The first comment I would like to make is regarding the misnomer that our travel party was a group of “customers” or were treated as “customers.” Our group consisted of an Aussie, a Kiwi-born Aussie, two generations of family from the Chinese enclave on Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island off the coast of Africa, a Hong Kong Mom, three young adult ABCs (American-Born Chinese) and a Sicilian-Cuban American Dad. From the moment we set foot on Chinese soil, we were greeted warmly by China Tours and were treated to kind hospitality by all. Our Guide in Beijing, Michael, has a knack and a talent for bringing “strangers” together and weaving them into a tapestry and creating the fabric of a strong family group. He accomplishes this through our communal meals and through our shared experiences together. We were then whisked off by bullet train to Xi’an, where we warmly greeted at Xi-an Station by Helen. In the days to follow, her knowledge of Chinese history and culture mesmerized us all. We were so impressed by her brilliance, her intelligence, and her grace and charm. We then proceeded on to the natural beauty of Zhangjiajie National Park, where “Super” Sarah guided us for the next two days. She hikes like the best, a truly seasoned veteran. Yet, she delicately held on to each one of us as we braved Heaven’s Gate and Tianjin Mountain in the fog and during a brief rain storm. Our trip was capped off by a whirlwind tour of Shanghai with Karl the “Chinese Swede” as the leader of our pack. What a journey these ten days were. Thank you, China Tours for the memories, for the professionalism, and for the love and care shown to all of us.
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