China tour - Panorama

Reviewed 01 May 2005 by Brian Walker

It is hard to say where to begin. The trip through China was certainly memorable if for nothing else - the food. It was nothing like what we expected being boiled or steamed all the time became a bit tiresome after a while. The scenery around Yang Shuo with the stone mountains was certainly spectacular and the raft trip with bicycles on the back was something my wife and I really enjoyed.

The terracotta warriors were all I had expected and more. I just wish I had beaten down the sellers of the miniature statues a little more as many on the trip bought them a lot less. I console myself by saying they needed the money but in reality they were still making a handsome profit on the lower amounts paid. I thought the trip up the 3 gorges was good but 2 days instead of 3 would have been enough.

I thought the people were really like a waking giant coming out of the poverty imposed through communism. They are so willing to talk to you especially when they are not trying to sell you something and especially when we travelled on the trains. The trains were a bit of a culture shock at first but after a while we settled in to the routine and really enjoyed it. The local people are really starting to feel the benefit of tourism and are embracing it with both hands. As yet they are not immune to trying to overcharge but with proper controls these practices can be stopped.