In less than 48 hours we will be on flight to ROME! I am still a bit in disbelief. This is going to be the trip of a lifetime and I am so flippin' excited that this experience will be shared with Reid, Megan, and Cole. I think Reid and Cole are most excited about the food. Megan is most excited about the gelato and gondola rides, and I can't seem to narrow it down to one thing - the wine, the food, the sites, the shopping, everything! I just know it will be an amazing experience. Below is our itinerary for the trip so you can keep up with where we are each day. We will be 7 hours ahead and will have our cells (at least Reid and I will) but won't be using them too much since it is a little pricey overseas. We'll do our best to log into the WiFi at the hotels and send pics when we can. Can't wait to share the experience with you after we get back! I guess we should start learning Italian...
May 17th - May 27th
Rome, Venice, and Florence
May 17th - Houston/Toronto
Leave Houston - 12:00pm
Leave Toronto - 7:10pm
May 18th - Rome (staying at Domus Pacis Torre Rossa Park)
Arrive in Rome - 9:45am
Customs/Check in to hotel/Lunch ~ 10am-noon.
Pantheon/Coliseum/Spanish Steps/Forum - 1pm-6pm
May 19th - Rome
Tour of Vatican City (http://goo.gl/mqiDh)
St. Peter’s Basilica
Sistine Chapel
May 20th - Rome
Capri day trip (http://goo.gl/NJBqj)
May 21st - Rome
Relax and shop
Travel to Venice
May 22nd - Venice (Hotel Canada)
Gondola tour
Relax and shop
May 23rd - Venice
Murano, Burano, and Torcello (Glass factory, lace, church) (http://goo.gl/UaiXs)
Travel to Florence
May 24th - Florence (Hotel Basilea)
Cooking class
May 25th - Florence
Chianti Wine Tasting and dinner (http://goo.gl/R5PVL)
May 26th - Florence
Sightsee
-Statue of David
-Duomo
May 27th - Florence/Munich/Houston
Leave Florence - 7am
Leave Munich - 9:15am
Arrive in Houston - 5:48pm
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Thursday, November 10, 2011
China Highlights
I kept a journal while we were in China so I could share our daily adventures... we were so busy each day that I didn't want to forget anything! I hope you guys don't fall asleep reading this, but here we go...
10/31 - Traveling to China
It has been a looooong day! We arrived at Bush airport at 1:30 p.m. yesterday for our 3:40 flight to LAX. The flight to Beijing wasn't until 1:40 a.m. today... so we spent a great deal of time at LAX. We tried different restaurants, hung out in the VIP club (thanks to a friendly GHP Member), and FINALLY it was time to board the plane. Fortunately because we got to LAX so early we were first in line and managed to score seats with extra leg room. It's quite nice travelling with a 6'8" guy - after all the stressing over our seating assignment - we both got seats with plenty of leg room. We could sit on the floor in front of our seats if we wanted and still have room to stretch our legs out! Here's Reid enjoying his leg room...
The Members seem to be quite happy so far. We didnt have any troubles getting thru security and onto the flight, everyone was just really tired.
The flight from LA to Beijing is 12 hours... fortunately Reid's mom gave us sleeping pills so we slept for about 8 hours of that! As soon as we arrive in Beijing we will be visiting Tien An Men Square, so no time for rest once we're there.
Our group after arriving at the airport:
11/1 - Beijing
We arrived safe and sound! Our flight arrived at the Beijing Intl Airport around 5:20 a.m. Getting thru the airport was much easier than I anticipated. We were greeted by our tour guide, Andrea, and Peter, the tour operator's son. They were both very friendly and when I introduced myself as GHP staff, they quickly presented me with two gifts - a pearl necklace and a jade dragon. The jade is for prosperity - who couldnt use some of that?!
After a quick stop at Starbucks we boarded our buses and were off to begin the tour. Andrew gave us interested stats about Beijing and China's history on our way to Tien An Men Square. He also warned us of pick-pockets and peddlers.
The drive to Tien an Men was interesting. Traffic laws that we follow in the US seem to just be suggestions here. Like staying in your own lane, for instance. I could see Reid's blood pressure rising watching one car after another cut us off.
Tien An Men Square was huge and packed with people. During our two mile walk thru the Forbidden City I somehow managed to take 170 pictures. And Reid had paparazzi of his own that were following us. As we walked thru the crowds people would stare in amazement at the tall American... some took pictures with him commenting on how "very high" he was and others were a little more sneaky (or so they thought) trying to take pictures over their shoulder. It was quite humorous, and our fellow "yellow bus" members enjoyed it... let's see how quick that gets old!
Here are a couple pics from the Forbidden City:
We enjoyed our first Chinese lunch, served on a lazy susan. Lunch was delicious, and I even recognized a couple dishes that were served - like our favorite Kung Pao chicken. Maybe having Chinese every day won't be so bad...
After lunch we went back to the hotel room to rest. Reid and I got massages in our room for $25. The women made fun of him most the time they were in our room. They tried to explain a few jokes to us but the language barrier made it impossible. We had dinner at another Chinese restaurant, this one not so good, and are turning in early. More adventures tomorrow!
11/2 - Beijing
We started today with a great "western style" breakfast at the hotel. The food was deliction - in fact I really enjoyed all of our meals today. It has been pretty cool seeing so many Houstonians in China (the other half of the group arrived late the evening before)
After breakfast we loaded up and headed out for the Jade factory. The factory was pretty cool, but definitely not as cheap as we thought it would be. We got a couple small gifts. The woman that was teaching us about the jade kept calling us her "dear friends" and saying "Ida tell you" or "Ida show you" I kept waiting for Ida to come show us, then realized she was talking about herself in 3rd person. It was pretty funny.
Here's Ida showing us how to tell the different between real and fake jade:
After the jade factory we visited Mings Tombs. It was pretty similar to the Forbidden City, had alot of the same style buildings.We then had lunch at a big restaurant which was also a cloisonne factory. The workers were making the different vases... it was amazing to see the time and detail that had to be put into each one. The lunch included a tasting of "fire water," which is a very strong liquor. We bought two bottles after lunch - they were $1.50 each!
After lunch we were off to conquer the Great Wall. Reid, myself, Heather, Travis, Wes, Cassye and pamela all made it to the second highest point on the section we were on. The tour guide gave us the option of the easy or the hard route and we decided to "go big or go home" We went big alright! The steps were really uneven and some were quite steep! There were times when I stopped and thought "I can't do this, I gotta turn around!" but then I thought... when will I ever have the opportunity again? It felt amazing to finally reach the top. My legs were shaking, my face was purple, and I was sweating, but we felt so accomplished to have made it! If I had access to Facebook my status would have read "I climbed the Great Wall today... what did you do?!" The walk back down was definitely a wobbly one, but it was much easier than going up.
First milestone:
We made it!
We then took a boat ride thru the canal. Definitely a highlight of the trip. It was crazy to see the way that people lived on the canal. They wash their clothes in the canal and had them all hanging from their windows. I must have taken 100 pictures on the boat.. it loooked like something you would see in a movie.
We then stopped by the Lingering Garden to see the plants and bonsai trees and after lunch visited the embroidery factory. I wasnt too interested in this before we got there but the artwork that they create is unbelievable.
We travelled to Hangzhou and everyone decided that we would forego the Chinese dinner (it is getting pretty old) and have dinner on our own. A large group from our bus decided to hang out in the bar and we had the best time! There was a band there singing American songs which we were dancing to. Fun night! Some of our group...
11/6 - Hangzhou
I can't believe we only have 48 hours left in China. I honestly can't decide whether I'm ready to go home or not. I know I'm ready for some chips and queso! And pizza! The last couple of days our bus has been talking about all of the foods that we miss and it has made me crave them that much more! Being here has made me realize (among other things) that we are so lucky to have a wide variety of foods in America.
Today we visited the Green Tea plantation. We had a very entertaining lesson about tea from the expert, Dr. Tea. He was pretty funny. And quite a good salesman. Somehow we walked out of there with $100 worth of tea, and neither of us drank it before this trip. I actually like it now and hope to start drinking it more often.
After the tea plantation we stopped by the Buddhist Temple. We saw monks worshipping, people bringing sacrifices, lighting incense to pray in front of the temple, and a lot of Buddha carvings...
We then took a boat ride on West Lake.
And headed to Shanghai. Today and yesterday we had 3 hour bus rides and made stops at "Chinese Bucees" on the way... we were so excited to find some American snacks... each day we searched for the most American items we could find, but there weren't many!
11/7 - Shanghai
I can't believe it's the last day in China! I have thoroughly enjoyed the trip but I am so ready to be back in the states.
Today we experienced the Maglev train. The train runs on magnets and goes up to 431 km/h, covering only 30 km of track. It was pretty cool traveling that fast!
After the train ride we stopped by the silk rug factory, had lunch at a Mongolian BBQ place, then headed to the real China Town. Talk about haggling! After 30 minutes it became a sport to talk them down to the lowest price possible. We got some great deals on a lot of items and it was a lot of fun.
11/8 - Traveled back to the US
We had such a great time... it was the trip of a lifetime and we shared with some amazing people!
10/31 - Traveling to China
It has been a looooong day! We arrived at Bush airport at 1:30 p.m. yesterday for our 3:40 flight to LAX. The flight to Beijing wasn't until 1:40 a.m. today... so we spent a great deal of time at LAX. We tried different restaurants, hung out in the VIP club (thanks to a friendly GHP Member), and FINALLY it was time to board the plane. Fortunately because we got to LAX so early we were first in line and managed to score seats with extra leg room. It's quite nice travelling with a 6'8" guy - after all the stressing over our seating assignment - we both got seats with plenty of leg room. We could sit on the floor in front of our seats if we wanted and still have room to stretch our legs out! Here's Reid enjoying his leg room...
The flight from LA to Beijing is 12 hours... fortunately Reid's mom gave us sleeping pills so we slept for about 8 hours of that! As soon as we arrive in Beijing we will be visiting Tien An Men Square, so no time for rest once we're there.
Our group after arriving at the airport:
11/1 - Beijing
We arrived safe and sound! Our flight arrived at the Beijing Intl Airport around 5:20 a.m. Getting thru the airport was much easier than I anticipated. We were greeted by our tour guide, Andrea, and Peter, the tour operator's son. They were both very friendly and when I introduced myself as GHP staff, they quickly presented me with two gifts - a pearl necklace and a jade dragon. The jade is for prosperity - who couldnt use some of that?!
After a quick stop at Starbucks we boarded our buses and were off to begin the tour. Andrew gave us interested stats about Beijing and China's history on our way to Tien An Men Square. He also warned us of pick-pockets and peddlers.
The drive to Tien an Men was interesting. Traffic laws that we follow in the US seem to just be suggestions here. Like staying in your own lane, for instance. I could see Reid's blood pressure rising watching one car after another cut us off.
Tien An Men Square was huge and packed with people. During our two mile walk thru the Forbidden City I somehow managed to take 170 pictures. And Reid had paparazzi of his own that were following us. As we walked thru the crowds people would stare in amazement at the tall American... some took pictures with him commenting on how "very high" he was and others were a little more sneaky (or so they thought) trying to take pictures over their shoulder. It was quite humorous, and our fellow "yellow bus" members enjoyed it... let's see how quick that gets old!
Here are a couple pics from the Forbidden City:
After lunch we went back to the hotel room to rest. Reid and I got massages in our room for $25. The women made fun of him most the time they were in our room. They tried to explain a few jokes to us but the language barrier made it impossible. We had dinner at another Chinese restaurant, this one not so good, and are turning in early. More adventures tomorrow!
11/2 - Beijing
We started today with a great "western style" breakfast at the hotel. The food was deliction - in fact I really enjoyed all of our meals today. It has been pretty cool seeing so many Houstonians in China (the other half of the group arrived late the evening before)
After breakfast we loaded up and headed out for the Jade factory. The factory was pretty cool, but definitely not as cheap as we thought it would be. We got a couple small gifts. The woman that was teaching us about the jade kept calling us her "dear friends" and saying "Ida tell you" or "Ida show you" I kept waiting for Ida to come show us, then realized she was talking about herself in 3rd person. It was pretty funny.
Here's Ida showing us how to tell the different between real and fake jade:
After lunch we were off to conquer the Great Wall. Reid, myself, Heather, Travis, Wes, Cassye and pamela all made it to the second highest point on the section we were on. The tour guide gave us the option of the easy or the hard route and we decided to "go big or go home" We went big alright! The steps were really uneven and some were quite steep! There were times when I stopped and thought "I can't do this, I gotta turn around!" but then I thought... when will I ever have the opportunity again? It felt amazing to finally reach the top. My legs were shaking, my face was purple, and I was sweating, but we felt so accomplished to have made it! If I had access to Facebook my status would have read "I climbed the Great Wall today... what did you do?!" The walk back down was definitely a wobbly one, but it was much easier than going up.
First milestone:
Heather and Travis on their way up:
Reid couldn't reach the handrail...
The uneven steps!
After conquering the Great Wall we drove by to see the sight of the 2008 Olympics. Here's Reid and Wes in front of the buildings:
11/3 - Beijing
Today we went to the pearl factory! I think this was one of the things I was most excited about on the trip. The manager of the pearl factory showed us oysters with pearls in them, it was pretty cool. She was really cute, she keep cracking jokes and calling us "friend"... reminded me of Ida. Here she is with the oyster:
The factory had so many different kinds of pearls... it was overwhelming! I got a couple gifts and some pearl earrings for myself.
After the pearl factory we went to Summer Palace - the Emperors summer house on the lake. We then took a rickshaw tour... which was one of my favorite parts of the trip. We rode thru a back alley while being chased by mosquitos (peddlers who follow you around trying to sell you stufff)... they were riding alongside of us on their bikes, it was crazy. Along the way we drove by a lot of traditional Chinese houses. It was interesting to see how some of them lived in the tiny houses with community baths.
We were served lunch in one of the homes and it was the best meal yet. We ate in a tiny room just across from the kitchen and all of the dishes were prepared by the father of the house. The cook came in to talk to us and let us ask him questions that were then translated by the tour guide. He kept posing for pictures... he was so cute.
After lunch we stopped by a medicine shop. They explained to us how herbal medicines can help to prevent disease and how different parts of the body are connected to your organs. It was really interesting. Afterwards we went by the Temple of Heaven and then had a Peking duck dinner... which was delicious!
11/4 - Suzhou
Today we left Beijing and I was so sad to leave our fabulous tour guide, Andrew. We got up early this morning and flew from Beijing to Shanghai. Today I began getting a little tired of being in such a large group. In Beijing we would see the other groups coming and going but it seemed that we were all on the same schedule now, which made things a little chaotic. It has been really interesting to see the group dynamics and how everyone interacts with one another. We have such a great group of people on our bus, I'm very fortunate for that!
We visited Tiger Hill and took a boat thru the canal of Suzhou today. Tiger Hill was very pretty. The architecture and landscape of the area made for a lot of great pictures.
We docked the boat for a while to stroll thru the market, which included all sorts of foods and live animals. It is crazy to think they go to the market each day to get their food fresh. It is totally different from the lifestyle I'm used to... made me so thankful!
11/5 - Suzhou/Hangzhou
We started the day with a trip to the silk factory. It was so cool to watch them create the silk from the larvae. I think I spent more money there than any other place... they just had so many great gift items!
We travelled to Hangzhou and everyone decided that we would forego the Chinese dinner (it is getting pretty old) and have dinner on our own. A large group from our bus decided to hang out in the bar and we had the best time! There was a band there singing American songs which we were dancing to. Fun night! Some of our group...
11/6 - Hangzhou
I can't believe we only have 48 hours left in China. I honestly can't decide whether I'm ready to go home or not. I know I'm ready for some chips and queso! And pizza! The last couple of days our bus has been talking about all of the foods that we miss and it has made me crave them that much more! Being here has made me realize (among other things) that we are so lucky to have a wide variety of foods in America.
Today we visited the Green Tea plantation. We had a very entertaining lesson about tea from the expert, Dr. Tea. He was pretty funny. And quite a good salesman. Somehow we walked out of there with $100 worth of tea, and neither of us drank it before this trip. I actually like it now and hope to start drinking it more often.
I can't believe it's the last day in China! I have thoroughly enjoyed the trip but I am so ready to be back in the states.
Today we experienced the Maglev train. The train runs on magnets and goes up to 431 km/h, covering only 30 km of track. It was pretty cool traveling that fast!
After the train ride we stopped by the silk rug factory, had lunch at a Mongolian BBQ place, then headed to the real China Town. Talk about haggling! After 30 minutes it became a sport to talk them down to the lowest price possible. We got some great deals on a lot of items and it was a lot of fun.
11/8 - Traveled back to the US
We had such a great time... it was the trip of a lifetime and we shared with some amazing people!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Back in the States!
We had SUCH a great time in China, but are so glad to be back in the states! It is hard to believe that just 24 hours ago we were on the other side of the world. We got in this morning around 6 a.m. after 34 hours of travelling. I journaled while we were there and plan to update you all here but I am exhausted tonight... so just the highlights for now!
My favorite things about the trip:
My favorite things about the trip:
- Climbing the Great Wall - once in a lifetime experience!
- Shopping at the bazaar (the authentic China Town)
- Boat tour of the Grand Canal
- Rickshaw tour including lunch at a Chinese home
- The sun and fresh air! The pollution was terrible over there... you couldn't see the sun through all the smog so it always looked foggy out.
- People actually understanding a simple question like "where is the bathroom?"
- BATHROOMS! TOILET PAPER! The bathrooms there are disgusting... they were nothing more than a hole in the ground (which you had to squat over), smelled terrible, and never had paper products.
- Food... lots of it, and lots of different kinds. Each day we had Chinese for lunch and dinner, served on a Lazy Susan. I will never look at a Lazy Susan the same way again.
- Customer service - it's just not the same in another country
- Talking to friends and family every day
- Internet!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Less than 2 weeks!
As I was sitting here catching up on AFV, I came to a realization... two weeks from today we will be in CHINA!! It's finally starting to get real.
Last night I unpacked my sweaters, they're now washed and ready to go. It's going to be cold while we're there! Not sure I'm ready for cold weather, but ready or not...
I've been making a list of souvenirs that I plan to get for friends and family... I think the list grows by the day. Reid caught a glimpse of my "people to buy for" list the other day and was a bit surprised. But I'm pretty proud of myself, I've managed to save a good chunk of change since the beginning of September. (You hear that Mom? I do know how to save!) I think I'm more excited about buying gifts for people while I'm there than I am buying my own souvenirs. I can't wait to peruse the jade, silk and pearl factories! And shop in the markets! I plan to bring home a knock-off bag or two as well.
One thing I do have my heart set on is a custom-made suit. Susan, my boss, had one made when she went to China in March. They actually come to your room with books of fabrics, buttons, patterns, threads, etc. They take your measurements and you pick out everything from the stitching, to where you want pockets, and what kind of buttons, and then have your custom made suit in your room the next night. Pretty sure I am going to be overwhelmed with all of the choices. She paid around $200 for her suit and says it's the best fitting suit she's ever had. That's a deal I just can't pass up!
Besides shopping I'm thrilled to experience the Chinese culture and visit some of their most famous monuments such as the Great Wall of China, Ming Tombs, Tien An Men Square, the temples and tea gardens. I promise we will bring home hundreds of pictures, and I'll post everything here so you can relive the experience with us.
I especially cannot wait to experience all of this with Reid... this will be his first international trip, and I know it will be one that we'll never forget! We are seriously considering getting him a Houston Rockets jersey... the Chinese are going to think he's a basketball star (which isn't any different than Americans, really) so why not have fun with it? ;) Speaking of, it's about time for my nightly call from off-shore... so that's all for now.
Less than two more weeks!!! :)
Last night I unpacked my sweaters, they're now washed and ready to go. It's going to be cold while we're there! Not sure I'm ready for cold weather, but ready or not...
I've been making a list of souvenirs that I plan to get for friends and family... I think the list grows by the day. Reid caught a glimpse of my "people to buy for" list the other day and was a bit surprised. But I'm pretty proud of myself, I've managed to save a good chunk of change since the beginning of September. (You hear that Mom? I do know how to save!) I think I'm more excited about buying gifts for people while I'm there than I am buying my own souvenirs. I can't wait to peruse the jade, silk and pearl factories! And shop in the markets! I plan to bring home a knock-off bag or two as well.
One thing I do have my heart set on is a custom-made suit. Susan, my boss, had one made when she went to China in March. They actually come to your room with books of fabrics, buttons, patterns, threads, etc. They take your measurements and you pick out everything from the stitching, to where you want pockets, and what kind of buttons, and then have your custom made suit in your room the next night. Pretty sure I am going to be overwhelmed with all of the choices. She paid around $200 for her suit and says it's the best fitting suit she's ever had. That's a deal I just can't pass up!
Besides shopping I'm thrilled to experience the Chinese culture and visit some of their most famous monuments such as the Great Wall of China, Ming Tombs, Tien An Men Square, the temples and tea gardens. I promise we will bring home hundreds of pictures, and I'll post everything here so you can relive the experience with us.
I especially cannot wait to experience all of this with Reid... this will be his first international trip, and I know it will be one that we'll never forget! We are seriously considering getting him a Houston Rockets jersey... the Chinese are going to think he's a basketball star (which isn't any different than Americans, really) so why not have fun with it? ;) Speaking of, it's about time for my nightly call from off-shore... so that's all for now.
Less than two more weeks!!! :)
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
I'm officially blogging!
I've thought about blogging for some time, but never really thought I had much say to keep "followers" entertained. With our upcoming trips to China and Italy, I now have the perfect excuse. :) I may get motivated and post other thoughts here and there, but I'm not making any official commitment right now (especially not in print!) I hope that you enjoy the little bit that I do post... it may take me a little while to get the hang of this.
So, onto the trips... I feel like such a lucky girl, within the next year I get to take not one but TWO international trips!
We'll be going to China October 31st - November 8th on a nine-day excursion to Shanghai, Beijing, Shuzhou, Hangzou. GHP is sending me to experience our first Member Familiarity Tour, and Reid gets to tag along. :)
This is the first time that we have done a trip like this with our Members and the deal that they are getting is unbelievable! We had 94 Members sign up for the first trip, so we've already begun planning the next one for March 2012. To check out the trip inclusions, click here.
Here is our full itinerary for the trip:
Day 1: October 30/31 - Los Angeles/Beijing
I cannot wait to experience all of the sites of China and endulge in real Chinese food (I'm sure the buffets here don't even compare). And our hotels alone are beautiful!
Only 19 more days til we board the plane!
Reid and I have decided we are going to be world-travelers this year... we are also planning a trip to Italy next May with my sister and her boyfriend, Cole. I really do have the best boyfriend a girl could ever ask for. :)
Stay tuned...
So, onto the trips... I feel like such a lucky girl, within the next year I get to take not one but TWO international trips!
We'll be going to China October 31st - November 8th on a nine-day excursion to Shanghai, Beijing, Shuzhou, Hangzou. GHP is sending me to experience our first Member Familiarity Tour, and Reid gets to tag along. :)
This is the first time that we have done a trip like this with our Members and the deal that they are getting is unbelievable! We had 94 Members sign up for the first trip, so we've already begun planning the next one for March 2012. To check out the trip inclusions, click here.
Here is our full itinerary for the trip:
Day 1: October 30/31 - Los Angeles/Beijing
Check-in at Los Angeles International Airport at 10:40 p.m. on October 30, for an early morning flight on October 31; flight CA984 departs Los Angeles at 1:40 a.m. for Beijing. Your adventure begins as you fly trans-Pacific aboard a wide cabin jetliner and cross the International Dateline.
Day 2: November 1 - Beijing
(Pullman Beijing West Wanda (5 star), No. Jia 18 Shijingshan Road Shijingshan District, Tel：0086-10-88681188)
Arrive in Beijing, the Capital of China at 5:20 a.m. You will be met by your local tour guide at the airport. Visit the Tian An Men Square, the largest square in the world, and the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, home of 24 emperors with a total space of 9,999 rooms. After lunch, be transferred to the hotel to rest.
Day 3: November 2 - Beijing
Visit the 2008 Beijing Olympic venues for the outside views of National Stadium, the Bird’s Nest and the National Aquatic Center. Continue your tour by travelling to the Great Wall, visiting a Jade Factory along the way. The Great Wall, the 4,000-mile long and 2,000 years old construction, is said to be the only man-made structure visible by naked eye from the moon. Visit one of the Ming tombs; one of 13 Ming Emperors’ Tombs is fully excavated and open for exploration. In the evening, a Peking Roast Duck dinner is arranged.
Day 4: November 3 - Beijing
Visit the Temple of Heaven, built in 1420 A .D., where the emperors prayed to heaven for a good harvest. Visit the Pearl Market. The city tour continues with the Summer Palace, known for significant areas such as the Long Corridor with painted gallery, Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, Seventeen-Arch Bridge and Marble Boat.
Day 5: November 4 - Beijing/Shanghai/Suzhou
(Grand Metropark Hotel Suzhou (5 star), 1355 Jinjihu Avenue, Suzhou Industrial Park, Tel: 0086-512-62800666)
Morning flight to Shanghai on CA1883, departing Beijing at 7:45 a.m. and arriving Shanghai at 9:50 a.m., then travel by bus to Suzhou. Afternoon sightseeing will be to the Tiger Hill. Enjoy boat ride on Grand Canal in Suzhou. Grand Canal is a pure artificial object completed 1300 years ago by Chinese people. It starts from Beijing and ends up in Hangzhou with a total length of more than 1,000 miles. During the 50 minutes boat ride on it, tourists may enjoy the view of both modern and old life of Suzhou
Day 6: November 5 - Suzhou/Hangzhou
(Crowne Plaza Hotel Hangzhou Xanadu Resort (5 star), 3318 Xianghu Road, Tel:0086-571-83880888)
Begin your morning with a tour of the Suzhou Silk factory. Continue the tour with a visit to the centuries-old Lingering Garden. In the afternoon, visit the National Embroidery Institute to see silk embroidery, an important local craft with 1,000 year history. Enjoy bus ride to Hangzhou.
Day 7: November 6 - Hangzhou/Shanghai
(Renaissance Shanghai Putuo Hotel (5 star), No.50 Tongchuan Road, Putuo District, Tel:0086-21-22195888)
In the morning, experience a boat ride on West Lake with relaxing stopover at jewel-like pagodas. Next, you will visit the Longjing Green Tea Plantation, which is centuries old and whose main feature is the 64.3 ft -high camphor-wood carved Buddha. Continue the bus journey to Shanghai.
Day 8: November 7 - Shanghai
Your day begins with a visit to The Bund, a famous waterfront park. Tour the Shanghai Silk Rug Factory. In the afternoon, you will enjoy the Yu Garden, a maze of marvelous pavilions, ponds, rock works and over-arching trees. During free time, explore the old town bazaar. Visit the Pudong District.
Optional Tour:
Day 9: November 8 - Shanghai/Los Angeles
Depart Shanghai on afternoon flight CA1884 at 4:20 p.m. and arrive in Beijing at 6:40 p.m., for a stopover. Next, depart Beijing on CA983 at 9:30 p.m. for Los Angeles, where you will arrive at 6:00 p.m. on the same day.
Reid and I have decided we are going to be world-travelers this year... we are also planning a trip to Italy next May with my sister and her boyfriend, Cole. I really do have the best boyfriend a girl could ever ask for. :)
Stay tuned...
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