|
China (Pre-cruise tour with Princess Cruise Lines) |
||||
 |
Beijing-Xian-Chonging-Yangtze River-Wuhan-Beijing This trip coincided with the premiere of Survivor:China on CBS. The pre-cruise information had a catch phrase that we repeated often, "Be sure to bring your sense of adventure." This is not a trip for the feint-hearted. China is certainly an adventure. While we did not experience the discomfort that the Survivor TV participants did, there were times when we were definitely out of our comfort zones--some more so than others. In my personal journal I call "The Timid Tourist Takes on China," I recorded in more detail my reflections of the trip which was truly "the trip of a lifetime." Beijing We arrived in Beijing to learn that our
itinerary had been changed and we would be leaving for Xian the next Beijing sits in a valley between mountain ranges and often experiences weather systems that make the area foggy. Mix that with the smog of the city, and you have an air traffic nightmare. We sat on the tarmac aboard a plane waiting for two hours for the fog to lift for our flight to Xian. They fed us well as we waited though. Xian
Since we were late in arriving in Xian, we did not get to see the city wall until after dark. The wall is spectacular--forty feet tall and 50-60 feet wide at the bottom. Lamps and other lighting made it look very exotic at night. Our tour group dined at the
Tang
Dynasty Theater Restaurant. Dinner was a sampling of The overnight stay at the
Shangra-La was
unexpected luxury. We were thankful for a good night's rest since we spent
nine hours in the Xian airport the next day waiting for
After an early breakfast, we visited the Big Goose Pagoda and viewed several Buddhas--one golden and one happy one in the garden where everyone had the opportunity to rub his tummy.
Chonging Unfortunately we waited in the Xian airport for almost nine hours for fog to lift before we could fly to Chonging. We arrived in the largest city in China around 10:30 p.m. We passed many buildings that appeared very old and interesting but our main goal was to get to our riverboat on the Yangtze for our three day cruise. At the river, we had to descend very narrow stone steps with no railings and walk out on a floating dock made of connecting pontoons. A spotlight shone in our eyes making it even more difficult to see. To our amazement, our luggage made it unscathed and dry, transported by "porters" who hitched the suitcases to ropes at either end of a wooden pole and carried the poles on their shoulders--down all those steps and out to the boat. Yangtze River The
M.S. Yangtze 1
we were told was the best Chinese riverboat on the river and probably
explains the change The cruise would have been spectacular, I'm sure, had the fog and rain lifted. The Gorges were beautiful even in the gloomy mist. The river had not yet reached its completed flood stage of 175 meters but we passed over some towns that were already under water. New communities dot the hills along the river where the displaced population has moved. We stopped the first day to explore
Fengdu, the city of ghosts. It is said that is where the
The second day of our cruise, we boarded a smaller boat to explore the Lesser Gorges area along the Daning River. Again, I could imagine even more beauty had the sun been shining. We saw monkeys along the way. They came down to feed on the corn placed by tour guides. High up in a cliff we could just make out the famous hanging coffin. Sadly we passed a farm where a sign was posted next to the house that read, "175 Meters" in bright red letters. By 2010 the home will be underwater. Near Yi Chang, we disembarked and boarded buses for a trip to the Three Gorges Dam Site. It is an amazing structure to behold. The Chinese have planned for tourism with a lovely park right next to the dam. One of the features of the dam I found most interesting was the boat elevator. Apparently passenger boats that are not as heavy as cargo ships will be able to move into a cradle that will be lifted to the next level by counterweights. All other ships will need to pass through the enormous locks. Along the way to Wuhan, we stopped for a tour of a farmhouse. It was amazing how every inch of soil in the yards as well as the fields was used for producing food and/or cotton. A farmer along the way allowed us to take pictures of him working his field with his water buffalo. Wuhan The Shangra La in Wuhan was a welcome sight after a day on the bus. A short walk after dinner gave us the impression that this city is perhaps a little less chaotic than Beijing but we stayed in the financial district which might make a difference as well. The next morning we saw people scurrying to work but still it did not look as busy as Beijing. We did not get to explore much more as we needed to catch a plane for Beijing. Thankfully this one took off on time. Beijing After our arrival in Beijing and a lunch at a four star hotel, we visited the Temple of Heaven. The sun appeared for the first time on our trip and the Temple of Heaven was stunning as the rays bounced off the blue and gold tiles.
Lunch was at a cloisonné factory. These workers sit in very dimly lit work areas putting together exquisite and intricate designs. Of course the short tour ended in another shopping opportunity. Our bus climbed into the mountains surrounding Beijing as we headed for the tourist area of the Great Wall. Along the way we could see sections of the wall as it winds along the top of the mountains. It is difficult to imagine how they could have constructed it. The sun shone in a blue sky but the weather at that altitude was very chilly and windy. We walked along the "easy" side of the top of the wall until I was completely winded and my legs were shaking from the climb. We made it to the first tower and took our pictures, thankful for the "shiny" day as our guide said. On our way back into the city, we had just enough daylight left to see a glimpse of the 2008 Olympic stadium. From our vantage point, it was difficult to tell that it was a giant bird's nest but from souvenir pictures, it is easily recognizable. That evening, we enjoyed a banquet at the
Beijing Hotel for all the Princess Cruise passengers. Most of the Our last morning in Beijing began at Tiananmen Square. The Square was indescribably large. Pictures do not do it justice in telling its size. At one end, a large picture of Mao is hung on the wall of a building and directly across the square from it is his mausoleum. There were thousands lined up to pay their respects. The next stop was a huge place as well--the Forbidden City. This was the only place on our trip where I truly felt claustrophobic from the crowds. Our guide sensed our unease and took us out of the melee to explore some of the less crowded areas. A concubine could have gotten lost in that maze. As promised, we had a Peking Duck luncheon. It was absolutely the most delicious meal I had the whole eight days of our pre-cruise tour. The restaurant was atop the Silk Market so we were able to explore and bargain for a few things before we had to board the bus for our three hour trip to Xingang where we were welcomed aboard the Sapphire Princess. Cruise from Xingang to Bangkok ©Karen Robbins All text and photos on this page are copyrighted in my name. Please obtain permission for use. 01/25/2008
|
Available for
Download!
The Timid Tourist Takes on China--Karen's personal journal of her trip to China plus a sixteen day cruise that stopped in Shanghai, Okinawa, Japan, Keelung, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Nha Trang and Vung Tau (Ho Chi Minh City), Viet Nam, Singapore, and Bangkok, Thailand. Available in a downloadable PDF file including detailed observations and more pictures of the trip. Click here to order.
Tips and Observations: Bartering: One of the things we enjoyed the most was the bartering that went on. Many things such as postcards were only "one dollah." We bought a "cashmere" scarf and a knit hat for a dollar each at the Great Wall. The prices are better if you bargain when other tourists aren't huddled around. Most vendors took American dollars but it's a good idea to get small denominations of Chinese Yen. There is quite a counterfeit problem and if you get larger bills, you may get counterfeit for change. Water: There is no potable water in China. If you do not have bottled drinking water (be sure the cap is not compromised) you must boil. The hotels provided bottles of water in the rooms and a "boiler" which resembled an electric coffee pot. We were warned by the travel clinic at home to not eat fresh vegetables, salad, or fruit that may have been washed in their water. The residual water left on the food could cause undue discomfort. Sanitary Concerns:
Don't be the Ugly Tourist: The people of China we met were gracious hosts. Yes, there were a lot of things that are very different from our views, our comfort zones, our tastes but there is no reason to become the Ugly Tourist and demand the impossible or impose our views. We are guests when we tour other countries and we should try to learn and explore and be as gracious as we would expect guests to be in our home. 'Nuf said.
|
||
morning. We were compensated with a phone card, upgrades in some of our
hotels, and an onboard credit. Actually, we thought the new itinerary was
better. And in the end, it allowed us to be on one of the better Chinese
riverboats. Our stay at the
Xian is the home of the
Chinese dishes
and the show featured The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Troupe. The
highlight was a solo performance by Mr. Gao Ming who played an instrument
called the
fog to lift again.
in itinerary. There were government officials
scheduled to come aboard at the time we would have been cruising had the
change not been made. With the exception of the Viking Cruise boat, ours
looked to be in the best condition of the rest we passed along the way.
dead go to be
tested to see if they can enter into the after life. 
The next day,
after a stop at the zoo to see the panda bears, we explored the
show
after our dinner was done by children in costume doing traditional and
modern dances. A small troupe from the Beijing Opera House performed in
glorious costume.
common dispenser of toilet paper
hanging on a wall. If you can squat, you will not have to wait in line.
There are plenty of squat toilets available.