I don't think me and Carole will be able to carry you up the steps to the wall.

It will be all I can do to take myself up :-)

You will just have to get more mobile before we go.

I know save petrol, push your truck , that will definately get you fit. On second thoughts it might kill you off, forget that. Take up skipping instead. HA HA HA.

I'm sure you will be fine. We will get you a rickshaw to the top.

Me and Carole might just be persuaded to hitch a lift :-)

Sandra

Am sure everyone will manage the steps at the Great Wall. Last year walked up the steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe that was hard work was about 280 steps I think. Walked down from level 2 to level 1 on the Eiffel Tower & watching the people going up was glad we went down. If you manage that at the gym Sandra will be extremely impressed.

Know the hazards of a driving job too am a train driver with take aways available at every terminus and with working shifts is not easy to be healthy but do have a couple of dogs I walk every day.

Am going to make sure I get to airport early lol as I want to make the most of the executive lounge & of course got to do a bit of duty free shopping

Carole

I received the new brochure for 2010/2011 yesterday.

Our trip is still available as are the rest in October.

Maybe we are the only three going at the moment. :-)

I have just gone up a level at the gym. I am now climbing the great pyramid 720 steps :-(

Don't think I will make the eiffel tower at this rate till 2020. :-)

I'm sure we will be fine with the steps, just me being funny.

The more I talk about going to China the more I am looking forward to it.

Filled a form in at the doctors on Tuesday evening for a check to see what I need in the way of injections etc for China.

I appear to be all injected up.

Just need to check if mozzies are a problem in China.

Sandra

regards

sue xx

That's fantastic news. Now there will be four of us going on the 20th :-)

It will be great for us to have an "old hand" for company. You can take us to the spot where the lift is to get us up the steps. HA HA.

You can pass on your wisdom on the injections etc. Although I have checked with the practice nurse with my gp and we have agreed that I am covered.

Just one thing, did you have trouble with mozzies.?

I noted from an earlier post from people going at the begining of the year, that the £300 pound spending money they were going to take had ended up costing them £100+ more because of the exchange rate.

I will have to start checking the exchange rate for the currency. Is it yen ? I seem to think that it is.

Great to know you are coming along, well I hope you are, that you have talked yourself into it.

Sandra

How are we doing?.

Just entered another month.

Only 4 till we go.

It will be here before we know it.! ! !

Sandra

Got my letter today about the change to the opera must admit would rather see the acrobats, hope no one is too disappointed by the change.

Carole

john

Just me disappointed then about the opera. I was quite looking forward to it as a new experience.

Sandra

Just added my name to the list for China on 20th October, after a lot of pondering I finally booked and paid the deposit this evening! How many does that make on the trip?

& welcome the more the merrier I asked JY yesterday and there are 31 booked on the trip at the mo, so quite a lot of us going.

Will be booking up car parking shortly then will just need to change up spending money and will be ready for the off.

Carole

one thing you must not miss on this trip is the acrobat circus, sooo! exciting the finale is 10 motorbikes whizzing around inside an iron ball, absolutely unbelievable.

I never had any injections when I went nor malaria tablets, werent needed, even going up the yangtzee, (had more bites when I was on the Nile cruise). Food is lovely not at all like the takeaways you get over here, the tables in all the restuarants have a 'lazy Susan' that you turn to try all the dishes, I did feel sorry for the fish etc that are swimming around in tanks as they whip them out to cook up for your meal, still cant get any fresher. I found the cost of everything was so cheap, bought 10 Guci watches for approx £2 from the street vendors, bit of fun trying to see who could get the cheapest. Bought loads of teracotta warriors and stuff off the street vendors for pence instead of spending pounds for them in the proper outlets, it added to the fun of it all, but a bit heavy carrying them all home.

china is magical and so peaceful especially in the temples and the silent city. we went to the parks where everyone was doing tai chi and we joined in. Everyone at night starts to dance in the parks on the street its like one big party and they expect you to join in with line dancing, waltzing, jive the whole thing.

Went to Bejing Zoo saw the pandas and it was on 'childrens day' when children, grandparents and parents get into the zoo for free on that day, must have been the whole of Bejing in that Zoo. The memories you will have of the whole experience are many and I give it top marks from start to finish. I have now really talked myself to going back there.

Sue xx

I am already booked for this year for another trip but thinking for next year to go to china.

How long is the flight as i know its a night flight,and feel i would like to do this. did you feel it was enough time to see what there

was. So many lovely places to see if only time and money were no object.

Thanks Sharon

Phew, 31 of us on the trip, that's a lot and a lot of names to remember, wonder if we'll have a name badge!!

October seems a long way off but then we have plenty of time to look forward to our big trip. I've already been reading up about our three hotels (how sad!)and the rail journey north from Beijing, all sounds very acceptable.

Adi

Anyone travelling down to Heathrow from the Notts/Lincs area for this trip?

Adi

Had not thought about trying to remember names so am going to apologise now as I will prob get names wrong the whole time.

I always look up the hotels especially after a mate booked us into the Paris version of faulty towers.

Carole

Not checked the hotels myself, are they good.?

Don't know if I have read what they are called.

Will have to go back the the brochure.

31 is a big group of us. I also have no chance of remembering all the names. Can't remember my own some days. :-(

Looking forward to the trip, has anyone checked out the rate of exchange yet for the chinese currency.? Is it getting better ??

Sandra

I posted a message back in early June to say I was booked on this trip, just managed to find it and read your replies!! Looking forward to the trip obviously and meeting you all - in the lounge bar probalby....

Travelled with JY before to Nepal and loved every minute.

Looked up a couple of the hotels, some mixed reviews but sure we will have a good time regardless.

All the hotels sound good although I think that one of them might be different now to what appears in the brochure. It’s booked now anyway so whatever they’re like, we’ll just have to keep an open mind, make the most of it and enjoy ourselves (which I’m sure we’ll do!).

Although there are 31 of us booked, there doesn’t seem to be that many using this site, can’t think why, it’s quite useful to get an idea who’s going.

As for the exchange rate, I don’t even have any idea how much to take or what we will need to be spending it on once there. I’m hoping that someone on one of the earlier trips might offer up some useful suggestions.

Plenty of time anyway, 13 weeks and 5 days to be precise!!!

Adi