Red II

Oh and in terms of smog...it is very variable...even from hour to hour. We brought 6 - 3M N95 masks with us and us them if the counts were very high during our 11 day pre-cruise stay in Beijing (we were there to attend the Men's World Curling Championship) and I carried them with me on excursions until we boarded the boat. By that time we seemed to encounter more fog than smog. You can check the real-time AQI on the internet (look for the 2.5 count). I used a saline nasal spray regularly and had saline eye drops which we never used. I wouldn't count on buying masks in China. We did not see very many Chinese with the 3M N95 type masks and based on what I have read the surgical type masks do not really have an impact against the fine smog particles. Bottom line is that each person will find their own comfort level based on their sensitivity and tolerence to the mask (they get a bit hot after a while). Hope this helps.

Hi,

You must have thought I had dropped off the face of the earth :-) I think that the last time I posted we were just about to fly from Xi'an to Chongqing to board the boat....

We arrived home from our trip on Sunday, April 20th. Our trip was fantastic...difficult to put into words what a memorable experience it was!

In terms of internet on the boat...they rely on wi-fi rather than satellite so the signal is not always strong. I could often use my iPad (sometimes from my deck 2 cabin but if not I could sit in the lounge beside the internet room and get a signal). No problem downloading email to my iPad and one day I was able to send one message from my iPad but otherwise used the ship's machines (there are 8 of them) to access my webmail to get email out.

Some people have commented on the intra China flights...in all cases we boarded a bus to be taken to the plane so there are some advantages to boarding the bus near the end as you are often amongst the first people off the but (of course, the corresponding disadvantage is that you are squished in a bit like a sardine :-) I had a rollerboard carry-on bag with me which met the specified size standards and I had no difficulty in storing the bag in the overhead bin. We also never had our carry-on bags weighed (we did not do the HK extension) and each time we flew my carry-on was about 22lbs. Checked baggage transfers were handled by Viking and all went smoothly. No missing or damaged bags in our group.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time on the boat and I took full advantage of the lectures, etc. which were offered. All too soon our five days on the Yangtze were drawing to a close and it was off to Shanghai.

Our plane was delayed a couple of times and we ended up going directly to the hotel in time for supper. The next day was a full day of touring (as others have said Yu Garden, Silk Carpet Factory, Silk Embroidery Gallery, lunch, museum...then back to the Westin for a short rest/change before going to dinner (in the Westin Bund Centre) and then the Shanghai Acrobatic Show (which was fantastic). The following morning we made our own way to the airport (left at 07:30 AM for a 10:15 AM flight) -- took a taxi and paid 180 RMB...very easy!

We used the Currency Exchange at the airport to convert our remaining RMD...again very easy.

This was our second Viking trip and it won't be our last.

If you have any questions about our trip please feel free to ask!

Steve, you do not need to worry about seat assignments as these are done for you. Everything is very easy...your guide will give you your boarding pass at the airport. Not sure that the same will apply for future itineraries, but from Beijing to Xi'an we were on China Eastern flight MH 2112.

Not sure if this is true on all voyages but we have been told that 2 of our 3 intra China flights are with China Eastern...not sure which airline we will have for the third flight.

It is worth noting that passengers are not able to select both the Summer Palace and Opera optional tours. Based on feedback on this board and what those in our group had to say if you are only choosing one then I would suggest the Summer Palace.

In terms of the Tang Dynasty Dinner and Show...all passengers were taken to the same theatre for dinner but those passengers who did not opt for the optional dinner & show were served a dumpling dinner in a different place in the building while those of us who selected the optional tour were served a delicious six course meal and then enjoyed the show. I have not heard anything remotely negative from fellow passengers who opted to attend the Tang Dynasty Dinner & Show. http://www.xiantangdynasty.com/Column.aspx?ColId=46

We attended the Tang Dynasty Dinner & Show this evening in Xi'an. Both the dinner and the show were very good. Everyone in our group enjoyed themselves and each of us were glad we had opted for this tour. We fly to Chongqing tomorrow to board the Viking Emerald.

...and I should clarify that the last two prices I mentioned for the warriors were USD. We paid 200 Yuan for the book.

Hi Steve, you should not need to worry about shampoo or conditioner...I only mentioned it because there was a sign at security in the Beijing airport.

We just got back from our visit to the Terra Cotta Warriors...this was an excursion that I was particularly looking forward to. When expectations are high there is always a risk of disappointment, but I can honestly say that was not the case. It was an amazing experience. It was quite crowded today given that it is Saturday but we were all impressed that we got a change to see everything to everyone's satisfaction. Some posters have talked about buying boxed sets of the Terra Cotta Warriors which the farmers are selling in and around the museum. I did not buy one of these but if you are interested I would suggest that you bargain hard or wait until you are exiting the museum if you want the best price. The first price I heard was 100 Yuan - some in our group paid $5 and by the exit the price was $1. We did buy a book/CD signed by one of the farmers who discovered the site while digging a well -- this was in the book store in the building housing the chariots.

Tonight we are off to the Tang Dynasty Dinner and Show.

Hi Chloe's Mom -- I have talked to a few people in our group who went to the opera. Their opinions seemed to match those of many posters on this board. Costumes and makeup were very interesting but they could have done without the screeching. I have not checked, but I believe you should be able to find some You Tube videos to give you a better idea.

Today was our first intra-China flight (Beijing to Xi'an) and Viking could not have made it easier. Everything went like clockwork. I can tell you that like in North America you can take liquids which are 100ml or less, but not shampoo or cosmetics...those have to be in your checked baggage. I put all of our liquids and creams in a checked bag...it just seemed easier. No one weighed our carry-on bags -- good thing as mine was definitely over the weight limit. Both our checked bags were under the weight limit and there was only one person in our group whose checked bag had to be opened.

Before going to the airport we had our tour of the Hutongs...it was great! The rickshaw ride was fun (and much more comfortable than I was expecting). We were pleased to be invited in to a family home to learn more about the Hutongs. We also visited a tea house which was very interesting. We sampled six teas and had the opportunity to buy tea, tea sets etc. afterwards. No pressure...lots of interesting items. We also stopped at the Bell Tower and saw a demonstration of Chinese hacky sack. They make it look easy, but....

We landed at terminal 3 which is quite new at the Xi'an airport. I was impressed with the size and cleanliness of the airport.

From the airport we were taken to a restaurant for a traditional dumpling dinner...very nice.

I am anxious to visit the Terra Cotta Warriors tomorrow! Will write more later.

Yesterday we went to The Great Wall and the Sacred Path of the Ming Tombs. Taking advice from this board at The Great Wall we chose the left path which the guide indicated was more difficult but we could see that there were fewer people in that direction. I am not particularly athletic and I made the climb without any real difficulty - like the tortoise slow and steady. Remember to take care coming down. There are stairs and slopes and railings in the steeper parts. Three in our chairs had wheel chairs to take them to the base of the wall and back to the meeting point. We will soon be off on our rickshaw ride in the Hutongs and then the flight to Xi'an. As other posters have pointed out the trip is fantastic and those of you who have yet to depart have a lot to be excited about.

Thanks Turtles06. I can confirm that the Dragon Boat is operational at present. Nice picture!

After starting our day with a nice breakfast at the Kerry Hotel we headed out for our tour of Tienamen Square and the Forbidden City. Be prepared for lots of people at both sites. Our guide provided lots of information throughout the tour. A lot of domestic tourists are lined up in the square to go through Mao's Mausoleum. Once you enter The Forbidden City there are lots of steps. This may be a challenge for some. We went to the Hotel Nikko New Century Hotel for a nice buffet lunch in a banquet room before returning to our hotel. We had planned to do the optional Summer Palace tour; however, after hearing from our tour guide and others who had done the tour on our own we decided that it would be quite similar to the grounds of The Forbidden Palace and opted to enjoy the rest of the afternoon in and around the hotel instead. Some people are heading to the Opera tonight, but after reading reviews on this board we decided to "rest our ears". We head out to The Great Wall at Badaling and the Ming Tombs tomorrow...looking forward to it.

We have been in Beijing since March 28 as we attended the World Men's Curling Championship prior to joining the Imperial Jewels of China cruisetour. The smog has been variable. The air quality index (AQI) the day before we arrived it was over 400 (hazardous) and has been as low 46 (moderate). We brought 3M N95 masks with us from Canada (bought at Home Depot) and have used them several times. Unless the AQI is really low I carry them with us but the longer we are here the higher the AQI can be before we use them as they are quite hot. The weather has been lovely although it is overcast today - no rain. Layering is best for clothes but so far we have not needed to wear our jackets or fleece much (except while we were in the arena watching curling). I found it very handy to have a travel clothes line and laundry soap (I buy the travel laundry soap which is in "leaves" as I have washed out a few things already. I have also been using nasal saline spray regularly and have found it good (DH hasn't used it at all). I brought saline eye drops and haven't used them at all. Heading out now for our first tour. More later....

Mark T, DH and I are just starting our April 8 - 20 Imperial Jewels of China tour today and are staying at the Kerry Hotel in Beijing. You will not be disappointed - it is a lovely hotel with first class amenities. Location is within an easy walk of Silk Street if that is of interest and we took a 10 minute taxi ride to Glasses City today to get a pair of glasses for my husband. Staff at the concierge desk were very helpful with both maps and taxis.