Travel Tips

We visited in November of 2002.

We watched videos, read books and asked for advice from everyone . Remember there are nearly 1 1/2 Billion Chinese people...it is crowded. They consider any city under 6 million to be small.

You'll see people everywhere, mostly outside. They are short on space and sit outside during the day, watching the world go by or doing their laundry, or yes, even cooking.

Expect a different level of hygiene. We americans tend to be germaphobes...the chinese are not. Often we were served meals in restaurants where the dishes had *maybe* been dipped quickly in water and then reused. There were exceptions, but on the whole, for anyone who is fastidious, it will be a huge adjustment. I took lots of Zone bars and other items to get me through though.

They are making efforts to deal with tourism, and people are generally friendly to tourists. Driving through the villages that are being obliterated by the government to make way for the Dam project - always waved and smiled, though they couldn't speak any English. They are anxious find out what we are like. I loved the Chinese people, they were wonderful.

The rumors - for the most part - are true. There is a strict one-child policy. It is really, as we learned, a one-birth policy. In other words, if a woman has a multiple birth, such as twins, both babies are legal.

If you have asthma or respiratory problems, be prepared. China has 8 of the 10 most polluted cities on earth. It is horrendous. In Wuhan. we arrived right at dusk, and it reminded me of something surreal and futuristic. Dark, gray buildings and air you could barely see through. Even in my hotel room in Wuhan I had difficult breathing, the next morning, when we opened the drapes, our visibility was almost nil.

The rumors of "squat" toilets are real. Except for hotel rooms, most of the bathrooms were of this sort. Occasionally they would have one "western" style toilet. It was a nightmare, frankly speaking. Take your own toilet paper, even at fancy places. They aren't likely to have any.

Be respectful, and realize that these people are battling huge odds. They do the best they can with the resources they have, and the stringent controls of their government restrict them mightily. We found out from our tour guide, who lives in Beijing, people are expected to stay where they are, and moving to a larger city or different place in search of better employment or housing isn't allowed as a rule. She said a lot of younger people are wanting to make it to Beijing and Shanghai in the hopes of a better life, but it is impossible. Just recently people are able to buy their own houses although the government owns all the land, you just own the house on it, and really the ownership is like a lease - for 99 years or so (I think that varies).

All in all, a tough place to live, but a fantastic place to visit.

Also remember: no matter how they whitewash it or welcome tourists with open arms, it is a communist country and they have little to no sense of humor about anything that threatens their political way of life. Don't be overtly annoying and whatever you do, don't wear teeshirts espousing a different way of life, or in protest of theirs, unless you want to answer to authorities. Don't take pictures of any military personel, unless you want your film and camera confiscated. We were warned repeatedly about this. We were told "the soldiers do not want their picture made with you," and you aren't allowed to take pictures of any government facility. A small fact, not well advertised, is that it is just flat against the law to take photos from the air: airplane etc. So don't.

Lastly: if you go in the fall or winter be prepared for the most bitter cold you can imagine. It was brutal, especially in Beijing. When in the Forbidden City, for instance, you are outside for hours and there is no place to go inside, and nothing to shield you from the strong winds that whip around. Take the best outer garments you can afford.