Monday 10 September 2007

Travel in China - you just have to smile!

So I’ve been looking online and trying to figure out where to go next, what to do, who to go with and what to see... there are so many choices...if you’re Chinese. Unfortunately, my Mandarin is not yet sufficient for me to be able to follow a guided tour in just Mandarin, nor have I surrendered my preference for:
- a toilet instead of a mucky hole in the floor
- a bed instead of a mat on a bench
- a shower that is private and not suspended over a toilet
- identifiable food ingredients instead of mystery meat with miscellaneous bones and gristle
- a sense of personal space instead of practically being SAT ON by the other people that would be on the tour.


I like my creature comforts, and personal space and basic hygiene are key components.

I really had to laugh when I came across the following description for the first day of an “English Guided Tour” to Tibet:


No tour guide service today but the Tibetan guide will pick up you at Lhasa airport, please do not have violent physical activity.

Just makes you wonder sometimes... what must have happened for this plea to be added to the itinerary? I’ve heard of altitude sickness, but this is a completely different kettle of fish!

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