Viking's Century Sun - China, a long review

[TGBarbie]

Highlights/Impressions: Sept. 30-Oct. 19, 2006 Beijing to Hong Kong

 

1. Viking River Cruises did an impressive job in constructing and implementing an activity-intensive itinerary. We were constantly in motion from one cultural delight to another. Fortunately, all you had to do was show up at the designated place and time and VRC did the rest. Our tour encompassed countless elements of China’s incredible history and architecture. When you combine these elements with the 5,000-year cultural legacy exhibited by their people, it made this trip a not-to-be-missed adventure.

 

2. China impressed on us that people are the same anywhere in the world. It’s the governments that are different. The Chinese people we met were kind, open to communications, curious and helpful. Although we were definitely a minority on this trip, and were often stared at because we were different, we never felt unsafe or uncomfortable.

 

3. There are clear signs of the continuing economic and industrial revolution. We saw evidence of incredible Chinese initiative, engineering creativity and logistic excellence. The 3 Gorges Dam is just one example of a mega-project requiring complex planning, political commitment, advanced design and Billions of Dollars of funding to implement the countless implementation details. We saw brand new relocation cities built for the millions of families recently displaced as over 300 feet of water collected behind the new dam. They have achieved initial operations in less than 20 years, and are already realizing the benefits of environmentally friendly power and flood control. China applied the manpower, tools, technology and funding to accomplish this (and without Union Labor!). Watch out USA, their industrial prowess should not be underestimated.

 

4. Largely as a result of extreme industrialization and the high-density population centers, China has abysmal pollution and sanitation. From Beijing to Shanghai to Hong Kong we found the worst air pollution we have ever experienced. The tap water was not drinkable, even by the Chinese. We were advised to not even use it for brushing teeth. We observed sewage, chemical plant and coal runoff dumped openly and freely into the Yangtze River. Coal fueled power plants continuously spewed carcinogens into the air. Coal dust hung on the trees and shrubbery. We saw people washing clothes and fishing in the same contaminated rivers.

 

5. With the exception of the night we spent in Guilin, we stayed at excellent Shangri-La Hotels. Our favorite hotel was the Pudong Shangri-La in Shanghai, where we had a 13th floor view of the riverfront skyline. In Guilin we stayed at an older Sheraton, but we were definitely spoiled at the others.

 

Critique:

 

1. Travel Arrangements:

· $99 RT To/From China on NWA from LAX to Beijing and Hong Kong to LAX (VRC Special early booking offer). A Boeing 747-400 was used most of trip, connecting to a smaller Airbus from Tokyo Narita Japan to Beijing. It was a very long trip in coach seating. Food service was good, just needed more frequent water service to keep passengers hydrated.

· Internal Air transportation (Beijing to Xian, Xian to Chong King, Shanghai to Guilin and Guilin to Hong Kong) was handled entirely by Viking using various China domestic airlines. We had little or no advance knowledge of what airline we would be on, but again, our tour guides took care of all the details; passports, boarding passes, luggage, etc.

· Bus tour excursions occurred at nearly every location. Buses ranged from very modern and comfortable to some older versions with narrow, unadjustable and somewhat uncomfortable seats. In general, buses were satisfactory and clean. Bottled water was always available on the buses at a very reasonable $1USD for 2 bottles. Take advantage of this safe supply of water.

 

2. Tour Guides:

· Passengers were pre-assigned to a Primary Tour guide at the beginning of the trip. If you arranged your package with other parties, they were included in your Tour Group.

· There were 9 Tour guides and 9 buses to serve approximately 258 passengers. We had 38 passengers on our bus.

· Brenda, our Tour Guide, expertly shared her exceptional knowledge of China in interactive English. She demonstrated the highest caliber of professionalism on and off the tour path, assuring that each passenger felt special and that any questions were answered. She is a credit to both VRC and her country. She tucked every request for assistance under her capable wings. She did everything with confidence and efficiency, but always in a pleasant manner with a good sense of humor. Top Notch!

· Each Tour Group had high-maintenance passengers. Seemed like the same ones were always late or lost and required the Tour Guide to expend lots of energy rounding them up. For those who extended their tours to include Hong Kong, the 9 bus groups were consolidated to 3. After two weeks with the same Guide and adjusting to the original 38 people, we experienced some difficulty in this merge. We weren’t ready for a new tour guide and different people who seemed even more demanding. I guess that at this point many travelers were getting tired.

· At many of the cities we visited, local tour guides joined us to augment the information provided to us by our primary tour guides. Mostly, this was very helpful, and provided significant diversity in the insight provided. While most spoke understandable English, a few required some close listening to in order to catch the details. For the soft-spoken guides, there was some difficulty hearing over the bus, road, and passenger noise.

 

3. The Viking Century Sun:

· We received a cheerful welcome to the ship and were quickly treated to dinner as our bags were delivered to our cabins. We stayed at dock that evening. The ship is new and beautiful. Our cabin was roomy and spotless, with lots of storage space. The only negative is that the bed was extremely hard. Other than that, ship services were the best of any cruise we have been on. The dining staff was outstanding. Hotel and/or dining staff lined our exit and return routes for each excursion, assuring our safety and expressing gratitude for being a part of their cruise. We felt extremely welcome.

· On-board activities were understandably somewhat limited in comparison to a larger ship. The spa was small, but convenient. The massages varied in type (if they are a little rough, ask for gentler, or they will flay your flesh). Cost was very reasonable. Tai Chi instruction was offered every morning at 7 am. We recommend it. Cultural lectures, language instruction, calligraphy and Mah Jong lessons provided. There were a couple of special drink occasions as well as the standard meeting the officers/ Captain’s greeting. An evening band and dancing were available, too. There was also a fashion show and a special talent presentation from the ship’s crew that was very good.

· During our 9 days on board, we moored at various barges along the river. Some of the barges we docked to soon had several other ships and barges tie along side us. On several occasions, we walked thru the other ships to get to shore. This was interesting, as you got the opportunity to compare the Sun, which is the best of what we saw.

· Our 3 Gorges Dam Lock Transit was delayed due to traffic backup. When we were cleared, our ship moved in a flash from the dock to claim our place in the lock queue. At the time this occurred, we were at dinner. As the waiters were pouring wine, the ship hit a solid but glancing blow on one of the anterior lock pillars, startling the passengers and causing a bit of table distress. Immediately after the hit, we tied off on the pillar. While we were served dessert, the first officer finally arrived to assure us we had not gone Titanic. He told us this event was “Normal”, but the crew we talked to say it had not happened before. We transited the locks with 7 other ships in our lock. Quite different then the Panama Canal.

· We were fastidious in our sanitation, using germicide wherever we could. Nevertheless, we both experienced a touch of Mao’s southern revenge. Fortunately, we had brought Cipro, which seemed to take care of it. We observed, however, that the problem was more widespread among the passengers, many requiring the Ship Doctor’s assistance for Mao’s (both North/South). Also, many of us ended up with a viral sinus problem that persists today. This problem is manifest in a constantly runny nose, mucus, drainage and cough. For me, this continues to persist today, nearly 2 weeks after the end of the cruise. We heard that the experience of the previous cruise passengers was similar. Given the number of people affected by illness, something funky may be going on with the ship. We strongly recommend you bring antibiotics, antihistamines and cough drops. You will likely need them, and they are not readily available once you arrive in China.

 

4. Excursions:

 

The nature of this tour package is excursion intense. Several of the passengers complained about the amount of walking and climbing required in spite of Viking’s clear posting of the level of physical exertion involved. Be sure to dress appropriately, wear comfortable walking shoes and carry lots of bottled water. Hats are recommended.

 

· Beijing: Because of the crowds associated with China’s National Holiday, our excursion timing was modified to get us to locations early. Nevertheless, we had sufficient time over 2 days to see the Great Wall, Sacred Way/Ming Tombs and the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square and tour the city. We drove past the Olympic Bird’s Nest Stadium and got great pictures. Glad to say the Peking Opera event featured shorter opera performances and included other entertainment. Most of us were pretty tired from the initial travel and the notes the performers hit were like driving a nail into your skull. The Pedicab tour and home visit was enjoyable, educational and provide a close up and personal view of life in old Beijing.

· Xian: This is a beautiful city by night. We had a splendid city bus tour and saw lots of Neon Lights in Las Vegas style. Our first stop was the Tang Dynasty Dinner Show. Dinner and Show were both excellent. The next day, our excursion to the Terra Cotta Warriors did not disappoint.

· Fengdu: We skipped the Jade Cave excursion and took a bus tour with stops in the Resettlement City. Locals who shared music, singing and dancing in a city park square provided us a memorable show.

· Chong King: We arrived at the docking point about 6:30 pm. The population density we observed on the bus ride from the airport was hard to believe. Take four LA’s and glue them together to get an idea of the magnitude of over 33 million people in one city.

· Our favorite cultural visit on the river was the Viking New Hope School in Jingzhou where we were greeted by lines of children playing drums, horns and waving flags. Every face was smiling. They then treated us to performances of dancing, singing and acrobatics before taking us to their classrooms. Imagine 8 rows of 12 desks in each classroom! 96 kids ranging from ages 6 to 8. Great interaction and a very moving experience.

· Our favorite scenic excursion was the lesser 3 Gorges small boat trip to a Viking River way station for lunch. Beautiful scenery framed by the graphic depiction of rising water from the new dam project. We estimated the water level rose 6 inches during this 4-hour trip. The magnitude of the relocation efforts, the engineering of the retaining walls along the river and the sheer scope of the whole “dam” undertaking will be hard to forget.

· We disembarked in Nanjing very early on our final day for a tour of the city wall and then stopped in Suzhou for lunch and a tour of the number 1 Silk Factory. There we spent some serious money. Prepare for a long day. You will get up early and travel in a bus for 5 or 6 hours total.

· Shanghai: We arrived late (heavy Friday traffic) to yet another Chinese dinner. Following dinner we took in the skyline view from the lounge at the top of Tower 2 of the Pudong Shangri-La. It was breathtaking at night.

The next morning we toured Old Shanghai/Bund and viewed a garden outside the Yu Bazaar before a Dim Sum Lunch at an embroidery store. We had free time that afternoon (which we used to ship packages home and tour the riverfront). The Chinese dinner at the hotel was the best we had, no lazy Susan! Later that evening we went to the Grand Theatre to see an excellent performance given by Chinese Acrobats.

· End of Standard Tour: From Shanghai, various groups departed for home or on to an extension. We had the extension, so had time to join another couple in a taxi ride to the MagLev Train. We took a 7½-minute trip to the airport and then back again at speeds reaching nearly 300 MPH (431 KPH). We then returned to our hotel, finished our packing, had a beer at the waterfront and met up with our new tour guide who took us to the airport for our trip to Guilin.

 

5. Cruise Extension: Shanghai to Hong Kong

· Guilin - The highlight here was a late night foot massage in a building next to the Sheraton before retiring. Following breakfast, we bused to the Li River Cruise, which is a 5-hour tour on a very shallow tributary to the Yangtze. Although it was very smoggy, we did see fascinating scenery, including pointy hill (Karst) formations. We also had locals using bamboo rafts that moored to the boat to sell trinkets from their bags. We had yet another Chinese Food buffet on the boat, which included French fries that were pretty much picked over by the first 10 diners. Once again, to the airport. This time, we had over an hour delay for the plane to arrive.

· Hong Kong - After arriving, we bussed to the hotel and were met by a friend from Australia (who savored margaritas in the lounge while waiting, and waiting and waiting). We ate in the lounge and bought a bottle of decent OZ Shiraz to take to our room to continue our reunion into the early hours. At that point, we declared independence from the structured Viking tours and slept in.

· (Much) Later in the morning, we left for a shopping experience. We walked to the docks and took a ferry across the bay. There we shopped and took the extensive outdoor escalator to the top, walked down to the first level that had an interesting non-Chinese restaurant and had a great lunch. We took a cab down to the docks and returned to the hotel side for a rest and headed to dinner. We ate at an Outback restaurant, which was within walking distance of the hotel. LoL. The steak was unseasoned and tasteless. The baked potato was excellent. We then went to the riverfront to see the laser light show, which was very impressive.

· Hong Kong Disney: On our last full day we went to Hong Kong Disneyland via cab (~200HKD each way). We had a great time at a downscaled (size and scope) version of the Disneyland in California. The park was decked out in Halloween décor, and the Disney characters were in costume. While the rides were similar to CA Disney, they were shorter in duration, and fewer of them. What were exceptional were the show performances. These were worthy of off-Broadway productions. This included PhilharMagic, a 4-D experience; the Golden Mickey Awards, an actor/character show; and a theatre in the round presentation of Lion King featuring incredible floats and set design. The music was sung predominantly in English, so that was an unexpected plus. One warning - in China, be aware that the Western world uses a queuing approach for waiting in line (wait your turn, no cutting please!). The Chinese use a swarming approach (Every Man for Himself!).

· Upon returning to the hotel, we found a riverfront restaurant (Mexican) - Don Juan’s. They provided a pitcher (or two) of excellent margaritas and we gratefully consumed tasty fajitas before we bid our friend from OZ goodbye. We returned to our room for final packing in anticipation of a 4:45 am deadline to have our bags ready for our final journey home. The margaritas facilitated the packing, but impeded our wake-up call.

 

6. Food

· The buffet breakfasts at the Shangri-La Hotels were diverse and outstanding. Tank up on these, as the excursions will burn off the calories.

· Lunch buffets on the ship got a bit repetitive, but the soup offerings were excellent.

· There were so many different varieties of Chinese food served in so many ways and places on this trip, particularly at lunch and dinner. Frankly, we became tired of Chinese cuisine halfway thru the tour. It will be months before we return to a Chinese restaurant. If we never see a lazy Susan again, it will be too soon.

· Chinese desserts are mediocre. Mostly you will get watermelon slices.

 

7. Miscellaneous Observations

· Money Exchange – Mainland China has a fixed exchange rate. Hotel Reception was very accommodating making exchanges with little fuss. The ship does not exchange currency, so you must stop at a bank. Traveler’s checks were a problem for many, as only a few banks will honor them. Check with your Tour Guide for assistance. Hong Kong has a variable rate exchange. For up to a few hundred USD, the hotel will exchange them at a slightly lower value then you will get at a bank, but the banks will charge you a service fee. Banks are better for larger exchanges. Note that there are many counterfeit Chinese Yuan notes in circulation. When you exchange currency, get smaller denomination notes, so that when you make a purchase you use exact denominations. Avoid receiving change. Several of the people on our cruise ended up with counterfeit bills before the trip was over. Bank notes and Hotel exchange currency was genuine.

· Shopping – While there were several opportunities for shopping, most were very short in duration. Many of us wished for a little shorter excursion and a bit longer shopping duration. Street vendors would approach you in swarms when you got off the tour buses or exited or entered the approach to the ship entry. They are very aggressive and in-your-face; if you want it barter 2 for 1 or start at 50% of asking price and go from there. Never pay asking price!

· Shipping from China to USA – We purchased some larger items at the Suzhou Silk Factory that would not fit easily into our luggage. They will ship it, but it is a slow boat from China with up to 2 months for delivery. We were advised to ship directly from the hotel in Shanghai. When we checked at the Shangri-La business office, they only used DHL, and 3-day express delivery. Rates were over $500 USD per 25 Kilos. Our tour guide helped us thru the concierge manager, who personally shipped it by post/boat for a 10 day to 2-week delivery, insured at a cost of about $170 USD (We tipped the manager…).

· Postal Service – We sent a total of 14 post cards from Beijing, the ship, and Hong Kong. 4 cards have arrived so far. This does not appear to be a reliable or swift method of mailing these materials.

· Bathrooms – Hotel and ship facilities had nice western toilets. At other places there are limited western toilets. Eastern toilets, dubbed “Squatty Potties” are just that. Ceramic outhouse holes you squat over. Bring your own toilet paper for these. Always bring your disinfectant hand wipes or antibacterial gels and use them frequently.

· Observation Deck – The outside observation deck on the ship was essentially unused with the exception of the Locks transit.

· Drinks – Mixed drinks were good, and offered at US compatible prices. Chinese wine is not even suitable for sautéing food. Buy European, Australian or Californian wine if you want something decent. Chinese beer is fine and hits the right spot at lunch following an excursion. You will typically get a small glass of beer included with your meal and pay for others. Remarkably, the coffee we had through out China and even on the ship was better than what you typically get on an ocean cruise line. Do not buy beverages (sodas, water, juices or alcohol) from the vendors that stand outside the ship when you board. While labeled with brand names and many with convincing boxes, they are knock-offs. Several people were convinced that was a source of their Mao’s Revenge.

· Smoking – It seemed like most Chinese men smoked, and did so continuously. Few Chinese women smoked. A few passengers smoked, and there are limited facilities to light up. For non-smokers like us, the ship, buses and airplanes were relatively safe havens. Hotels, restaurants and outside areas were open season. In reflection though, the air quality in China is so bad that it is unlikely that second hand smoke will affect their actuarial tables.

· Power Conversion/Adapters. Most hotels and the ship provided 220V to 110V converters. Ask for one early as the available supply runs out. My personal power kit fortunately included China, Asia and Hong Kong adapters. We used them all at various points as there is no standardization.

· Security – Hotels and ship provided in-room safes for personal items. The ship had controlled access, although sometimes other ships docked very closely. Keep your balcony door closed and locked.

· Weather was smoggy, misty, foggy; lifting somewhat in the afternoon. Some drizzle, sprinkles, brief showers. No downpours or thunderstorms during our tour. Temperature was very comfortable (70’s F) until Shanghai and Hong Kong, where it got warm to hot (80’s F.). Humidity was high everywhere (80 – 90% +). Hotels provided umbrellas and the ship provided free ponchos

 

8. Suggestions for Improvement in Tour Package

· Please Viking; try to increase the diversity of foods. Yes, I know we were in China, but it was a bit too much.

· After acquiring many souvenirs, we were informed that Guilin Airport was a stickler for weight limits (22kg) and number of bags (1 each). Viking Tour guides ultimately overcame this luggage bottleneck, but we all had to deal with many carry-ons. Once we got to Hong Kong, we bought a cheap new bag and things were fine for our international return. (50lbs/bag, 2 each). It would be nice if Viking could pre-negotiate with Guilin to remove their restrictions.

· Given the intensity of walking and climbing on some of the excursions, and the average age of our tourist group, it would be nice for Viking to provide optional walking sticks for those that would like them.

· On the ship, provide an over-the-counter American medicine dispensary for GI, respiratory and cough/cold supplies.

[land lover]

Deb, what an excellent and comprehensive review...brought back lots of memories.....Hope you forward a copy to Viking.

[Neecies]

We took this trip in August. It was a fantastic experience.

 

Several things of use to other prospective travellers: My husband and I got "Mao's", as you call it (good name) within like 24 hours of getting on the boat. The couple we travelled with were also afflicted. Their problems cleared up as soon as we got off the boat (we spent an extra week there post-tour so we had ample occasion to measure). I didn't get past it until I was back home--I wasn't lucky! Anyway, every other person that we spoke to about such things on the boat, and one doesn't volunteer this kind of thing easily, was also sick. This in spite of the fact that, like you, we scrubbed and disinfected our hands constantly. I even used bottled water to brush my teeth. We are absolutely convinced that, no matter what the boat crew said to the contrary, our illness was caused by poorly treated water used for food cleaning on board the boat.

 

This doesn't mean one shouldn't go to China--it's a wonderful trip, but anyone who goes just needs to understand that there's inescapable bacteria there they're immune to but we're not, and you're going to get the trots. Take three times the Immodium you think you might need, and a full-spectrum antibiotic like Cipro if you can get your hands on it. Also, buy Wet Ones anti-bacterial wipes in the disposal single-serving size. You can get them at places like Wal-Mart in boxes of 30 or 60 that you can dispense 5 or 6 of to yourself every day before you leave the boat. Use one every couple of hours for insurance.

 

Regarding Chinese food, though: how could you get tired of Chinese food? We didn't. We even requested and ate some of the crew meals. You're in China, you eat Chinese. On the boat there was always at least one round-eye option at every meal, and usually two. Off the boat? Well, you're in China. Chinese is what you get. Even then, they catered to you in ways you may not have thought of--all the Chinese food we ate off the boat was tourist-Chinese. Except for the hotels, every one of those restaurants we ate in exist only to feed round-eyed tourists. And even then, they 'dumbed down' the food to some extent to avoid offending us. My husband and I skipped several of the planned outings just to go eat with and meet the real Chinese we didn't get to interact with on the tour.

[Neecies]

We took this trip in August. It was a fantastic experience.

 

Several things of use to other prospective travellers: My husband and I got "Mao's", as you call it (good name) within like 24 hours of getting on the boat. The couple we travelled with were also afflicted. Their problems cleared up as soon as we got off the boat (we spent an extra week there post-tour so we had ample occasion to measure). I didn't get past it until I was back home--I wasn't lucky! Anyway, every other person that we spoke to about such things on the boat, and one doesn't volunteer this kind of thing easily, was also sick. This in spite of the fact that, like you, we scrubbed and disinfected our hands constantly. I even used bottled water to brush my teeth. We are absolutely convinced that, no matter what the boat crew said to the contrary, our illness was caused by poorly treated water used for food cleaning on board the boat.

 

This doesn't mean one shouldn't go to China--it's a wonderful trip, but anyone who goes just needs to understand that there's inescapable bacteria there they're immune to but we're not, and you're going to get the trots. Take three times the Immodium you think you might need, and a full-spectrum antibiotic like Cipro if you can get your hands on it. Also, buy Wet Ones anti-bacterial wipes in the disposal single-serving size. You can get them at places like Wal-Mart in boxes of 30 or 60 that you can dispense 5 or 6 of to yourself every day before you leave the boat. Use one every couple of hours for insurance.

 

Regarding Chinese food, though: how could you get tired of Chinese food? We didn't. We even requested and ate some of the crew meals. You're in China, you eat Chinese. On the boat there was always at least one round-eye option at every meal, and usually two. Off the boat? Well, you're in China. Chinese is what you get. Even then, they catered to you in ways you may not have thought of--all the Chinese food we ate off the boat was tourist-Chinese. Except for the hotels, every one of those restaurants we ate in exist only to feed round-eyed tourists. And even then, they 'dumbed down' the food to some extent to avoid offending us. My husband and I skipped several of the planned outings just to go eat with and meet the real Chinese we didn't get to interact with on the tour.

[Spikesgirl]

Neecies - you asked how you get tired of Chinese food. I did too, until we took our SE Asia cruise. Afer spending 28 days in China, we finally made a run for it and ate at the Outback at the Beijing Raffles. Man, that tasted so good. And it took nearly a month before I was willing to visit my favorite Chinese restaurant here.

 

Still all that being said, I wouldn't have changed a moment of our trip. It was spectacular from beginning to end and it was so great to actually get to meet and talk with The Red Threat! We had a Chinese history lesson from our guide as we cruised through the last gorge and it was incredible to hear history from an entirely different viewpoint - definitely was not a Mao supporter.

 

Thanks for the great reviews. It was like going all over again.

 

Sail Safe,

 

Charlie

[El Cajon Couple]

Great reviews from Deb and Neecies. Useful information!

 

Is it possible that contamination occurs in the ship showers (when washing face water gets into eyes, nose, mouth)???

[land lover]

El Cajon Couple...interesting thought...infact after talking to past China travelers who got sick(land and water vacations) and reading up on the water quality in China I was actually thinking about limiting my bathing and using bottled water...I am not kidding you. But, when we arrived I just made sure I always used very hot water ....I did venture to take a bath one night but I really did think about soaking in the water.

 

According to our Director the ship uses bottled water for cooking and all ice is made with bottled water...but who really knows...the only thing I know is that my DH nor I had stomach problems. One thing I do know is that I seldom used the public restrooms and when I did I was very, very careful about what I touched regardless of how clean they looked.

 

Another thing is that both of us stayed very hydrated with water. We also took the elevator because as more people became ill I did not want to touch the railing. But, I was up early for Tai Chi and saw the railings being cleaned every morning, also we were handed towels when we arrive back on the ship.

Another thing is we were one of the youngest couples on the ship and we were probably better at fighting off the bug/s. I brushed my teeth with bottles water everywhere....and even used it to shave my legs.

 

I remember 30 years ago on my first trip to Europe using bottled water for everything, we were gone for 6 weeks...I don't remember getting ill. But if the water out of the facet isn't fit to drink...that tells you something about the country.

 

You'll have a wonerful time.

[land lover]

ECC I posted this before but will mention it again. We had the Hep. A, first booster, Typhoid pills and brought cipro with us(didn't use it). We also updated our tetnaus. I also cut my finger and toe nails short and wore a closed toe sandal when we were outside.

 

What I find interesting is that most people went to the Doctor got antibiotics and were feeling better quickly so does this means their illnesses were bacterial?......or was it just a 24-48 hour viral flu?

[cliffdweller]

Thank you for such a detailed and helpful review. I am booked on this trip next Fall and will bookmark your review to read again and again as I plan. I'll certainly load up on antibiotics and hand sanitizer!!

 

Pat