Foot massage and pedicure in China can be a really great experience to low cost. All the workers were laughing when I put my feet on the chair to be treated. I think they have never cut off so much old dead skin before. – after the treatment I felt like a baby:)
China is a great agriculture land, and is beautiful to travel by train. So much to see. Luna even asked why we do not live there since it was so beautiful (near Guilin).
Buy VPN before you go to China, it is a disaster to not being able to use your devices as usual.
We did not check the weather forecast before going to Li River, that was a mistake because all the great sceneries were hidden in the mist. The guide said that we had to imaging how it was, and that it was beautiful too – I am not sure I agree:( The day after it was sunny again!
Language is difficult! Spending 10 minutes to explain that I wanted to pick up a express delivery in the reception in the hotel. Even when they had called for their English expert, the communication was based on translation by mobile phones. Funny thing when we were explaining the way to the woman that helped us with taxi to Guilin North train station. We explained that we wanted to go to Guilinbei, she did not understand. Then we wrote Guilin North in the phone, and she read load “Guilin North, oh you are going to Guilinbei” …..
In Japan there are nearly only small houses (2 to 6 floors), South Korea is totally different with only high buildings. China is a combination of the other two. In HK we only found a few old small buildings.
The contrasts in China are great, from all the fantastic buildings (national symbols) to smaller streets with lots of garbage and very poor people.
Visiting 3 of the largest cities in the world (Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing) with a total population of ca 70 million, we must conclude that there are no problem getting around even when the language is so different, and the locals do not speak English at all.
At the great wall of China, we experienced that one Chinese family of 5 made more noise than a hole preschool class in Norway. So much for a quiet time on the big wall.
Attitude and social understanding are very different in Japan, South Korea and China. Japan as quiet and very polite, where there is nearly no talking on trains or undergrounds and people was always concerned about you. South Korea was always using their mobile phone, and did not care about bumping into a child or others (do not say sorry). In China there are a lot of noise everywhere. People are shouting all the time, but people seems to care when they bump into each other.
