I won this trip for $3,000
Trip Start
Jan 01, 2013
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Trip End
Dec 31, 2012
Where I stayed
Various hotels
GRAND NORWEGIAN COASTAL VOYAGE Vantage 090437 16-Days
Beijing, China
Friday, April 21, 2000
There was a raffle for a trip for two to China, so just on a whim, I bid $3,000. I won, so I took my younger son with me; his first foreign trip. This trip was for 16-days to three cities of China, and it included all transportation, accommodations, tours, and some meals.
When I checked to see what kind of bargain I won for the $3,000, I learned that just the airfare for two would have cost more. However, the travel agent who sold this trip got more business from me in subsequent years, because I have traveled with her group many times since then.
BEIJING - April 23-27, Gloria Plaza Hotel:
During our five days in Beijing,.
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we visited the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Lama Temple, Beihai Park, Hutong (drum tower), and the silk market.
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As you can see from the Beijing skyline, not many buildings are taller than a few stories high.
When I visited Beijing six years later, the skyline of Beijing changed dramatically, and many tall buildings have been built, and it really looks and feels like a completely different city.
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SHANGHAI - April 28 to May 1, Shanghai Hotel:
We spent four nights in Shanghai, and I spent most of my time in and around the Bund area. In addition to the Yu Yuan Garden and the Shanghai Museum, I was crushed like a sardine when I went up on the new TV tower in the Pudong area. What I remember most about this trip to Shanghai was our small group visit to restaurant row where we ate at a seafood restaurant with fresh seafood still alive in the tanks. We were lucky, because we had a Chinese restaurant owner from Cincinnati who chose the seafood and how they were to be prepared. It was not "cheap," but an experience in good dining.
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HONG KONG - May 2 to May 6, Majestic Hotel (on Nathan Road):
We did the usual tours to the Stanley Market, Repulse Bay, Aberdeen, Victoria Peak, the Star Ferry ride & Metro, and a visit to Lantau Island to see the world's biggest buddha.
I'll scan and post pictures tomorrow.
