Dear Maggie Ye and Sally Si,

Having lived and worked in China for two years, I knew what foods to expect at mealtime. I felt the meals were quite lavish, and food was always plentiful. I noticed that others preferred non-chinese food, after our second day on tour, but I enjoyed the meals throughout the tour.

I enjoyed trying each region's cuisine from the Beijing KaoYa in the pancake, to the dumpling dinner in Xian. Unfortunately, we didn't fire our tongues with Chongqing Hot Pot which I've heard is fantastic!

No, our tour guides were very helpful and knowledgeable about the history and current events of the places we visited. Our Beijing tour guide was conscientious about keeping us altogether. Our Xian tour guide was very informative about China's history.

More importantly, I enjoyed asking our guides how China's current economic growth has impacted their lives. Their candid responses were facinating and helped me understand the value of open communication and dialogue among people from different cultures. Thank you!

The drivers were excellent, and conscientious about cleanliness and safety. After leaving wallet and camera in the bus, the guide suggested I return to the bus to retrieve those valuable items. She phoned the driver from atop the Wall, while I ran down to get my things. The driver remotely opened the door, allowed me to get my bag, then closed the door behind me. I felt my belongings were safe in the bus, but I appreciate the effort the guide and driver went through to accomodate me.

In my own country, thieves can break into tour buses and take personal belongings.It's a poor example for other tourists wanting to come to Hawaii. I really appreciate the safer environment in China.

The travel china tour guides were personable, and funny. I particularly enjoyed tour guides who were relaxed and used humor to liven up the journey. For example, Max who took us to see the Three Gorges Dam Model Room, made jokes about his coffee name (Maxwell House).

I also enjoyed asking our guides about how the average Chinese benefited from economic growth evident in the larger cities we passed through. What changes had they seen in the past 20 years while growing up in Beijing or Xi'an. What do their parents think about China's rapid development growth, and change. For me, these conversations were far more interesting than emperors and dynasties.

Finally, I appreciated the lecture with professor (Dr. Yao) in Xian. Her lecture was informative and factual, and she did not try to paint a rosy picture of China's history. Her experiences in China and the US made her facinating to listen to and observe. I would have enjoyed spending more time with her, The lecture provided all of us with a better understanding of China's people, its history and values and hopes for the future.

Finally, thank you Maggie and Sally for answering my questions about the tour. Your e-mails were timely and personable. Also, thank you for meeting us personally with a t-shirt, and a hand-shake in Xian Hyatt Hotel. It was nice to meet the faces behind the name.

Warm wishes and Aloha- Melanie