We are a Globe Trotter Family. We travel all over the world.
For our trip to China, setting off without expert advice and effective support was unthinkable. From start to finish, the China Roads agency was remarkable in helping us fulfil our dream of exploring the heart of all the different Chinas: Tibetan, rural, traditional, imperial and international.
First, David, for the planning beforehand: his invaluable, patient and understanding help allowed us to time the trip realistically in advance, so we could enjoy it fully and calmly once there, without worrying about a thing.
The entire programme was completed, even though it was very ambitious. The credit goes to our four drivers and three exceptional guides, who went out of their way to please us, and who knew how to read us and adapt the programme when needed.
I think of Chen’s smile and laughter in Shanghai. His stories about Shanghai’s history fascinated us. He showed incomparable energy and ingenuity so that we could see Shanghai in record time.
I think of the joie de vivre and generosity of Azon in Shangri-La, a force of nature who once wanted to become a monk, and of the yak hotpot we enjoyed at his wife’s Tibetan tavern.
I think of the energy and courage of Lili in Yunnan. For example, she rearranged our rice terrace day when it was disrupted by thick fog, organised a last-minute, stylish and timeless lunch along the Railway Corridor, and shared with us her childhood in rural, Maoist China.
I think of Lucien in Beijing, who took up the challenge of showing us the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City without too many tourists around, and who shared his mother’s story during the Cultural Revolution. Thanks to him, we also had a memorable Beijing feast.
Jack also deserves praise. The hotels, which weren’t fully booked, often upgraded us. They were all far more comfortable and beautiful than their websites suggested. Each time, it was a pleasant surprise.
So many faces and colours, joy and dances, wisdom and madness, revolution and waste, construction sites and progress. This country is fascinating, as were the people who accompanied us. Our open, uninhibited conversations with them were rewarding and fascinating. We came back shaken up and enriched by our trip, which was really several trips in one, as the cultures, landscapes, beliefs and sites vary so much while still forming a coherent whole. That is the secret of this unique and complete China.
Thanks again to the whole team, who are remarkable.
