We each packed an outfit for the other in case one of our bags went astray. Some China websites said that shorts were not acceptable attire for anyone and that when entering a temple, women had to have knees, upper arms and heels covered. I wasn’t planning on taking shorts or sleeveless tops, but Don had hoped to take one or two pairs of shorts. He left them home, but when we got to China, several of the men on our tour wore them, although we never saw a Chinese person wearing shorts. We also never saw anyone checking for appropriate attire at any of the sites we visited.
Then we attacked the problems of the carry-on bags. With today’s many security rules, making sure that you are 'legal' is no fun. We usually carry water, but unless you buy it in the airport after going through security, you can’t carry it. (In the Hong Kong airport, as we were boarding our plane to come home, we were checked again as we got on the plane and our water bottles from the Business lounge were also confiscated).
On domestic flights in the US and on overseas flights leaving from US cities, a fairly recent rule is that most liquids, gels, creams, etc. that you have not packed in your checked luggage must be put into a one quart Ziploc bag and presented separately at the security check point for inspection (called the “3-1-1 for carry-ons”) . The items in this bag cannot hold more than 3 ounces each and must all be easily viewed. Of course, there are numerous exceptions.
This and other rules for what you can and cannot take on a plane (whether on your person or in your hand luggage) are spelled out on the Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) website. This site should be checked after you first book your trip, and at least once more just before you leave because the regulations change frequently. I had to pack the Ziploc bag, all of my meds, my jewelry, my reading materials for the plane, my neck pillow, binoculars, and anything else I would need before I reached Beijing in my hand luggage and stay within 10 pounds. We had purchased a luggage scale from Magellan’s so we weighed our bags several times as we packed to make sure we weren’t over the 10 lbs. or the 44 lbs. in the big bags. Needless to say, we had to reevaluate our 'must haves' whenever the scale tipped over the limits.
Once we were on tour, we never handled our checked luggage except to pack and unpack in our rooms. The bags were picked up in the room, put on the buses and the airplanes and delivered to our next room. All of the Tauck bags were weighed together and any overage was absorbed by Tauck. The guide said that the company was helping the Chinese economy by encouraging us to shop as we toured. I think our bags were somewhat over the 44 lb limit by the time we flew home.
Other tour companies may not be so accommodating. Although China has strict luggage rules for in-country flights, we found that some of the smaller airports were lax about checking for “forbidden” items and oversized/overweight hand luggage. But we couldn’t take any chances on this, because the next airport just might confiscate something we valued.
$$$$ on Tour
We decided to order some Chinese money so we would not have any currency emergencies in Beijing such as needing a taxi, etc. before we met up with our tour group. Chinese money is called Renminbi (RMB) and means "The People's Currency." The popular unit of RMB is yuan. The official exchange rate between US dollar and Renminbi yuan when we were in mainland China was about 1: 7.6 (1 dollar = 7.6 yuan), and the Hong Kong dollar was about 1: 7.7 (1 dollar = 7.7 Hong Kong dollars). Chinese currency is issued in the following denominations: one, two, five, ten, twenty, fifty and one hundred yuan. For the most current exchange rate, use a Money Converter for detailed information before leaving for China. Almost all major hotels will exchange US dollars for yuan or Hong Kong dollars, and there are numerous ATM’s in the cities that accept many bank cards.
In addition, most hotels, restaurants, and larger shops will take VISA, MC, and AMEX credit cards. Smaller shops and street vendors may also accept American dollars. We needed yuan for taxis, ferries, and trains, etc. Tipping in China is not expected, but it is enormously appreciated. For a person who earns 100 US dollars per month, a 10 US dollar tip is about three days' wages. On our Tauck tour we only had to plan for the tour guide’s tip, all other tips were included which, of course, a great convenience for us! We ordered $100 worth of yuan in various denominations which came to about 740 yuan. We did not order Hong Kong dollars because we could always get them at the hotel if we needed them.
China Bound
We flew from Philadelphia to Los Angeles on Sunday, September 23. With a four hour layover in LA before our 11:30 PM Cathay Airlines flight to Hong Kong, we were glad that we were able to relax in the business class lounge. The flight to Hong Kong was smooth and relaxing. Although Hong Kong International Airport was rated number one of the top ten airports in the world for 2007, its passenger friendliness was not so evident when we arrived at 5:30 AM. We found ourselves enplaned at a gate about one mile from the hub area (shops, lounges, food, baggage claim,etc.). The area was almost deserted and there were no electric carts to assist passengers who might have problems with the long walk. The airport is beautifully decorated with artwork and plants, but there were no places to sit and rest along the mile walk (unless you count the restrooms).
By the time we went through Immigration and headed for the Dragon Air business lounge, my seat cane had had its first deployment. After relaxing for an hour or so in the Dragon lounge, we boarded our flight to Beijing. I was anticipating a three and a half hour rest with my feet up, but as fate would have it that day, my seat was broken and the footrest would not rise. Since business class was full, I had to settle for the wider seat, better leg room and a gourmet breakfast. When we arrived in Beijing, we quickly retrieved our baggage and went through customs. We were met by a local Tauck Chinese guide who helped us to push our luggage carts to a van that would take us to our hotel. Since there was no step or stool provided to help me get into the van, I was seated next to the driver, where access was easier. (The guide actually suggested that I use my new luggage as a step stool!).
We had our first experience with Chinese drivers and Beijing traffic as we headed for the Peninsula Palace Hotel. When we pulled up to the impressive hotel entrance through a beautiful Chinese gate, I thought that maybe my luck was changing for the better.
End of Part One
Read Joan James Rapp's article Seniors On Safari
