Dear Ms. Dong and Ms. Wang,

Thank you very much for your message. It was my intention to write to you when we got back, but you got to me first!

We returned safely from our trip yesterday night, and wish to thank you sincerely for organizing what was a unique and memorable tour, which we will always remember. Here are a few comments:

The Flight Cancellation ¨C Please do not concern yourself about this. Although I told you in previous e-mails that I am a nervous traveler, I am also an experienced one, and I have been flying and waiting for airplanes all over the world, including the one year when I lived in South China (Zhanjiang) 23 years ago. I understand that the scheduling of airplane flights is outside of everybody¡¯s control. This was why I arranged for a few days in Beijing AFTER the Tibet tour, and I was right to do so. When we finally got to Beijing we still had 24 hours before our flight to the USA. We were a little stressed, but thanks to your company¡¯s great policy (see below), not very much.

Getting Things in Beijing ¨C On Monday night (July 5), as we returned from visiting the show of acrobats, an envelope containing our flight tickets to Lhasa and the Tibet Travel Permit was waiting for us in our room, just as you promised.

The Program ¨C the program which you set up was perfect for a one-week visit to Tibet. It allowed us to see the most important buildings in the cities of Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse and Tsetang, as well as the wonderful scenery in- between. I must admit that the first day was difficult ¨C climbing the stairs in the Potala Palace was not always easy. After a few days, I was able to overcome the effects of the high altitude (we had altitude sickness pills which our doctor gave us), but it took a little longer for my wife. We very much enjoyed everything that we were able to see.

The Tour Guide ¨C Ms. Yong Jing, our guide, was the best we could have hoped for. She is a very friendly person, always smiling and laughing, very knowledgeable about the places we visited and the cultural background and history belonging to them. She was always able to answer any questions we had about the country and the people, and through her we learnt very much. She was also very careful in making sure that we did not do too much in the first days, always reminding us to walk slowly because of the thin air. When my wife was still feeling bad after 3 days, she was concerned enough to suggest visiting a clinic. Fortunately, that was not necessary, but we appreciated her concern.

The Driver ¨C Mr. Lha Chong, our driver, was a marvel. In the nine days (counting our unexpected extra stay due to the flight cancellation) he drove for us, sometimes on some very problematic roads, he showed extraordinary skill in driving his Toyota Landcruiser, especially on the road surrounding Lake Yamdrok, which consisted of deep mud full of trucks, buses and cars which were stuck, and yet never took any unnecessary risks. We felt 100 % safe with him. Even though he only knows a few words of English (and I only knew a few words of Tibetan), we got along very well; he always laughed and smiled and was a great travel companion.

We highly commend the team of Ms. Yong Jing and Mr. Lha Chong and recommend them to all visitors who come to Tibet through your organization.

Board and Lodging ¨C we were very comfortably put up in all hotels we stayed in during our tour, and were always well fed ¨C sometimes too well fed. It seemed that in some restaurants they would put as much food on our table of two as was put on tables for eight people. The food was delicious but it was often too much; we hated to send any back but simply could not eat it all.

Your Company Policy ¨C After dropping us off at Gonggar Airport on Thursday, July 15th, we expected Ms. Yong Jing and Mr. Lha Chong to return to Lhasa, since we knew that they both were starting on new tours the next day, and needed some time to relax. When Air China announced the cancellation, it took us some time to make our way back to the check-in counter, where we were very surprised (but pleasantly) to see Ms. Yong Jing. She explained that it was the policy of the company that the guides must remain available in the airport area until they are certain that the clients have taken off. First she heard that the flight was delayed, and then cancelled. Because there were so many angry people at the information booth, it was much easier for her to get information then if I had tried. That is how we found that Air China would put us up in the Lhasa Hotel for the night (the Airport Hotel was completely full already), that a bus would take us there, and that we should return for check-in early the next morning with the same bus. However, the bus was already full, so Ms. Yong Jing and Mr. Lha Chong very kindly took us up to Lhasa in the Landcruiser. After checking into the Lhasa Hotel, Ms. Yong Jing found out that the bus would not have any seats for us the next morning. When I told her that we would take a taxi, she was horrified. Much too dangerous, she said (I believed her ¨C we saw how dangerously the taxi drivers operate). She called her manager, and arranged for a company car to drive us down the next morning, for an extra charge which we gladly paid. It turned out that the driver was none other than Mr. Lha Chong. We felt very badly that he would not have the morning to rest before his next tour, but in truth, the next morning, in the dark and with heavy rain, we were very grateful to have such a safe driver. At 8:30 the plane from Chengdu arrived, and we took off at 10:00.

We wish to strongly commend and thank your company for maintaining the policy of keeping an eye on the clients until they have left for sure. If we had been obliged to understand what was happening on our own, it would have been much more difficult, and we may well have ended up missing our flight.

Finally, let me say that, since last November, when I first contacted you about this tour, you have been in every way responsive and helpful, always answering my questions within a short time, and showing great patience with me. Your organization is first-class, both in Xi¡¯an and in Tibet. I will be recommending your company to any friends I know who are interested in this kind of travel (I already gave your website to one young man we met on the flight from Chengdu to Lhasa).

In a few years, my wife and I will probably want to return and see more of China (Xi¡¯an, Changsha, Nanjing, and Guilin would be the highlights), and we hope that we can get this organized through your company as well.

Many thanks again for having made my dream a reality, and I wish you and your families good health and good luck.

Very sincerely,

Henry M. Lieberman
1211 Wilston Ct.
HOUSTON, TX 77077-2614
USA