Magnificent China tour
My grandson was studying for a semester at Seoul National university and suggested that we tour for sometime before returning to Canada. I came across Xi'an Marco polo International Travel service Co. Ltd. when exploring the website of CVAC (China Visa application center) in Toronto. As neither of us had travelled in the "Far East" before, had little knowledge of China, and did not speak Mandarin, we thought it sensible to have tour guides from a company familiar with the country I am glad we did! Our itinerary was carefully planned, and went fully according to plan. Our tour coordinator, Vera Yu, assisted us with the itinerary, paperwork and documentation for arrival in Beijing, and even arranged to meet us in Xi'an. The tour was magnificent,although strenuous for me as a senior,and covered many of the sites and cities we had heard of over the years. Hotels were beyond our expectations, and cheap, from what we experienced in North America. Hotel meals were generally excellent but we preferred to eat in local cafes; this was much cheaper and not at all difficult as most cafes had pictures of their menus posted outside, and staff were always helpful. In fact we were sometimes overwhelmed with how friendly and helpful Chinese people are. On the Yangste cruise, where we were the only Westerners, several crew members spoke some English, and the public announcements were often repeated in English or the benefit of non-Mandarin speakers.This cruise was spectacular giving much insight into daily life in China, and culminating in the magnificent 3-Gorges Dam. In Shanghai we went on our own with a bus tour of the city, a river cruise, and walking.I must add that I felt safer walking a night in Shanghai than I have felt in many North American cities. The Shanghai Bund (river walk), night lights on the Huangou river, and the Shanghai tower should be on everyone's bucket list. I just wish we had more time available!