Twenty years ago, travel no longer appealed to me. Last year I visited China. What a time!
My friend had been everywhere and wanted something unusual. We stumbled on a special sale. If nothing else, our trip would be different. The price was attractive and inclusive. We’d be nuts not to take it. Haven’t we all been fascinated with stories from childhood of digging our way to China?
Contacting our personal dentists, we begged a handful of masks against the pollution we’d heard about. I didn’t see more than a handful of masks worn there, and they looked more like fashion statements: pink or black eyelet on females and some plain white ones.
We flew from Toronto to Chicago, then thirteen plus hours to Beijing. It was the end of March. Young willow trees flanked the pristine highway. Fresh scents of spring and robust birdsong welcomed us. No pollution about. We passed blocks of empty, unfinished apartment buildings, gray, forlorn, and forgotten. Blocks of demolition in the older parts of the city were cleared for new construction. Faith in progress: If you build it, they will come.
Surrounded by huge Chinese signs I couldn’t read felt intimidating. At the airport, Chinese signs were everywhere too, but I hadn’t zeroed in on them in particular.
I shut my eyes when five or six lanes of various vehicles exited to four, or four to six lanes. They looked like schools of fish, weaving, swaying, following. Horns blared, brakes squealed and groaned, but I observed no road rage or impatience like we are used to in North America.
The women in our party had an eye-popping experience at our first dinner. The men were served first and loved the attention. Wives rolled their eyes. Of course, the young Asian waitress was stunning and tiny.
About the middle of the tour, we spent five nights and four days on a Yangtze River Cruise. The buffet food service was more varied and plentiful on the ship, but delicious everywhere, and different from Chinese food as we know it.
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Fantastically told story about her trip. Well written and enjoyable to read, makes me want to go asap.
I've never thought I would want to visit China. I'm more of a European traveler. Now that I've read this descriptive and non-threatening article by travel writer, Teresa Karlinski, I see myself as a possible contender.
I'd also never thought of China being a particularly affordable travel destination but Ms. Karlinski's article has laid my anxiety to rest. Thank you for publishing this travel article - it means I have another entire world of travel to explore.