Group Questions/Answers

Since this was a group trip, I turn it over to the others to have their say in answering six questions.  Responses are shown in reverse order they were received, only because that was the simplest way for me to find them in my email!  Here's what I have so far, and will add more if I get additional responses.

1.  What was your favorite activity/thing we did?  And why?

John: I'd have to say the Pandas.  It was a lot more than a trip to the zoo with actually being able to feed them and be so close to the young ones.  Most Americans will at most get to see maybe one or two at a time, but we got to see several in the same day.  Just a very cool experience.

Robin: It was the panda bears because it was an up close and personal experience with these majestic animals!

Don: It is hard to beat visiting the Great Wall.  One of the great wonders of the world.

Laura:  Favorite activity is a 3-way tie between the Great Wall, Terra-Cotta Warriors, and the Pandas.  They have all been on my bucket list for a long time.

Carol: Favorite activity: interacting with the pandas. Despite my skepticism of having to clean their enclosures, I enjoyed the work. I loved being able to feed the pandas up close!

Jean: Lunch on the Great Wall is going to be really hard to top.

2.  What was your SECOND favorite activity/thing we did?  And why?

John:  Great Wall.  All my life I have heard about the Great Wall, I've read about it, watched videos about it and always considered it pretty cool.  But to be there and walk on it and see what the soldiers saw, and actually see how huge it is was just about as good as it gets.  But Pandas win.

Robin:  The Dazu Rock Carvings because I had never heard of it before this trip.    

Don: The Terracotta Warriors.   An amazing feat.

Laura: Second favorite was the Yangtze River Cruise.  It was an opportunity to see the Chinese countryside and an opportunity to relax after a few hectic days.

Carol: Terracotta Warriors: I remember reading about them in National Geographic and was captivated by the idea of these figures waiting to be rediscovered. To see them was an experience I had thought about for years.

Jean: The whole panda thing.

3.  What was your favorite meal?  And why?

John: The steak at the end.  Although I enjoyed a lot of the Chinese food, I'm just a meat and potatoes guy.

Robin: The steak and creme brûlée.  It was just perfect.

Don: Sorry..but it would be anything western.  

Laura: Favorite meal was the dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel in Guilin.  It was "over the top"

Carol: Toss up between the lunch at the Muslim restaurant and dinner at the Cantonese Palace.  The flavors and presentation of the food was wonderful.  Really liked the veggies at both places.

Jean: Peking  Duck because of the way it was presented 

4.  What was your favorite hotel?  And why?

     

John:  St Regis in Beijing.  It was a beautiful hotel and the service with Albin and Pandora was just fantastic.

Robin: The St. Regis in Beijing because of the butler staff!

Don: St. Regis Beijing with the butler staff.  The finest hotel I have ever stayed in.

Laura: Favorite hotel was the St. Regis in Chengdu---so luxurious (and who could forget the toilets!!!)

Carol: The Peace Hotel.  Room was comfortable, but the history of the hotel was very cool.  Loved the outside Terrace Bar and the Jazz Bar. 

Jean: The one with the automatic toilet because I'm easily amused

5. What was the most surprising thing you learned about China on the trip?

John: I was surprised at how capitalistic China has become and at their infrastructure.  They really do a good job on their infrastructure, and they must be expanding their middle-class based on the number of cars on the roads today.

Robin: The history of the Dazu Rock Carvings.

Don: How friendly the people are toward us and fascinated by westerners.

Laura: Most surprising thing learned was how modern China has become.  I wasn't expecting such luxurious hotels, so many freeways, and all the people using automobiles and cellphones.  China is no longer a "sleeping giant" and will be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

Carol: Two things: 1. There’s a lot more wealth in China than I expected. The country is growing at a crazy rate.  The new construction going on was amazing.  I didn’t imagine seeing all the new cars on the road.  2. The air pollution was worse than I expected. I had read about it and had talked to people who been there, but experience the almost constant smog was a little scary. 

Jean: That China is so commercialized. The cave with all the lights and the commentary on what the stalagmites and stalactites actually were was a bit much.

6.  And, finally, what did you learn about yourself on the trip?

John: I learned that as I age these trips get harder and harder and if I have any ideas of doing more of them I better get them booked pronto.  It was a fantastic adventure.  It was great being able to share it with Robin and Don, and it was great meeting new friends.

            

Robin: That I don’t have to do everything on a trip to still make it a great trip.

Don: I don’t care for stairs any more.  :-)

Laura: What did I learn?  I'll use a quote from Anthony Bourdain.  It's a long one but sums up what I have learned from my travels... 

"Travel isn't always pretty.  It isn't always comfortable.  Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart.  But that's okay.  The journey changes you; it should change you.  It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body.  You take something with you.  Hopefully you leave something good behind."

Carol: I knew I would enjoy the trip ,but I loved the adventure of China.  Meeting the people, visiting both ancient and modern China was eye-opening.

Jean: That I like to know how other people think, live, and eat.