On any adventure, it’s a good rule of thumb to expect the unexpected—which can sometimes be part of the fun! During their Imperial China, Tibet & the Yangtze Small Ship Adventure, Dawn and John V. learned firsthand that things don’t always go as planned in the rural Chinese countryside. But when you have a quick-thinking OAT Trip Leader by your side, Plan B is usually just a few quick phone calls away.
Dear Harriet,
Our first trip with OAT was to China in June of 2005, starting with the pre-trip extension to Shanghai (highly recommended) and ending in Hong Kong. Our biggest adventure happened during our home stay in a small village outside of Xian. We arrived late in the afternoon, where 2-4 people were assigned to a host family. The plan was to have dinner, a relaxing evening, and spend the night with our family. The next morning we would visit a local kindergarten.
Dinner was delicious—I can't tell you exactly what we ate, as our hosts, a couple in their 50s, their daughter and grandson, did not speak any English. We had brought a baseball cap and some postcards from Atlanta, our home. The cap was quite a hit with the young man! It was June, and the weather was warm—dare I say hot? Without warning, there was a power outage. The homes, which had air-conditioning in the bedrooms and fans elsewhere—became uncomfortable, so we went outside. A few games of ping-pong commenced. It appeared that not only was the A/C dependent on electricity, the toilet flush mechanisms were as well. Without electricity, the father of the family had to pour a bucket or two of water each time the toilets were used!
Our Trip Leader, Linda, appraised the situation and used her cell phone to call the persons responsible for the community generator. It appeared that there would be no electricity that night. Two teenage young men on the trip, a graduation present from one of their fathers, wanted to stay despite the inconvenience. The rest of us, being mainly 50 and above, weren't so sure. The families were devastated when we voted to leave, but they understood. Linda assured them that we would be back the next day to visit the kindergarten, and she made reservations for us all at the same luxurious hotel in Xian where we had stayed the night before. Around 11 p.m., we loaded up on the bus and took the approximately 50-mile trip back to Xian. We did visit the kindergarten the next day and saw dozens of eager young Chinese children learning English as well as Mandarin symbols and good posture!
— Dawn & John V.
I hear many common themes when OAT travelers tell me what they loved most about their adventures, including the friendships forged with our incomparable Trip Leaders and the importance of connections with local people. Traveler Susie H. found all of this and more in China.
I went to China in 2006 and it was a great trip. Jason Wong was our leader and he was exceptional. I ended up as a single and Jason saw that I did not miss a thing especially with pictures. He still emails me, which is so neat. I was worried about the earthquake and he assured me he and his family were okay. Also he wrote when he knew about the swine flu since his mother is a doctor and they have a lot of herbal aids.
China has been one of my favorite trips and I would recommend it to anyone who really wants to get to see China. The farm overnight is certainly a highlight and the artist's picture is framed and over my mantle. All my trips with OAT have been memorable but China was one of my favorites.
- Susie H.
I loved hearing that Susie would wholeheartedly recommend our China adventure to other travelers—because, as many of you are already aware, word-of-mouth advertising is extremely important to us at OAT. We encourage you to tell your friends about your adventures because a glowing endorsement from just one happy traveler is more powerful than a dozen marketing brochures. Because so many new travelers join us based on their friends’ recommendations, I was curious as to what they thought about their first trip—so had I my staff do a bit of research about travelers who were referred to our Imperial China, Tibet & the Yangtze Small Ship Adventure by Vacation Ambassadors. It seems we’ve gained some new travelers for life—including Jeanette H., who joined us in March.
I loved meeting the people of China! The young lady who helped me down the steps at the Great Wall, and the elderly woman who beamed a smile when I said “hello” in Chinese. Beating a professor at mahjongg because five men and one young woman coached me in the game. Having four little boys grab my hand and dance around me at the school. Dancing in the park with strangers who laughed at the “big nose” (and with me, too). Tearing up at the wonder of the Great Wall. The amazing pandas, terra cotta soldiers, and Three Gorges. Our small group was great, too!
— Jeanette H.