring effect this Buddah created. In a shallow cave/grotto, stood a 65 foot tall Stone Buddah. (or Budder as all the Chinese pronounced it ) Inside the cave were all sorts of of other carvings. There were other caves and sculptures to explore and some of them were closed for renovations, but it was an amazing sight to see. A do not miss place.

Just a side note, all of China involved steps and walking. There is no pressure to keep up any pace other than your own, but be aware, China is a mountainous country.

From the Yungang Grottoes we headed back to the hotel for a rest and wash up. Kingston found a private dining room in the hotel next door. The meal was adequate but the service was wonderful and we had a 20 foot walk back to the hotel.

The next morning we enjoyed the buffet breakfast and then it was off to the hanging Monastery. OMG. This was why I picked Datong and I wasn’t disappointed. Kingston took us to a side area to explore and my son found a cliff to climb. He was a riot, all of a sudden he was above us (he’s a boy scout, so he’s used to mountain climbing and hiking). Kingston gave us a lot of details about the area and why things looked the way they did. He led us up to the Monastery (google it!) and then showed us how to follow the tour since guides aren’t allowed up there to reduce the amount of weight on the monastery at any given time. The engineering of the structure is amazing. It is small and each room had its own altar. Some had little beds. This should be one of the wonders of the world. While we were up there two girls asked me to take a photo. I thought they wanted me to take their photo, but no. They wanted to take a photo with me! This became a trend. Evidently, unless you’re in Beijing or Shanghai, many Chinese people do not have the opportunity to see many Caucasians. Get used to being stared at. It happens constantly. There is no maliciousness to it, just fascination. You can be a rock star!

Back in the van for a delightful drive to another nice lunch. (Again, I can’t remember it specifically right now). After lunch we headed over to the Wooden Pagoda. The town was delightful and relaxing and fun to walk through. To be honest, I had thought, oh great… another pagoda. WRONG! This was the most serene place I have ever experienced. As soon as we arrived I was entranced. As we walked closer and closer it became better and better. Once we walked through the gate, I had to sit down and soak it all in. There are flocks and flocks of sparrows that fly to and from the Pagoda. Kingston explained that the sparrows eat the mites and bacteria that would have decayed the wood and that’s why it is so well preserved. Between the atmosphere, the Pagoda, the sparrows, the mild incense and the Chinese music playing in the background, I felt so relaxed and serene. All I wanted to do as sit and take it all in. Kingston was happy to accommodate the request from the wacky American woman (my words not his). We sat quietly and then talked about pronunciation of certain words. Kingston then took us around the pagoda and gave us a wonderful narration. A quick restroom stop and we finally started looking a chachckes (souvenirs).

A quick note about Chinese restrooms. BRING YOUR OWN TP OR TISSUES! The paper is almost never in the stalls. If it’s there, it’s by the door and you have to bring it into the stall for yourself. About half of the toilets are “Squatty Potties”. They are porcelain holes in the floor. Skirts are easier than pants, but I managed the pants most of the time. And, no toilet accommodates the toilet paper. Every stall has a waste basket for the used TP. Yep. But I found that since I was prepared for it, I just accepted it. When in Rome…..

After the Pagoda, we stopped in a park. The Chinese love to have you take photos of their children, so I had fun saying nee how to every little child I saw. Many of the people dress their 1-3 year olds in pants with a slit up the rear. When they need to go, they squat and go! No matter where they are. I found the free-wheeling culture a wonderful contrast to our more uptight, sterile culture.

I ran into a gaggle of middle school girls. They were tickled to see an American and after I said Nee How, they were all a twitter. We chatted (my son was mortified and walked elsewhere). After photos all around, we were on our way back to the hotel.

The restaurant in the hotel was highly recommended on TripAdvisor so since we had dinner on our own, we went on the hunt for the restaurant. There were three! We went from one to the other and finally figured out that their Chinese Restaurant was the one. I loved it. Half the fun was trying to communicate with the staff. Between my son’s Chinese and the Chinese/English dictionary, we ended up giggling and ordering a super dinner. After dinner we were off to bed in our luxurious hotel room. The next morning we would be heading back to Beijing for the day before heading off to the Huangshan Mountains.

[lori450]

An interesting point: across the street from our hotel in Datong, was a two or three story pile of rubble with some people and a banner at the top. I asked Kingston about this and he explained that the people on top were protesting. The government had torn down their homes (the pile of rubble) and gave them a monetary allowance for a more modern apt. Unfortunately, it was an allowance that would only provide for an apt half the size. They have been living on the pile for over a year he said. An interesting insight.

[lori450]

Datong addendum:

I just realized that I left out some small but charming details. When we were shopping Kingston happily helped us with the bargaining and the translation. It sounds minor, but it was a great reassurance and help. While we were shopping, he bought a beautiful guide book about the Wooden Pagoda. To my surprise, when the tour was over, he presented it to us as a gift. How thoughtful! He had seen how enthralled I was with the site and wanted to give me a memory of it. (I asked him if he would stay with us for the rest of our trip, but alas, it was not to be).

I am sending my son back to Beijing next year to study Chinese through a exchange program and fully intend to contact Kingston to meet my son at the airport and help him through his first few days in china. That is how awesome he was.

[lori450]

I'm sorry for the scattered posts, but as I think and think, more comes to mind. I must mention Mr. Wong, our driver in Datong. The Chinese drive the way they move through crowds.... just slide on over to get in where ever you need. Mr. Wong was a master behind the wheel. He wove in and out, drove on the wrong side of the street and like all Chinese, used his horn more than his brakes. Evidently, if you honk, then people know you will be driving in the wrong lane or you will be cutting in front of them (no anger involved). Mr. Wong also had a delightful sense of humor. since he didn't speak English he would make the funniest one word comments while sharing information. Between Mr. Wong and Kingston, we hit a home run in Datong.

We also had a chance to see a beautiful bride in front of one of the temples. She was all in red. Just gorgeous.

I also forgot to mention that when I had to leave the middle school girls at the park I said Xie Xie (thank you in Chinese) and in unison they all shouted, "You're welcome!" (in English). Such a delight!

[Omega1]

Glad you enjoyed Datong. I spent a week there in 2008 with a group of nine school principals. As well as visiting the sites you describe we spent a lot of time in schools and each principal made an educational link with their school in the UK. It was a wonderful week with great hospitality and cuisine!

We had the honour of hosting our Chinese colleagues when they visited the UK in 2010.

I returned to China in 2011 and did a three week land tour but unfortunately didn't get to Datong.

Thanks for your travel diary, I'm enjoying reading it.

[lori450]

Glad you are enjoying it. My travel agent is also following as well as my friends.

[lori450]

Day 8 – Travel from Datong – Beijing – Tunxi

Our plan was to go from Datong to Tunxi (the town at the base of the Huangshan Mountains (Yellow Mountains). My travel agent (clever woman that she is) arranged for us to fly to Beijing with almost a full day layover to see the Lama Temple I had ask about. So, after another pleasant, uneventful airplane flight, we landed in Beijing. Bobo was there this time and we were off to see the Lama Temple. The Lama Temple was an active temple. People were there burning incense and saying their prayers. It was beautiful. Ornate with carvings, statues and silk. There were hanging silk cylinders and entire works of art made with folded silk. Unbelievable! We were again treated to a Buddha that was three stories tall. Not only was the Buddha remarkable, but it was draped in silk. Yards and yards and yards and ….. Well you get the idea. Monks sat in the corner and prayed. Again, I was struck by the contrast. Here were monks in classical garb, sitting peacefully, appear one with their maker and then they walked outside and pulled out their ipads and iphones to take photos. China is a country of contrasts. We were taken back to the airport where we caught our flight to Tunxi and the Huangshan mountains.

We arrived in Tunxi quite late and were met by our guide (I’m sorry I can’t remember his name) and our driver. He was a quiet, pleasant man with a good command of English and knew what he was doing. It was late so we headed straight to our hotel. Thanks to a recommendation by a brilliant member of cruise critic, I had booked the Hui Boutique Hotel. It is a converted hutong home and is clean, charming and unique. I had read up and asked for a room upstairs away from the stairs. Bingo! It was charming, authentic with a modern bathroom (still couldn’t put the paper in the WC though ;)) . We had our own air conditioning unit and it was plenty cold. For breakfast we went down to the kitchen where our breakfast was made and served to us and us alone (a banana, a poached egg (which I changed to scrambled on our second day), a slice of toast and a cup of coffee. Just right and light. The hotel has rooms off a central courtyard and is small. I’m so glad we stayed there. It is also located just off the old street, so we were able to stroll and grab a bite to eat.

Our guide told us to pack just enough for one night. Luckily, my son’s carryon is a luggage type backpack. It was also handy to have a boy scout for a son. He kindly offered to carry the backpack with both of our things. I had the camera. The next morning we headed out to the mountains. A van ride took us through a toll booth where the toll collector could have been a model and was dressed like an old fashioned airline stewardess took the money and then bowed. The guide explained that she had to say certain words, and bow at the correct angle. (The toll collectors in other towns looked like the ones we have in Florida ). Then a cable car ride (spectacular) and we were finally at the top. Well, not really. We still had a 30-60 minute walk. Oh wait, not walk… stair climb. Yep. More stairs. At first it was a little tough, but after a while you got your pace and although we sweat a lot, I made it. (It was a breeze for my son with the backpack who ran up to the top and waited for me and the guide). I guess that 40 year age difference makes a difference.  The views were spectacular!! Granite mountains, bamboo forests, mountains that looked like brushes and camels, trees growing out of mountains, it was like an ink and brush painting. In one 45 minute period, it thundered (really loudly), rained, cleared, and a cloud moved up the mountain at a pace we marveled at. When it finally engulfed us, we were tickled and could hear the people below us, but couldn’t see anything but white mist. We were IN A CLOUD! As the cloud continued to move up the mountain, our view cleared. Amazing.

We were scheduled to stay the night at the top of the mountain at the Beihai Hotel. Don’t do it! This is a perfectly fine day trip. The hotel is shoddy, smelly and just completely run down. The food is literally inedible. We made the best of it by preoccupying ourselves with the view and staying out of our room as long as possible (it was clean, but too worn). Now, please understand that EVERYTHING that is at the top of the mountain is CARRIED up the mountain by porters. We saw these men off and on all day long. These men climbed up and down the mountain all day long. They had bamboo poles across their shoulders with a load on each side. They do not have the benefit of the cable car and must climb the whole way. I saw them with loads of dirty laundry going down the mountain, loads of vegetables going up, etc. I was told that they carry the water up. I actually saw them carrying loads of dirt down. Some loads were so heavy, two men had to do it together. They walked at a leisurely pace (everything in China is done at a leisurely pace) and smiled and laughed when spoken to. The guide told us that in 5 years or so, there won’t be any porters anymore because none of the young people will do it.

The way “down” to the cable car was actually more uphill than the walk “up” to the hotel. We left at 9am, we had had enough. I would do this, but as I mentioned, don’t bother to sleep over. We wanted to see the sunrise, but it was foggy and I’m told that that is not unusual.

So, back down the mountain and into the van and back to Tunxi. On the way we were treated to a “monkey” sitting on the guard rail next to the street. (they said monkey, it looked more like a large orangutan).

We had a lovely time walking the length of the ancient road. They were drying tea out in the sun on mats. Our guide took us all around and then to a tea store for a lovely tea ceremony. Yes, he was trying to sell tea, but this was lovely. The owner played a stringed instrument while a young girl demonstrated and taught us some of the parts of the ceremony. After we had drunk enough tea to have to look for another squatty potty , we headed off. Our guide took us to a local supermarket (I wanted to buy a cleaver) and we saw women washing their laundry in the river. I was so astonished, I asked the guide about it and he said, “Oh yes, they wash there all the time, but they take the clothes home for the final rinse”. Well, all I could think was, “oh yeah, that makes all the difference… the final rinse”. Of course, I didn’t say it out loud. The guided headed home and we went to explore on our own. We got caught in a fierce thunderstorm and ducked into a little shop. This was one of the best memories I have. The shop was tiny and the shopkeeper was practicing his calligraphy on a paper that was totally black from being used over and over again. But the fresh ink could be seen before it dried. I was impressed by the frugality and value placed on this special paper. The gentleman rushed over and greeted us. Brought us chairs and asked if we wanted a stamp with my son’s name in Chinese. I bought one for a friend’s son and when he finished hand carving it, he discovered that my son was studying Chinese, he pulled out a notepad and proceeded to give my son an hour long lesson in Chinese! It was so special. After that, he brought my son over to his desk and pulled out a practice paper that lets you paint (ink brush) the calligraphy with water and then it disappears when it dries. I have video of him teaching my son Chinese calligraphy! He kept saying Ponyo (friend) and pointing at us. He gave my son his practice pad and a brush. We thanked him profusely and I forced some RMB into his hand for the lesson and his kindness. He would have none of this and kept saying ponyo. Finally, I left it on a shelf for him and then he started running around and gave my son another brush, and some ink. We finally bid each other adieu, and headed back to our hotel. The rain finally stopped and we finished our souvenir shopping. Another lovely night at the Hui and the next day we were back in the van on our way to the Hong village. I had asked the guide about rice paddies and he was nice enough to have the driver stop near one so we could get out and get a closer look (I had wanted to see the tiered rice paddies, but it meant adding another location to our trip and I couldn’t extend the trip anymore). The village was a unique experience. The entire village is centered around a lake and has little canals running along the front of all the homes. It is a tourist area now, but it was worth the trip to see what’s left of its historical roots. At one point, we saw a woman washing her lunch dishes in the little canal. We turned the corner (upstream) to see another woman holding her child over the canal while it urinated. Don’t ask. We visited a room with a pool of water from the canal and steps leading down to the water. The guide said it was the maid’s room. Again, my warped mind went, “oh, how convenient, they arranged for the water to come to her so she could do the wash anytime of the night or day”. (that’s sarcasm- and my sense of humor)  After the village we would be off to lunch (mediocre but adequate) and then the airport and our next stop – Xi’an.