[Rhodes22-list] China Trip

[brad haslett]

Bill,

October is probably the best time to go to China. 
Beijing is about the same lattitude as Chicago and the
weather pattern is very simular.  Getting to Beijing
or Shanghai is very easy and cheap.  Traveling
internally in China is not so easy especially with the
language barrier (I sleep with my interpreter). For a
first trip I would certainly recommend going to
Beijing and give yourself at least a week.  The first
two to three days your clock will need to reset and
you won't feel like doing much.  That gives you at
least three full days of tourism which should include
at least the following, Tianimen Square, Summer
Palace, Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Temple of Heaven, the
list goes on and on.  Travel in Beijing by taxi is
cheap and most of the cabbies are at least making an
attempt to learn English in anticipation of the
Olympics.  Fan and I bought a package deal from
NorthWest a few years ago that included airfare,
hotel, and tour guide.  The hotel was great but the
tour was a pain in the ass (especially when your wife
has "been there, done that").  You're on the right
track to do it on your own.  I can have my
sister-in-law fix you up with your own guide for a day
or so until you get your bearings and then you decide.
 The "official" tour guides tend to steer Americans to
the more expensive shopping areas.  There are some
great bargains on lots of stuff but not necessarily in
the tourist traps.  If you find a package with one of
the airlines that includes lodging consider it.  They
usually book good hotels but your itenerary is then
limited.  You are welcome to stay at our place.  My
sister-in-law is a muckity-muck with Hewlett Packard,
speaks good English, and lives on the other side of
the elevator shaft from our apartment.  Our place is
near the third-ring road about halfway between
Tianimen and the Summer Palace, next door to the
Olympic housing. I haven't been to Shanghai but
several of my friends in the MD-11 fly that trip. 
They like it because it is more modern and "Western"
which is probably a good reason not to go there first.
We plan to go over in May, our new daughters first
trip (her grandfather came and stayed with us after
she was born and just recently left).  My in-laws are
both mechanical engineers and very interesting folks
but their English is limited and my Mandarin is nil so
communication is tough.  I'll visit with Jie, my
sister-in-law, while we're there and gather any
information you wish. Beijing is an interesting mix of
modern city with ancient civilization.  You don't have
to venture very far from the city though to realize
you're in a third world country.  I love the place but
your milage may vary.

Brad
--- Bill Effros <bill@effros.com> wrote:
> Brad,
> 
> As long as you're not sailing...
> 
> My wife and I are planning a trip to China,
> tentatively for the month of October.  We have never
> gone to China, although we have come as close as
> Hong Kong.  Generally speaking, we don't do tours,
> we prefer to get to know a people and place rather
> than try to see how many tourist attractions we can
> compress into a short time.  
> 
> Is October a good time?  What would you recommend
> for someone going for the first time?
> 
> Bill Effros
> 
> _________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org, Help?
www.rhodes22.org/list


__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more
http://taxes.yahoo.com/