Our Trip to China - 2005
After flying for over 18-hours, the first cultural difference we noticed was our bed. Jan loves a firm mattress but it was like sleeping on a pool table at every hotel. We were actually more comfortable sleeping on the stone floor of a guard house on the Great Wall.
China is land of beverage cans with pop-top lids that come off the way they did in the rest of the world, years ago. Pop-tops with pull tabs are no longer produced in the states, because beer drinkers would occasionally swallow a tab that they had folded and dropped in their can. I guess either the Chinese are smarter, or with 1.3 BILLION people, they don't mind thinning the herd a little.
Halfway through our two week trip, we joined a huge group tour of 44 people. This was a little difficult at times, considering just how long it took to get everyone on the bus, then everyone off the bus, every time we stopped anywhere. However, there was always time for shopping. China's government run tourism department has mastered the tourist shopping scam. I can't tell you how many "silk factories" we saw on this trip. Five-minutes of tour followed by 55-minutes of shopping.
China is a shopper's paradise, as long as you don't go where the tour guides tell you. And, if you don't mind purchasing items that most likely are pirated. Anything from pirate CDs and DVDs to a wide range of brand-name clothing are available. As are pirate cell phones and other electronic gadgets. Some open-air markets have a better selection of TimberLand, North Face, Columbia, Gucci, Coach, and Tommy Bahama items, than stores back in the states.
- The Great Wall
Our great adventure started with hiking the Great Wall from Simatai to Jinshanling, then sleeping on the wall in an old watchtower.
- Beijing
China's capital, crowded, polluted, and captivating.
- Xi-an & the Terracotta Warriors
6,000 larger-than-life sized terracotta soldiers, buried for over 2,200 years. I only wish I had more time...
- Guilin
A rare city without heavily polluting industry. Honestly, a breath of fresh air.
- Li River cruise
The scenery around Guilin's Li River is postcard perfect. So perfect that they put it on the back of the 20 yuan bill.
- Shanghai
The city architects watched way too much Flash Gordon when they were growing up. This is China's newest city. Everything is 15 years old or less...or they are tearing it down.
- Zhouzhuang
A rare glimpse of a Chinese canal village. 2-hours from Shanghai but a world away.
"Engrish" And other assorted images of China
"Engrish" is a term coined for examples off the strange English translations found throughout Asia.
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Chinese "Silk Factories"
Huge tour busses line up in front and show foreigners a 5-minute demonstration, followed by a 40-minute sales pitch in the showroom located conveniently next door.
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Jan & Steve Filipiak
China > The Great Wall | Beijing | Xi-an & Terracotta Warriors | Guilin | Li River | Shanghai | Zhouzhuang