Client's information:

  Dear Eileen Wang/ Sally Si,
You of course realize that a few minutes is not enough to describe the best vacation that we have had in ages. I am still, a week later, waking up in bed wondering what bed I am in and what we will be seeing today. Then I wake up fully and am disappointed that the trip is over.
I will try to start with your guides: Rose of Beijing was/is perfection, her knowledge of the city and her patience with this old man who would wander off to take another picture from a different angle. From the airport until she dropped us off again, she was a very good representative of her city and an excellent guide.
I was almost sorry to have her put up with our mini revolution on the food problem. We all were so happy to be able to eat the famous Beijing Duck. It was worth the trip by itself.
Talking about the food, you very seriously tried to over feed us, it took a few days to realize that we could not leave clean plates like our mothers had trained us. We enjoyed all of the food served us, including the Li Jiang river trip, which you cautioned us against!
On leaving Rose in the airport, we were saddened because nobody could compare to The Rose of Beijing!
Then in Xi'an we were greeted by the mischievous Ying, anybody that can get away with calling me "The Happy Buddha" has to be mischievous. Once again an excellent guide and representative of her city. It was here that we found out that our very tight group of eight people was divided in half. As a group we were very much in synch with each other. Young/old we agreed with each other and it was sad to spilt up.
But we were so busy touring Xi'an that we adjusted quickly. We did have a meal together in Xi'an and I got to meet the arranger of our tour, and found out that Eileen was just as nice and beautiful as I had imagined in our E-mails. Hi, again!
As we left Xi'an I decided that we could not compare the two guides that we had so far and then we met Yang in Guilin. A young man who was very proud of his district. Having at this time realized that we had been introduced to both sides of Yin(g) and Yang we should become Taoist or at least members of the Yin/Yang school.
Guilin, the trip down the Li Jiang, with Yang by our sides, and Yangshuo were all without comparison. The scenery that appears on so many Chinese painting is real! The Yangshuo Paradise Resort should be rated as a Ten-Star Hotel just because of the view from our room. Six or seven Kerst hills with the city winding between them. The trip to the farming area was not a surprise as we had already seen the Farmer's Poverty in Xi'an.
Then on, too soon, to Shanghai and the sophisticated Jandy. Once again you out did your self with guides. All though the day and a half in Shanghai was not enough, Jandy did her best to show off her city. Eva says that we have to return to China, If only for Shanghai! I hope we can again use Jandy. She actually sat down with us and had coffee in the Xin Tian Di. It helped to get closer to the personality of this person who was guiding us. Nobody can do Shanghai in a day and a half, but it was enough to tease us into coming back.
On to Qingdao and Michael. Again a fine young man and proud of his city and district. As he does not normally work for you, he was still a fine choice. What he had to realize was that what I wanted from him was not on the agenda! When he dropped us off at the Shangri-La Hotel, in the early afternoon, he had something else important to do, which gave me my chance.
We talked to Sammi, a receptionist, with the hotel. Told her what I wanted to do, showed her the old pictures of the house where I had lived in, in 1947-8. Showed her a map that gave basic street names. Sammi went to the Doorman and he called up a taxi. They both explained to the driver who we were and what I wanted. And we took off in what might have been a wild goose chase. Meaning doing something that might not turn out but is fun anyway.
We went by the Protestant Church and up the street where the house was located on. At the top of the hill after a slight turn, we found the house. When we stopped the taxi cab driver was jumping up and down from happiness and joy. He was almost happier then I was. He led us inside the house, which is now a group of one and two room apartments.
We talked two of the occupants and found out that the Grandson, Mr. Li Chuangang, of the original owner still lived in the house. They sent out a message for him and he showed up in minutes. He called somebody that he knew that spoke English. We made arraignments to meet the next day in the late afternoon.
So much joy in the fact that a house still stands and someone in it knows about me. He was born after my parents and I had left. But he remembered talks about that time.
The next day Michael took us to Mt. Laoshan, Taiqing Palace, and the Small Qingdao Island. I touched the Dragons Head, stuffed Luck and Good Fortune in my pockets. While we were on the Small Qingdao Island Michael called the phone number of Mr. Li and was told to come over right away. We went and using Michael as a translator had a good afternoon talking. About Michael as a translator, his English was a little lacking but he had spent time in Germany and spoke German quite well. As my wife, Eva, is German we had an exuberant three way conversation.
We went to the Tsingtoe Brewery after that and celebrated a good job. Then back to the hotel and a walk down to the 4th of May Square and along the water front with the little tourist shops.
On our "free day", we went back to the Protestant Church, went in and up the bell tower. When we coming down we were treated to "Ode To Joy" in Chinese by the attendant. Well sang!
We went by taxi to the old town to do some shopping and went out on the Jianqiao Pier. Something my mother never allowed while we were living there. We went back to the hotel for a bite to eat and then set out past the new City Center Buildings, to try out the new shopping district.
The tourist hawkers varied with each of the stops. Tian'anmen Square and the Great Wall was the worst, with getting out of the bus at the Wall like an English football scrummage. Guilin was laid back with a few of the barkers wanting to practice their English on us in their shops. Shanghai and Xi'an were about the same, stop and look, and it was hard to get away. Qingdao was the best. They wanted us to look but we could get away, and there was one table shop that we went back to a few times in Qingdao. It had bracelets, plastic I'm sure, and they were all pre priced, so there was no haggling.
The Hotels were all superb, way above the reach of our usual price range. With only the 4 star in Yangshuo needing a higher rating - much higher! The service top of the line. The people that I asked questions of were superb with their answers, even going out of their way in Qingdao.
All of the guides were well trained and went out of their way to take care of us. Dealing with our mini revolutions and sadness of splitting up our little group. Michael was the least of these but soooo important to our happiness in Qingdao.
The complaints were too much food but all good. And not enough time in each city and river. We met up with the Cannariato's in Shanghai on the morning we left and they confirmed my reasoning for going to the Li Jaing. But that was no fault of yours.
I almost forgot the drivers. How they could drive in that chaos that you call traffic is a wonder. They seemed very relaxed and calm in conditions that would send most American drivers into a heart attack. Or worst, into a "road rage"! Congratulations on finding drivers of this caliber.
Thank you for a well planed and well executed tour. We will recommend you to our friends and will use you again when I win the lottery - remember the Dragon's Head.

Charles T. Collenberger