A Traveler's Perspective

By Teresa Spadafora

“Hey, how about a trip to China?” my husband asked me one day on the phone.

China? Never in my life had I considered going to China. It just didn’t seem an option. I don’t speak Mandarin, I know no one in China and I don’t particularly like Chinese food. I have always wanted to travel to faraway places and see exotic things. I couldn’t wait to have a passport and get all kinds of stamps in it documenting my trips. My husband and I were starting to plan our first trip abroad. We had decided on Italy as our first destination, our dream trip. Then last February I got that phone call; to China we went just last month and it was the adventure of a lifetime. Time and time again on the trip there were moments when, I could not believe I was actually there.

The itinerary was crammed full of wonderful places to visit. We had knowledgeable guides the whole way who spoke English and Mandarin. They prepared us ahead for everything including where the best bargains were found. Our hotels were top of the line with full amenities.

Before we left I had my misgivings, starting with the obvious; I couldn’t even contemplate 13 hours on an airplane. Where the food was concerned, I figured I could live on rice the whole time and pack granola bars. As it turns out I loved the food, surprising myself and perhaps my husband even more. Regarding the plane trip, Dramamine was a life saver. And yet again, the universe reminded me of how little I know and how much there is to learn.

As hard as you try to prepare yourself for the idea of China, the reality of China is completely different. It is bigger, noisier, brighter, more everything than you can imagine. The Chinese people were kind, generous, helpful and very savvy.

Despite the reports of anti-American sentiment throughout the world, they seemed to like Westerners. Whenever we passed a group of school children they would stop and smile and yell, “Hello, good morning, it’s nice to meet you.”

Students in China take English as part of their required curriculum, so this was a chance for them to put their knowledge to work. Some places we visited, our group would be part of the attraction. Many Chinese tourists took pictures of the Western tourist group.

When asked what my favorite part of the trip was, I am hard pressed to come up with any single thing. The Great Wall and the Forbidden Palace were the places I looked most forward to and they did not disappoint. The sense of history and sheer manpower involved in creating and maintaining both is awe inspiring. I also enjoyed learning about all the artisans. Seeing them at their craft was fascinating. We observed jade carvers, silk weavers, cloisonné artists and embroidery experts.

The thing I will remember above all else was the afternoon we spent in Old Beijing. We were privileged enough to be invited to a family’s home where we were treated to an exquisite home prepared lunch and conversation with the homeowners. These were not wealthy people, but very much a typical Chinese family. This was also the best food on the trip. They answered all of our questions through our guide, and told us we could ask anything. We mostly asked about
their day to day life and experiences.

A few tips for those of you going on the next trip… bring small denomination US dollars as most people accept them, take a million pictures and go with an open mind. Remember there are cultural differences such as the Chinese don’t stand in line, they push forward. They aren’t being rude; we are being silly for standing there. Your room key also turns on the power in your room. When the key is in the slot the power is on, when you pull it out the power shuts off after a couple of seconds; an energy saving technique. Unfortunately I learned that after I got into the room and tripped over all my bags in the dark trying to put the key back in the slot.

Would I go on this trip again? In a heartbeat. To all those people who say “Why China?” I respond “Why not China?”