Jun 2008

We did a complete pack today just to make sure we could get everything into 2 carry-ons. Here's a picture of Peter's 2 bags, 1 rolling bag and 1 new Tumi backback. These 2 include everything, well, except for the PowerBars he plans to include (got to have something readily available to eat just in case).

We are taking a 747 over, and this plane typically has a lot of overhead space. Hopefully there will be enough overhead for both, but we managed to get an upgrade to business class, in the upper deck no less, a section neither of us has ever been in. A lot fewer seats in the upper deck, 2 seats on each side, but less overhead due to the curvature of the the plane.

We do not have a lot of time in Hong Kong to get through customs and catch our next flight to Beijing, so having carry-on bags will allow us to go right to customs rather than waiting for bags to come off the plane, which can often take a while.

Just in case you think we are a little light on clothing, these bags have 4 shirts, 2 pants, 4 pr socks, 1 pr shoes, assorted other clothing and toiletries, plus a computer, camera, books, noise cancelling headphones, and other stuff. We have to wash clothing every few days, or use the laundry service at the hotels, but that will allow us to go light. The new mantra is: take half as many clothes and twice as much money! This is the first time we have tried this, so we are entering a new approach to traveling.

A good source of info is www.onebag.com that includes info on how and what to pack. In fact, onebag.com and rick steves (www.ricksteves.com) both advocate 1 bag, total! We are still at 2, so we a ways to go with those super light travelers.
Peter

Our plans for our trip:

TRIP DETAILS

1 Jul04/08 1DBL, Beijing: Marriott Courtyard
AIR: Hong Kong-Beijing Confirmed flight CA116 ( economy class , 07:45pm - 11:00pm )

2 Jul05/08 1DBL, Beijing: Marriott Courtyard
GROUND: Beijing: Hutong village & Local Family ( Confirmed half day tour to Hutong Area
GROUND: Beijing: Lunch Confirmed lunch in local family
GROUND: Beijing: Dinner at leisure Confirmed

3 Jul06/08 1DBL, Beijing: Marriott Courtyard
GROUND: Beijing: Tiananmen, Forbidden, Temple of Confirmed full day tour to Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven & Lama Temple
GROUND: Beijing: Lunch Confirmed lunch at Old Noodle King restaurant near temple of heaven
GROUND: Beijing: Dinner at leisure Confirmed
GROUND: Beijing: Peking Opera Confirmed

4 Jul07/08 1DBL, Beijing: Marriott Courtyard
GROUND: Beijing: Great Wall MuTianYu and Ming To Confirmed full day tour to Great Wall Mutianyu section
GROUND: Beijing: Lunch Confirmed lunch at Xinshuangquan Restaurant near Great Wall

5 Jul08/08 1DBL, Guilin: Sheraton GROUND: Beijing: Airport xfer Confirmed
GROUND: Guilin: Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Trunk Confirmed half day tour to Reed Flute Cave only
AIR: Beijing-Guilin Confirmed flight CA1311 ( economy class, 07:15am-10:20am )

6 Jul09/08 1DBL, Yangshuo: Magnolia Hotel
GROUND: Guilin: Li River Cruise Confirmed full day tour
GROUND: Guilin: Lunch Confirmed lunch on board Li River Cruise with 2 glasses of local soft drinks
GROUND: Yangshuo: Dinner at leisure Confirmed

7 Jul10/08 1DBL, Yangshuo: Magnolia Hotel
GROUND: Yangshuo: Half-Day Bike Tour w Deluxe lu Confirmed half day tour, lunch at local restaurant
GROUND: Yangshuo: Dinner at leisure Confirmed
GROUND: Yangshuo: Liu San Jie Show Deluxe Seat Confirmed

8 Jul11/08 Depart (B) Pending
AIR: Guilin-Canton Confirmed flight ZH9638 ( economy class, 09:40am-10:50am )

Maryann - working ...
9. Canton (really Guangzhou) - arrive July 11
stay at Ritz Carleton
depart morning of July 15 by train to Hong Kong

10. Hong Kong - arrive July 15
stay at Conrad Hilton
depart noon July 18 through Los Angeles to Colorado Springs (arrive ~ 3 p.m.)

Finally, our trip to China is coming together. The work with Maryann's client to finalize the business portion has been long and complicated. Taking 19 business people to China and planning all aspects of the trip takes a great deal of patience and creativity.

We leave on July 3rd, miss most of the 4th of July, and end up in Beijing (we hope) late on July 4th. We took a chance on an economy flight and upgraded so hope to have some comfort on the way there. We are staying at the Marriot Courtyard (American hotels for some convenience and English).

Our tour is with Kensington and begins in ancient Beijing. Sprinkled with a few business meetings, the trip will include seeing the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, an opera, a visit to a home, and many miles of China. We head to Guillan next to see exquisite terrain, take a bicycle ride, and float down the river to Yangshou. Here, we stay at a Sheraton and then a Chinese Hotel. We will experience theater and a cooking class there.

We head to Guanzhou and Hong Kong where Maryann goes to work 7x24 while Peter tours the industrial site of the former city of Canton, China. We have one more touring day together in Hong Kong with work colleagues Lisa, Nigel, and Andrea - and then back to the U.S.

We understand it will be hot so we are selecting clothes and planning to travel light (carry on only).

Countdown? 18 days to departure!