Sunset Massacre - A Safari Adventure!

We decided to save the best for last! East Africa is forever linked with its wild life such as lions, zebras, wildebeests, cheetahs, leopards and rhinos. After some much needed R&R in Zanzibar, we were recharged and headed out for our 4 day in the Masai Mara Game Reserve on the northern border of Kenya.

We spotted a herd of elephants less than 10 minutes after we entered the reserve.

There were countless zebras, gazelles, topis and wildebeests roaming the vast Mara grassland. We even came by the curtest baby giraffe who normally is hidden out of our sight by its mother. By the Mara River, we didn't see the great migration. However, we did see the after math. One poor wildebeest didn't make it over river and became a feast for the crocodiles and vultures.

Down the stream, we also spotted hippos napping in the sun.

Morning of our last day in Masai Mara, we visited a Masai village. The Masai are semi-nomadic people who don very colourful clothing and jewelries. Their unique lifestyle has caught the curious eyes of the world. Despite education, civilization and western cultural influences, the Masai people very much have clung to their traditional way of life, making them a symbol of Kenyan culture. Our guide Samson said the lions will not come near a Masai since tradintionally, a Masai boy becomes a man after he kills a lion. These days no more lion can be killed on the reserve, but I guess the fear still lingered.

Before coming to the Mara, we were warn that leopard was very rarely spotted during the day. Leopard catches its prey by jumping out of the trees that they sleep all day in and drags the prey as big as a Thompson gazelle into the tree. With a great digestive system, Leopard can even process meat that has rotten; so this means they will always have plenty to eat. We couldn't believe our luck when we came across this majestic spotted predator hanging out in a tree in the late afternoon hour of our last game drive.

Shortly after we left the leopard, we came across an interesting scene that looked like it was right out one of those animal kingdom documentaries. It was a pride of lions (including 4 or 5 cubs) stalking a buffalo. Samson told us normally lions would not dare to challenge a buffalo, however, it looked very old and was alone. The lions would most likely make a move after dark since the playing field would be more leveled. We watched this intense stare down for about 1 hour and had to head back since the reserve did not allow night game drive. Now we will never know what happened...

Although we didn't spot any rhinos or witness a kill, we did score very well by seeing a leopard and baby giraffe.

Beach, Sun and Much Needed R&R

After a short, but delayed (again) morning flight from Addis, we only had one night back in Nairobi to re-pack and be ready to be "shipped" out to Zanzibar, Tanzania. I must say when we landed in Nairobi again, it felt very different than the first time we landed here. Compared to Ethiopia, this capital now seemed so modern and metropolitan.

Shortly after achieving independence from Britain in the early 1960s, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. Zanibar is an archipelago made up of Zanzibar, Pemba Islands, and several islets and 6° south of the equator. We landed in Zanzibar mid afternoon and took an one hour taxi ride to the resort. As we drove through the street, I was trying to take in the sights and sounds as much as can. The lines of palm trees reminded me of any beach town. Children sat in front of their mud brick houses and waved at cars going by.

The next day we hung out on the white sandy beach, swam in the crisp blue Indian ocean and worked on evening out our spotty farmer's tan. As much as I love trekking through mountain and learning new culture, but sometimes doing nothing is oh-so blissful. We also arranged a snorkling day trip to Mnewba Island area reef. Unfortunately, it was very windy and water was a bit rough, we had to cut our trip short. On the way back, we spotted several dolphins leaping around. I have never seem dolphins in the wild and this more than made up for having to deal with the rough sea.

Zanzibar's other must see is the magic of historic Stone Town. It is said to be the only functioning ancient town in East Africa. Needless to say, I didn't mind cutting my lazy days a little short to check out this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first place we wanted to check out was the Anglican Cathedral. The church's altar stood on the location of the whipping post from the former slave market. Next to the Cathedral was a hostel and orphanage and the cellars below had been slave chambers. The dark and creepy space that one can barely stand up in use to hold up to 75 people at one time. It was unimaginable to fathom once upon a time, human beings were kept and sold like animals.

Stone Town made up of winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and fancy brass-studded wooden doors. We spend the rest of the day just wandering (or getting lost) through the fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways.

As a big fan of street food, I had to check out the Forodhani Gardens night market. It was hard to decide between skewers of tuna, calamari or even baby shark (really?) or fried plantain, samosa and wash everything down with a glass of sugar cane juice. I finally decided on a Zanzibar pizza, a greasy pancake stuffed with carrots, pepper, onion, minced meat, topped with spices and other unknown ingredients. It was really good and filling.

Holy City of Lalibela, Ethiopia

We returned to Gondar after the Simien trek and caught a flight to our last stop in Ethiopia. Lalibela was named after a king who commissioned extraordinary underground granite Rock-Hewn churches with the intention of creating a new Jerusalem for those who could not make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It was a small town with a 30 meter wide round-about as its city centre. But its 11 Ethiopian Orthodox churches were complexly linked together via tunnels and gates, required a certified green jacket guide to manoeuvre through. We searched for such a person turn out to be a bit of a farce since everyone had green jacket if you asked.

The churches were carved downward into volcanic rock formation which meant the roof was at ground level. Insides were vibrant coloured paintings of various bible tales and icons. Majority of the churches are still in use today. In fact later in the night, a fellow traveller told us there will be some sort of ceremonial gathering tomorrow morning from 9AM to 11AM around the Bete Medhane Alem church area.

The next day we found out the gathering was to celebrate St. Mary's birthday. We arrived shortly after 9AM, there was already a large crowd dressed in their white robes. At first, priests chanted over the loud speakers at a high point next to the church as the worshippers listened on and prayed. We tried to get a little higher up view without disturbing the crowd, but ended up almost running into the priest precession coming down to bless the people below. The ceremony went on with more chanting, drumming and even dancing (actually just synchronized rocking back and forth) ! It was fascinating to people watch at a religious event like this one.

Lalibela may be rich in history and culture, but it is a very impoverished town. Our hotel was probably on route to one of the aid stations. We saw a constant flow of people and donkeys carrying large bags marked "wheat - USA Aid". Most people wore no shoes as they walked through the dusty road and children ran around the neighbourhood with torn clothes.

Trekking Through Simien Mountain Range, Ethiopia

We have arranged a highly recommended guide to take us trekking through the Simien (means "Northern" in Amheric) Mountain National Park for 3 days. This mountain range peaks at over 4500 meters above sea level. A sea level dweller, I was really glad I remembered last minute to get some altitude medication. The height also caused the temperature at night to drop down into the single digits. In fact, it even hailed during one of the nights. I had to pack my winter jacket for this June trek!

We got picked up from Gondar in the morning to start a very bumpy 2 hour drive north to the park entrance. We had to stop in the town of Debark first to meet up with our guide, cook, armed guard and pick up food supplies. Yes, we were required by the park to hire an armed guard who were all local villagers. It wasn't because the park was particularly dangerous. This provided them with a job and a chance to be involved in the protection and preservation of their land.

By early afternoon, we started our very short trek of the day. It was the rainy season in Ethiopia. We had to make it to our camp ground before the rain hit which happened everyday around 3PM. Dealing with the high elevation was much harder than I imagined. I was huffing and puffing at the slightest incline. Good thing we stopped frequently to watch the Simien baboons, primates that can only be found here. Their very human like ways were fascinating to watch. I thought they were even communicating in a form of human-like language with various tones and pitches.

The next day we had a full day of trekking. The guide told us, the rainy season was actually a great time to be here since all the greens are luscious and not too hot. We trekked by a beautiful waterfall, crossed a river in our bare feet, visited a traditional village hut and even came across a baby goat born minutes ago. It was a tiring day, but it was topped off by a very special dinner. We decided to purchase a fat sheep from a local farmer to slaughter for dinner. The cook used wild thyme found throughout the mountains as his main spice. "Benjamin" the sheep was very cute, but he was also very delicious and completely free range.

We saved the best for our last day. Imet Gogo is the promontory that peaked at 3926 meters above sea level. Although it was not the highest point, Imet Gogo offered the most spectacular and dramatic views. It actually reminded me of the flowing mountains in the movie Avatar. The cloud and fog added mystery to this less traveled part of the world.

I must say various different parts of Simien Mountain looked like it could be Yellow Mountain in China or Benbulben Mountain in Ireland or even rock formations in my current hometown, British Columbia. Over the 3 days, we covered approximately over 60 km. It was a very difficult trek, but it was extremely rewarding.

Camlot of Africa - Gondar, Ethiopia

We had booked a 2.5 hour mini bus ride through our hotel to take us north to Gondar from Bahir Dar in the morning. Gondar earns the title of Africa's Camlot for its series of centuries old stone castles. As we drove into the city and saw the castle walls, I couldn't wait to see what laid behind these walls. But first we stopped for some lunch at the Quara Hotel terrace restaurant. It offered a great view of the city (right) and their pizzas were not bad too. All went really well with a cold Fanta.

After lunch, we headed over to the castles and to walk off the pizza we just ate. When we entered the grounds, I felt like I had left Africa and woke up somewhere in southern Europe. The 350 year old main castle and most well preserved was built by Emperor Fasilides who was one of the most famous rulers in ancient Ethiopia. The royal grounds also included elaborate banquet hall complete with impressive stables, steam bath house with wooden wall cloth hooks still intact, lion's den, distillery and library built by Fasilides' successors.

Separate from the castle grounds, we took a short tuk tuk ride to Emperor Fasilides' Bath. This large rectangular shaped pool with a bath house in the centre was still used today during religious holidays. The most interesting thing about this place was the walls that surrounded the pool. They were crawled with tree roots (left) very much like Angkor Thom in Cambodia. Once our way out, we were stopped to take a survey on our tour experience. I requested toilet facilities.

The last leg of the tour was the Debre Birhan Selassie Church. After Bahir Dar, I was indifferent about seeing another church until I stepped inside of this one. The ceiling were covered with angels watching over and protecting the church. Local legend said all other Churches were burnt down by invaders in late 1800, expect for this one.

(photo by Franck Zecchin)

Seeing Gondar was a bit of a surreal experience for me. I thought it was what intrigued me about Ethiopia in the first place. It was hard to believe Gondar was part of Africa.

Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

After only spending one night in Addis, we caught an early flight to Bahir Dar, a city by the third largest lake in Africa, Lake Tana. The lake was also dotted with several islands, homes to centuries old monasteries. We arranged a boat as soon as we reached the hotel. The boat was not speedy by any stretch of the imagination. But it was nice to lounge out and enjoy the beautiful African sun on the breezy lake Tana. The lake water was muddy due to winter erosion.

These island Ethiopian Orthodox monasteries were quite plain looking from the outside. However, the inside of these holy places was decorated with colourful paintings of bible icons and stories (right). Each monastery had their own little museum where they kept their old goat skin bibles, silver crosses, praying sticks, priest robes and other religious items.

After a few hours of cruising around the lake and hoping to spot a hippo (but didn't), we went around town in search of some good layered juice (left). This delicious and beautiful creation was layered with thick pineapple, guava, avocado and passion fruit juice. It was very filling like a meal. I made the mistake of stirring the juice when I was half way through. It ended up tasting like avocado juice and looked like something my ferret would throw up. Bad idea!

Our jet lag was getting much better. We were in bed by 9 and up around 4 or 5. Sun rosed around 630AM the next day, I decided to stroll around the hotel garden and capture the morning dew with my camera. The air was fresh mixed with aroma of the after rain soil. A couple of black with a dash of red birds flew overhead and landed on the giant fig tree next to the garden cafe. What a perfect African morning!

We hired a car to see Blue Nile Falls located 40 minutes south of Bahir Dar. The drive gave us a first glimpse of Ethiopian rural life. People seemed to be untouched by the world outside. They probably lived very much the same for the past 100 year. Donkeys carried heavy farm cargo, small mud huts were built long the unpaved road and farmland ploughed by mules.

Shortly after we entered the Blue Nile Falls grounds, we came across the first bridge built in Ethiopia. Eggs were involved in the making of this bridge. I wonder how many eggs it took. We were then joined by a dozen children who insisted on showing us around. They were all local village kids with surprisingly good English. The falls were pretty amazing sight to see, especially when they were brown like chocolate milk. During the summer, the falls would be clear. We were able to trek quite close. The mist from the falls was nature's air conditioner that cooled us on a hote sunny day like this one. But we had to move quickly as we were also getting a shad darker from mud mist.

After coming back from the falls, we decided to treat ourselves to a Swedish massage at a luscious spa next our hotel. It was also to get ourselves ready for the 3 day trek through Simien Mountains in a few days.

Yummm... I heart Ethiopian Food

After checking into our hotel, we napped for nearly 5 hours and got up in time to eat dinner. I am a big time food lover and Ethiopian food is renowed for its rich and intense flavour. We grabbed a taxi and went straight to Habesha restaurant that also offered nightly folk dancing with your dinner.

Kat had been to Ethiopia in business trip before and knew the traditional food scene quite well. We relied in her to order us a mixed plate of goodies that including raw meat. Ethiopian food is eaten with hands. Soap and water was brought to us at the table. Shortly, a large plate with a sheet of injera which was a very thin, spongy pancake-like flat bread. Then the food was piled on top. First up was the Gored Gored, the raw meat dish mixed with spices. Second dish was called Tibs a mutton dish with thinly diced green peppers. Third dish was piled in the middle called Doro wat minced chicken curry that even came with a whole egg. Finally we topped off the plate with Shiro a vegetarian fasting food (wed & fri) chick pea dish. We were each given a roll of extra Injera, To be honest, in the very darkly lit restaurant it looked like a roll of toilet paper. We tore off a small piece of injera to use to grab a bit size of the dishes. Everything was an explosion of flavour in your month. Made out of tef, injera is very light and very sour at first bit. However, mixed with shiro and other dishes, the sour taste became not so noticeable.

Getting to Ethiopia

Ethiopia was a country we are planning almost half our time visiting. Needless to say I am more than excited to check out its much talked about unique historical sites and meet the friendly local. However, getting there really started rough. Our flight departure time and route (different stop overs were added to otherwise a less than 2 hour direct flight) from Nairobi to Addis Ababa, the capital, had changed about 5 times even before we stepped our foot in Africa. Calling around to confirm the night before got us different times. Finally we decided it was safer too show up at the airport at 1130pm for our "2am" flight. A little while after receiving our boarding passes we discovered the boarding time was 230AM and the departure was now 330AM. An hour later we discovered the terrible news that it was again delayed to 530 due to series of mechanical issues of the aircraft. Tired and cranky we waited at the coffee shop lounge and played trivia games to pass the time. As 530AM drew near, we anxiously waited near the departure gate. At 530AM, no airline rep had shown up at the gate to broad us and the airport DA screen still showed a 530AM departure time. I was really angry and determine to find out what was going on. I walked around the airport until I found an Ethiopian airlines rep who told me the air craft was landing as we speak and the departure time was now 645AM. I couldn't believe my ears that we had spent twice amount of time waiting for this flight than the actual length of the flight. After a stop over in Kilimanjaro airport, we finally arrived in Addis at 1030AM. The silver lining of this ordeal was it can only get better from this point on.

Nairobi - Day 1

Our first day in Nairobi was a slow start. We didn't want to plan too much and wait for Michelle's arrival to pet the baby elephants. After lounging around for several hours in Kat's apartment we headed out to exchange some money at the Yaya shopping Centre one block away. We were warned not to take our fancy SLR camera, so we are not targeted as tourists that just arrived in town. The unpaved street was hopping with young man selling roasted corn, car mechanics banging away on an old Honda and ladies selling bananas, pineapples and other unidentifiable vegetation.

We then wandered around the neighbourhood which were full of consulate houses and nice apartments with very tight security before deciding to head back to the shopping centre for some lunch. Although Kenya is a poor country, Nairobi is not cheap! Our smoked ham and Gouda baguette sandwich set us back 12USD. It was delicious though. We forgot to check the tipping etiquette before leaving the apartment and sat around debated amongst ourselves how much we should give. After getting back, we checked the guidebook right away: 10% tip is welcomed since wage is very low (as expected). Kat later informed us, rounding up the bill is good enough.

We were still very much feeling the jet lag and took a 5 hour nap in the afternoon. Later in the evening, we went out to Westland area Italian restaurant for Kat's friend's going away party. Westland is an upscale expat neighbourhood with posh restaurants and bars. After dinner, we headed for a drink and tune in to the England vs Algeria World Cup game at Havana's, a Cuban restaurant and Bar.

The night ended for us at around 11PM. We went back to sleep and waited for Michelle's arrival.

Landed in Kenya after Almost 30 Hours

After 19 hours in the air and 8 hours in between, we finally landed in Nairobi! I think I have been the most tired of all the long international flights I have taken. It might have something to do with the crying baby and large man who decided to extend his elbow to my seat.

We had a 4 hour layover in Amsterdam and had a chance to check out the downtown area. It was actually really boring since we were there 7AM in the morning. Nothing was open, not even MacDonald's. But there were a few ladies in the red light district working the early shift.

We landed in Nairobi after dinner. It was a bit chilly (14 deg) since it is winter here right now. But I couldn't help love the smell the burnt wood in the air. We headed to bed after some tea and biscuits. I was so tired that as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light. However, my sleep didn't last that long. Around 2AM, I was awake wondering where was Michelle who was surpose to arrive 7 hours after us. I woke up every hour thinking it was already mid day! Around 6AM, Kat slipped me a note before going to work to let me know Michelle had missed her connection and was stuck in Cairo for 24 hours.

Ruby Roads is going to Africa

Ruby Roads is going to be on the same continent as the World Cup 2010 very soon! We will be blogging from Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania for the next 4 weeks. There will be mountain trekking, talking to locals, souvenir shopping, hanging out on the beach and of course, animal watching. Please stay tune!

Lamborghini vs Water: Understanding Chinese Consumers in a Nutshell

Everyone wants a piece of the world's largest consumer market; so what do Chinese consumers want?

I recently came across a story about a wealth Chinese woman who was on her way to purchase a car, a Lamborghini actually. She stopped to buy a bottle of water, the street vendor wanted 3RMB ($0.46 CAD). She argued with the vendor that the market price for bottle of water was 1RMB and she was not going to pay this outrageous price. They finally settled on 2RMB.

You might think, well, that is just silly. A woman who can afford to buy an ultra luxury Italian vehicle couldn't spare that an extra RMB for a bottle of water. The truth is the Chinese will not hesitate spending big dollars on items that will make "face" look good or can outwardly reflect one's status. Recognizable international brands such Louis Vitton, Nike and etc are what the Chinese lusts after. However, they are very practical when it comes to products that reflect low "face" value such as water. They are very educated on the value on these products and will not pay a penny over the market value.

Chinese consumers maybe very sophisticated about tangible products like cars, clothing, shoes and etc. However, their understanding towards service is still in its infancy. One of my professors during my studies was an executive for Disney. He talked about one of the issues with Disney Hong Kong was it was very difficult (nearly impossible) to train employees to provide North American equivalent standard of services. The Chinese' understanding of good service is currently one dimensional: getting the job done and do it fast while an average North American may value multiple aspects and often, small or finer details of a good service.. Having lunch with a friend from China, he complained about the slow bank service in Canada: "I just wanted to open an account. I was in the bank for 1 hour listening to the teller explaining in every detail of my new account. In China, it would take 5 minutes."

In order to market to the Chinese, you better understand how the Chinese behave. A lot of research should be done before entering the market or else it come can be a very costly mistake.

What Industries should the Vancouver Pavilion Promote?

Vancouver is my current home town and I love it here. I am really happy to hear Vancouver have its own presents at the international event of the year - Shanghai Expo 2010. It probably doesn't have the crowd that the Canada Pavilion draws, but it is here to do business. Rumour has it, the pavilion is largely sponsored by the timber industry. No surprise there, aside from USA, China is becoming a huge timber consumer. They benefit the most from exposing itself to China.

But Vancouver not only has wood products, here are a few BC industries I wish were showcased at pavillion.

First, green technology. The pavilion does put focus on clean and green living (by building wood construction and use wood products). I really would like to see more focus. Vancouver recently was ranked one of the top 15 on the Mercer Eco-City index and 4th in Quality of Living Index. Vancouver has so many innovative small businesses that are dedicated to green technology. I participated in several business plan competitions in recent years in BC and the top prizes were always awarded to green business ideas. Obviously, we have so much to offer to China and the world. Trust me, China really needs it!!

Second, tourism. I don't think I have ever met anyone who does not love Vancouver after a visit (most, eventually move here). The mountain and the ocean are second to none. It is one of the few places in the world where you can ski in the mountains, windsurf in the ocean and play a round of golf all in the same day! Last winter, Canada and China finally agreed to proceed with the Approved Destination Status agreement. Chinese tourists will be give Vancouver tourism industry a huge boost in the coming years.

Third, booze! The Okanagan valley (5 hour drive outside of Vancouver) produces high quality wine and icewine. Drinking wine is a hot luxury trend in China right now.

Here is an article that talks about the Vancouver Pavillion in more detail.

What to buy when you are in China

China is a fantastic destination for shopping. It is the manufacturing capital of the world after all. You will arrive with an empty suitcase and leave with a shipping container! So much to buy, here is a very small list of must buys that are not only high quality, but also cheap.

1. Phone accessories. I got my iPhone cover at the pearl market in Beijing before I even got an iPhone. The cover quality was quite good. Especially, now I have dropped my iPhone at least 5 times so far. Best part, the hard cover costed me only 20RMB (3 CAD).

2. Socks and underwear. China makes over 3 billions pair of socks annually for Walmart and other retail giants. The socks are high quality and really cheap. Same goes for underwear.
3. Camera accessories. Memory cards, tripods, batteries and camera bags for sure. Don't bother buying lens or cameras since they cost approximately the same as in North America.

4. Silk and embroidery products. Silk is a no brainer. Labour is expensive in the west. Hand made embroidery is hard to find. Although a slowly dying art form in China, hand made embroidery is still plenty. You can even get your photo portrait embroidered.


5. Chinese water-colour paintings. I like to buy them. Because they are not only beautiful, but also very easy to transport. Just have to roll it up and unroll to hang on the wall. No framing required.

6. Prescription glasses and contacts. Yes, bring your precription and have your glasses made in China. I paid 350 RMB (54 CAD) for my frame and lens.

A final tip, be sure to brush up your negotiation skills before your trip.

Don't forget to join us on our next trip: China Shopping and Spa Extravaganza.

Getting Married in China

Ever thought about having your wedding in China? According to the World Tourism Organization, in 2020, China will overtake France to become the largest tourist country and the fourth largest for overseas travel. China’s romance lies in its mystical culture and the serenity of its natural beauty. Here are a few things you should know about having a wedding in China.

The majority of wedding ceremonies in China are civil ceremonies typically performed by an older and influential family member or close friend. They act as both a witness to the union and Master of Ceremonies. A religious wedding ceremony is uncommon in China, especially ones performed by figures such as a Christian priest or minister. Additionally, there is no such thing as a Buddhist wedding. Weddings in China are tied more to the culture than to any particular religion.

China has over 5000 years of history. Therefore, it is no surprise its tradition of thousands of years of vast imperial bureaucracies carry through to today! While having a wedding in China will certainly be the romantic experience of your lifetime, the process of obtaining a marriage license is no Vegas drive-thru Chapel experience (maybe that's a really good thing!). It is time consuming and expensive. There is a lot of paperwork with embassies and/or consulates involved and everything will need to be translated into Chinese.

It is highly recommended for couples who both hold foreign passports to legally marry in their home country, and hold a symbolic wedding ceremony in China only.

Fun Chinese Wedding Traditions you can incorporate into your special day:

• Incorporate the number “9” any way you can. The number “9“ in Chinese sounds like the word that means long lasting or long time. Therefore, the Chinese love to include anything with this number when planning a wedding.
• Conduct a tea ceremony for the couple to honor parents from both sides. It is also a chance for the parents to present the couple with presents or red envelopes of money.
• Use the colors of red and gold. Chinese brides traditionally wear these two colors on their wedding day and they are the predominant color for all things wedding related.
• The Bride and her friends can have a bit of fun at the groom’s expense. The groom’s party or representative(s) arrives at the bride’s house or hotel room to “acquire” the blushing bride. The bride’s friends will not ‘surrender ’the bride until they are satisfied by red envelops of money from the groom’s representative. The good-natured haggling and hijinks are a lot of fun before the wedding.

Previous related post: Want to have a unique destination wedding?

Do's and Don'ts in China

Do's in China

1. DO BE OPEN MINDED! Get ready for the culture shock of your lifetime! It is a good thing. This is why we travel to new places.

2. DO learn a little Chinese. While rumours have it that China has more English speakers than in the USA, majority of the population will not have a good gasp of the language.

3. DO eat every chance you get. Of course, that could sometimes do a number on your tummy. Take the Dukoral vaccine before you go.

4. DO brush up on your Chinese etiquette. For example, tipping is not common in China.

5. DO get comfortable with having your space invaded. 1.3 billion people is a lot of people!

6. DO learn the art of bargaining and negotiation. It is so much fun!

7. DO try to chat with the locals. You will be very pleasantly surprised with what you can learn.

8. DO be punctual. Being on time shows respect for others.

Don'ts in China

1. DON’T hug or kiss your Chinese friends when greeting them. A good hand shake is perfect.

2. DON’T make out in public. China is still conservative by western standard. Limit heavy PDA.

3. DON’T expect all public bathrooms to have toilet paper available. Always carry some of your own.

4. DON’T get upset when vendors become pushy. Just smile and politely decline if you are not interested in buying.

5. DON’T think people staring at you as hostile. Most of the looks are out of curiosity.

6. DON’T expect the Chinese food to taste the same as it does in your home country. Don’t expect a fortune cookie at the end of your dinner either.

7. DON’T comment negatively about the Chinese Communist Party.

8. DON’T start touchy conversation topics such as Taiwan or Tibet independence and avoid overly praising Japan.

Chinese Foot Massage

One of my favourite things to do while in China is getting a foot massage, especially at the end of a long day. The masseuse will first bring a small wooden basin filled with herbs and really hot (almost boiling) water to soak your feet in. After your toes are warm and soft, your body will feel really relaxed too. Finally, the masseuse will go to town on your feet! It is the best feeling ever. Most spa places I have been to, foot massages also include a 15 minute shoulders and arms massage at the end. I call that icing on the cake!

The Chinese believes there are many important pressure points on your feet. Massaging particular points can benefit your various body parts like kidney, liver and etc. Taking care of your feet is very important.

There are many foot massage spas in every city of China. From the basic local ma-and-pa shops that charge 40RMB (6 CAD) for 1 hour to the luxury spas that charge 300RMB (46 CAD), you can find a spa in any price range. My personal preference is sticking to more medical format massages which the masseuse has excellent experience in Chinese medicine or is a Chinese medicine doctor (CMD). CMDs have to learn all of the pressure points on the body as one of their basic studies, so naturally, they make very a good masseuse.

Next time you are in China, you must treat your feet with a heavenly foot massage. The only problem is you might get addicted.

Don't forget to check out Ruby Roads' upcoming Shopping and Spa Extravaganza which you will receive two complimentary foot massages while on the trip.