Anyone been to China?

Esmeralda-

You could be right (about use of the word 'special')!

To me the experience was powerful, humbling and thought-provoking...and in that way 'special'. It was the kind of experience that myself and my travel companion of the time talked about quite intensely afterwards, and I think both felt that we had been lucky to experience something that not everyone gets to experience.

As with seeing the lion, it is not something that happens everyday. It is something not everyone is fortunate enough to experience.
No one spoke English. That really does give you a different perspective.

It does, and for me this is one of the main reasons we travel - to experience shifts in perception, to experience new and different things, to question where and why and how we are in relation to our surroundings.
 
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check and see if you need shots
make sure you take imodium with you
learn to use those chopsticks its not that hard!
 
check and see if you need shots
make sure you take imodium with you
learn to use those chopsticks its not that hard!

I was there when they had SARS. No shot for that. But I had already had MMR - the diseases. Where I was was too far north for malaria. I took Levaquin the entire time and did fine. Wish I had done that in Egypt. My gut hasn't been the same since. I'm allergic to imodium, but if you get a bug it won't help, you need antibiotics. Took me a week to get over the Egypt trip.

Nurses there kept pushing us to drink distilled water only. Any other kind, spring water, etc. can be contaminated. The water in the hotel was filtered so it was safe. Vanderbilt Travel told me not to eat anything fresh because it would have been washed in their water, so I followed that except for the fresh figs, not figs like we have, they were like little apples. But it was served by nurses, so I hoped they were washed in clean water.

Chop sticks are good. But they serve a little shot glass of 'fire water' - tastes like pure grain alcohol. It really perks up that hot green tea on a cool afternoon.

I got sick with something respiratory that the Levaquin didn't get while there and no one would sit next to me on the plane because of the SARS thing. People there were walking around with masks on , as if that would help anything. It won't. But I got 4 seats and all the pillows and blankets on the plane coming home. Free wine, a little ativan with = a good 8 hours sleep over the Pacific. Don't know what I had. I got over it fast with antibiotics of a different sort. And I've only had 2 colds since 2002 when I was there, something I find a bit of a mystery, cuz I could always catch cold easily.

Are you going. Have fun if you do. Don't let anyone bully you about it. Your experience is as good as any. I got to see a lot of health care facilities. Lots of discrepancies in those. Very intersting.
 
check and see if you need shots
make sure you take imodium with you
learn to use those chopsticks its not that hard!

Immodium is not a cure.

I generally carry it for emergencies, but it is not as essential as Ciprofloxacin, which is a cure. People need to be careful with Immodium, as it can do more harm than good.
 
check and see if you need shots
make sure you take imodium with you
learn to use those chopsticks its not that hard!

I went to China in November of 2011. Americans need a visa to go to China. What immunizations you get are up to you. You should check it out with your doctor and get what is advised. I didn't get any because I had, within the past 10 years, had certain ones when I traveled to India. Also, it depends on where you are going to be. I wasn't planning to go to any rural areas, though I did end up having tea on one farm and having lunch on another. I drank only bottled water throughout the trip. I did not get sick at all. One rule of thumb is not to eat food that is sold on the street.
 
My advice is dependent on where you are going. However, some things are universal. China can be real dry and there is rampant pollution so take hard candies or mints to suck on to keep your mouth moist, also tap water is unsafe so prepare for that.
 
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Good news!!!

Learned yesterday that we will be visiting north of Hong Kong!! :eek:

I'm still laughing!!!!

Why are you laughing? Sorry, I don't understand.

Does north of Hong Kong mean mainland China? Will it mean Quanzhou? I've been there and to Shantou, which is also north of Hong Kong. I flew to Hong Kong, and from there took a ferry to the mainland and went by car to Shantou and flew to Quanzhou. This was over 20 years ago, though. A year ago I went back to China but to Shanghai and Beijing. China has changed a lot in 20 years. However, most people do not speak English. Hope you will have a guide. If you are staying in Western style hotels, you don't need to take a fork with you. Also, you will find food that is Western. I would suggest getting a guide book, however. I travel a lot and find a good guide book invaluable. Recommend Eyewitness Travel.

I laughed because north of Hong Kong covers lots of territory .
 
Good news!!!

Learned yesterday that we will be visiting north of Hong Kong!! :eek:

I'm still laughing!!!!

Why are you laughing? Sorry, I don't understand.

Does north of Hong Kong mean mainland China? Will it mean Quanzhou? I've been there and to Shantou, which is also north of Hong Kong. I flew to Hong Kong, and from there took a ferry to the mainland and went by car to Shantou and flew to Quanzhou. This was over 20 years ago, though. A year ago I went back to China but to Shanghai and Beijing. China has changed a lot in 20 years. However, most people do not speak English. Hope you will have a guide. If you are staying in Western style hotels, you don't need to take a fork with you. Also, you will find food that is Western. I would suggest getting a guide book, however. I travel a lot and find a good guide book invaluable. Recommend Eyewitness Travel.

I laughed because north of Hong Kong covers lots of territory .

I was puzzled by the 'laughing' bit as well.

The first time I went to Hong Kong I was surprised by how much land north of Kowloon is part of Hong Kong. I went up to visit the Thousand Buddhas Pagoda (?) and a couple of other sites that seemed some distance from the city, but that are still in Hong Kong. It's an interesting area.

Saigon-sorry for your puzzlement of the obvious.
 
Hubby and I are going there on a business trip in June/July.

Have any dos or don'ts to offer?

TIA

I've been to China, twice. Where are you going to be in China? How long are you going to be there?

I've been to Shanghai, Bejing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shantou, and Choazhou and a bit of countryside. It's a big country. Where will you be?

Hubby and I are going there on a business trip in June/July.

Have any dos or don'ts to offer?

TIA


Where exactly are you going? How long will you stay?

Hubby and I are going there on a business trip in June/July.

Have any dos or don'ts to offer?

TIA

I've been to Hong Kong and Taiwan but have not visited China. I did just fly through Beijing a couple of months ago and had an interesting time in the airport lounge getting on the wifi.

First I had to scan my passport into a machine in order to get a passcode. Then I had to log on to the government site and register. Had to get two passcodes because I kept trying to log on through Google and after about 10 minutes I remembered Google doesn't work in China LOL.

How long are you going and where? Have a great trip!
:)
Not sure where we are going or how long we are staying.
I will have more info soon.
Please keep on with the tips and when we get narrowed down I'll post more info.

I do know we will be looking at undeveloped real estate.
Bringing Western medical facilities to the East.

OK-does everyone understand now?
 
check and see if you need shots
make sure you take imodium with you
learn to use those chopsticks its not that hard!

Immodium is not a cure.

I generally carry it for emergencies, but it is not as essential as Ciprofloxacin, which is a cure. People need to be careful with Immodium, as it can do more harm than good.

Cipro and Levaquin are both good.
 
My advice is dependant on where you are going. However, some things are universal. China can be real dry and there is ramapant pollution so take hard candies or mints to suck on to keep your mouth moist, also tap water is unsafe so prepare for that.

Yes, and if you are going to Beijing or any big city and you have asthma, don't forget your medicine. The air is really bad. It was the first time I ever saw brown air. Literally. Then one day it rained and all the brown was gone for a while.
 
The reason for not eating food sold at street stalls or kiosks is because if you don't there is less likelihood of getting sick. It is a general rule of thumb for people who know about traveling in other than first world countries.
 
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If you don't find a 'night market' and try the food sold on the street corners in China you are really missing out.
 
Won't be going over until September.
Passports next on the list.
Visas are not an issue.
 
Well, at the very least you can visit Shanghai, Beijing, do the Great Wall and all that.
 
Got our new passports today!
They sure have a different look than my expired one.
 

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