Viking China

[WIT]

I recall frequently using the saline (not decongestant) nasal spray I had brought for the long plane ride. Lots of China is very dry. Eye drops also helped.

WIT

[travelsfun]

Clarence and WIT..thanks so much for your prompt replies. Both of you have been so helpful in many ways and your advice and suggestions will surely be of benefit to us when my brother and I leave next month for our China trip (without any face masks).

Dorothy

[coasters]

TRAVELSFUN,

After reading the face mask comments, I searched Google and found sounds to be an interesting approach to a protective face mask for visitors to China.

http://www.icanbreathe.com/favorite.htm

PS... I have no financial or other interest in the product or company.

Jerry

[travelsfun]

Thanks, Jerry, for the website. Some more "food for thought" for us all.

Dorothy

[cmthomas]

Happy Birthday Dorothy!

 

Clarence:)

[travelsfun]

It's not till tomorrow...but many thanks for the greeting!

Dorothy

[happytotravel]

China requires foreign businesses to have some sort of partner in China and Viking assists two Primary schools. We (the 4/11 Cultural Delights tour) visited the one in Jingzhou. Education is clearly the method by which China plans to hurdle past countries who progress more slowly. We saw 4th grade classes using parenthetic expressions (pre-Algebra). China today has more English speakers than the US.

 

Hello,

We are scheduled to leave for our tour on August 25 and am planning to bring some Canadian flag pins for the children at the school or at least for the children we do see. How many would you think I should bring along?

 

Do you have any other suggestions that might be nice for them?

 

Thanks,

happytotravel

[WIT]

China requires foreign businesses to have some sort of partner in China and Viking assists two Primary schools. We (the 4/11 Cultural Delights tour) visited the one in Jingzhou. Education is clearly the method by which China plans to hurdle past countries who progress more slowly. We saw 4th grade classes using parenthetic expressions (pre-Algebra). China today has more English speakers than the US.

 

Hello,

We are scheduled to leave for our tour on August 25 and am planning to bring some Canadian flag pins for the children at the school or at least for the children we do see. How many would you think I should bring along?

 

Do you have any other suggestions that might be nice for them?

 

Thanks,

happytotravel

happytotravel - We were told there were 800 students. You are not the first Canadian to distibute your flag - some in our group did so. I think you could easily distribute 100 or so. Take a look at my Jingzhou webalbum to see the # kids and the nature of the interaction.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/billwitowski/FengduJingzhouJingdezhen

 

WIT

[coasters]

happytotravel

first, we found there to be about 40 students in each classroom. We were told to present any and all gifts to the teacher, not to any individual children.

Some ideas in our group (April 11) brought - stickers, teaching flash cards, crayons, coloring books, pencils, paper flowers etc. Everything donated is appreciated - and yes, much of what you can find was "made in China" - but don't let that influence your decision about what to bring.

Jerry

[MSEm]

I am thinking about booking a Viking River CHINA for Nov 6, 2007. Are there any problems with the location of a CAT E on the Main Deck (lobby deck)?

Is there any size difference in the Balconies of the Cat E or Cat D? Cat D is 1 deck above the Cat E on the Main Deck.

Thanks for the great info found here.

[WIT]

----

[WIT]

I am thinking about booking a Viking River CHINA for Nov 6, 2007. Are there any problems with the location of a CAT E on the Main Deck (lobby deck)?

Is there any size difference in the Balconies of the Cat E or Cat D? Cat D is 1 deck above the Cat E on the Main Deck.

Thanks for the great info found here.

On our 4/11 Cultural Delights Tour/Cruise we walked past the CAT E cabins on our way to Cabin 206 which was CAT F. During the cruise we visited friends in various cabins throughout the ship. They are pretty much all the same and unlike a large ocean ship the view from each cabin was identical. One of our friends had a cabin in the front of the ship for which the balcony was curved but still the same size as ours. Each has two aluminum chairs plus room for two more peoplke to stand. We liked not having to use the stairs or wait for the elevator in order to go to dinner. You can see photos of the cabin on my webalbum at:

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/billwitowski

 

For answers to many questions check out the main Viking China thread under "Other Cruise Lines"

 

WIT

[travelsfun]

Small world note..my brother, How, and I are also in cabin 206! Down to 3 weeks now and I starting to think about packing. Ugh. That's the worst part of traveling, I think.

Dorothy

[Osnab]

Felicia,

please forgive spelling errors in the journal ... my wife tells me there are many...

perhaps due to my mini laptop keyboard.

Thanks

Jerry

 

Jerry - I read your report on my recent plane journey and really enjoyed it! I am sorry I'm just getting to tell you that, but I've worked no less than 80 hrs this week, due to a shortage of help in the office! This is my first moment to relax.

 

I wish I were going to visit the school, but that's not on my itinerary. Same for Hong Kong. You really made the whole trip come alive for me.

 

I was wondering, as I was about halfway through, how you and your wife managed to escape the stomach and cold issues that so many experienced, but then I read you got a little touch of something. Do you have any advice other than keeping your hands washed, drink bottled water, don't eat the birds on the sticks, etc? (But seriously, who could eat a bird w/ its head attached?)

 

Anyway, I really enjoyed your report, and thank you for taking the time to write it.

Felicia

[Osnab]

Thanks to the last group of travelers for all their comments. We leave in two weeks on the 27th of May taking the Shanghai - Beijing route.

 

Cathy & Peter

 

Just 2 more days! Have a great trip and be safe and have a blast!

Felicia

[Osnab]

Consider changing what you choose to touch. Faucets, the knob on the airplane bathroom door, arm rests, the food tray, - almost any surface you would like to grab to steady yourself is already contaminated with microbes that perhaps have never before visited your intestinal system. If you touch all the above items with the heel of your hand rather than your fingertips your odds of staying healthy go way up since it is the fingertips that usually touch your eyes, nose, or mouth - easy transmission areas. The alternative would be to wipe all likely surfaces with antibacterial wipes.

 

WIT

 

You made several excellent suggestions. I wanted to talk about the above quote about what we touch. Lately I've become aware of how much I touch my face. I have to get out of this habit now. (I have until Sept!) I'll bet everyone touches their faces more than they are aware.

Felicia

[Osnab]

Dorothy - You will find stick people (our guide's term for bearers) wherever there are more than a few steps who will carry you to the top for a few dollars. They did a lively business at Fengdu with its 160 steps.

 

WIT

 

I've been working my way up the ladder (terrible pun!) so I can climb more than the 3 steps in my garage w/o being winded! I'm up to 50 now. I could do more, but I'm trying to get to the point where I'm not gasping for breath at 300. That's my goal.

 

Soon, I'll be able to do the 160 steps, and then the 300+ that I'll encounter when the ship is in one of the ports (forgot which one now.)

 

Felicia

[travelsfun]

I was so happy to learn from WIT about the "bearers" who will carry you up the steps...I am in good health but have two troublesome knees which often cause problems. Good for you, Felicia, to be practicing climbing stairs!

Dorothy

[MSEm]

Thanks WIT for the info on the cabins. We are currently booked for a CAT E (228). All of the Cat F are filled. We noticed the space between cabins 205 and 209. Is that space for the gangway? I understand there is also a gangway on the crew deck below the Main Deck. We will be talking to our Doctor. He is great about making sure we have medicines for travel. We will be in Alaska for August. I was planning China for spring 2008 but learned there is a sailing for Nov 2007. Wanted to go to China before the Olympics.

Hope to read more on the Viking River China experence.

[coasters]

Felicia,

RULE # 1. follow WIT's advice.

We brought antibacterial hand wipes and used them religiously. Tried to have napkins and/or tissues on hand for opening and closing batroom doors, flushing toilets, etc. Shaking hands too - not exactly the best thing to do when trying to avoid the transfer of germs.

We also make certain to take 1 asprin daily when we know that we will be sitting for long stretches on planes or busses.

My wife did pick up a scratchy throat - quickly resolved with an amoxicillan capsule. We use standard antibiotics whenever necessary, saving the more powerful, (like Cipro) for ONLY the more resistant strains.

Use common sense, try to stay away from guests with symptoms such as sneezing and coughs. Difficult, but not impossible, they will understand.

Be well! Have fun. You will love China.

Remember to practice using chop sticks!!

Jerry

[H2Otstr]

DO NOT just randomly take an antibiotic here and there and think they will work. Antibiotics are designed to kill bacteria cells, not make one feel better after taking one or two. Antibiotics are dispensed in dosages to make sure that bacteria strains are killed, not mutated. Over use or mis-use of antibiotics has caused several bacteria types to become resistant, therefore new antibiotics have to continually be developed.

[twototravel]

Small world note..my brother, How, and I are also in cabin 206! Down to 3 weeks now and I starting to think about packing. Ugh. That's the worst part of traveling, I think.

Dorothy

 

This is very spooky. We are also in F 206. We chose a room in this corner thinking that we'd miss all the traffic since the door to exit the ship is before this room.

 

About 12 hours to go until we leave. Our flight departs tomorrow from BWI at 6am and we arrive in Chicago around 7am. We then have approx. a 4 hour layover then the 14 hour leg to Shanghai. I'll be keeping a journal and hope to transfer it to this site as soon as possible after we return on the 12th. I think it is very interesting how each person highlights something different.

 

Cathy & Peter

[WIT]

This is very spooky. We are also in F 206. We chose a room in this corner thinking that we'd miss all the traffic since the door to exit the ship is before this room.

 

About 12 hours to go until we leave. Our flight departs tomorrow from BWI at 6am and we arrive in Chicago around 7am. We then have approx. a 4 hour layover then the 14 hour leg to Shanghai. I'll be keeping a journal and hope to transfer it to this site as soon as possible after we return on the 12th. I think it is very interesting how each person highlights something different.

 

Cathy & Peter

Dorothy, Cathy & Peter - You have the lucky cabin! Not only did we not get sick, we also got great bargains throughout China on the various items we purchased. Being on the same deck at the dining, you will also have an easy time getting better seating (they serve the tables closest to the entrance first). We usually ate in one of the first tables on the right - Coco and Jacky will take wonderful care of you. Please say hi to them for us - we were their first cruise of the year so I am sure their skills are even more refined. I look forward to hearing from you when you return.

WIT

[WIT]

I was so happy to learn from WIT about the "bearers" who will carry you up the steps...I am in good health but have two troublesome knees which often cause problems. Good for you, Felicia, to be practicing climbing stairs!

Dorothy

Dorothy - When you meet you tour guide the first day (they will be with your group of 30 or so the entire trip) you should tell them about your special knees (oops- I meant needs!) The bus driver will always be there to help you in or out. (tipping at the beginning of the bus ride always worked well for me before I replaced my knee this last January) You can count on getting help in Fengdu where there are 160 steps to the first street on the city. The boat of course has two elevators. For other areas with lesser steps, I suggest you let the Cruise Director (ours was Simon) know you would like some assistance. The staff likes to learn of ways to help.

 

WIT

[travelsfun]

Thanks again for your wonderful suggestions. I am thankful for all of them. Getting cortisone shots in both knees before we leave and hoping that will help.

Dorothy