Mon evening

Today was my worst fears about China yet all ended well. Our guide in Xian btw was wonderful, very knowledgable. The flight to Chunking was fine although they didn't want to give us our tickets due to a paperwork snafu. Then after we arrived and got our bags there was no guide waiting. A very nice guide from another company came over to help us and asked if we had our guides phone number. We did and she called. She said our guide was 5 minutes away. Our guide came and lied to us from the beginning. First she said there was an accident and thats why she was late. Later she said there was traffic, which there was but one would assume she'd know that and allow for time. All the other guides and the people in Harbin were very early. Then she started to shake us down for money.

First she wanted us to buy a 4 stop package which we said no to. I just wanted to be dropped off near the bus but David wanted to go to the Great gorge museum and Chang Kai Shek's house so that was fine with me, she told us the bus was in the middle of nowhere. I said isn't there a hotel or restaurant and she said no, so off we went to the museum. Chang Kai Shek's house is nothing but a gift shop where all proceeds "go to poor children." Yeah, right. Then the museum was another rip off. Not a museum at all-but literally a hole in the wall or a cave that had an interesting mural about the damn project, and that's it except for another gigantic gift shop where you "couldn't get the items any where else" and all proceeds, you guessed it, went to poor children. She was also insulting saying tour guides had the most hopeless job and she wouldn't believe I was still working. She also pointed out some random Chinese woman and said she looks older then me because she works harder. what a jerk. We finally demanded to be taken to the bus where, although she claimed we were a half hour early it was filled except for the bench in the back, where we sat. There was also a restaurant right there where we could have been dropped off from the beginning. No one on the bus spoke any English and we drove for hours. There was a bathroom stop but by thevtime i got out David, who hadn't gotten to go yelled for me to get moving as the bus had started to move.

There were maybe four Caucasians on the bus, none english speaking. At that point i wasn't sure she even put us on the right bus and not sure what we would find at the end. But it was the right bus. So we get there and it's totally dark and we have this long very steep uneven dark stone stairway without a handrail to go down (sort of like the steps at the Capital- about 7 to 8 flights according to David.) I'm not doing well at this point but talk myself into walking down because whats the options here. I told David to go ahead because he's carrying a ton and i start down slowly but doing ok. Then this porter comes by with a long pipe and bangs into me. I lose my balance but don't fall but can't get balanced enough to start down again, the stairs were so narrow. This nice young Chinese passenger takes my arm and helps me down.

Once on board they at first refused to show us to our room because they insisted we upgrade. David gives them what for and we are now safely and happily in our room. The room is fine, it has everything we need and even a balcony. So all's well that ends well and the rest of the trip will be fine. Thanks for putting up with my whining.

Posted with Blogsy