We arrived safe and sound to Bangkok Airport at 10 AM. Easily through customs we grabbed our bags and headed out to meet our Guide Tan. Tan has worked for World Spree for many years and is a middle aged local with a sprained ankel! Yup our guide can't walk too fast. This should be fun. We are only 14 on this tour, a small group which should allow a great deal of personal attention from Tan, our driver Ton and our bus boy Juan. Yup his name is Juan, a good Thai name I am told. We have a bus for 40 and it is brand new so we have plenty of room to spread out. Our journey to downtown from the airport is 16 miles but due to excessive traffic, even for a Sunday ... read more

Thailand is a world of natural and cultural wonders. Exotic, colorful, historic, Thailand offers a plethora of ancient ruins, rich culture, unusual foods, a rich colorful environment and an amazing opportunity to visit a location very different from home. Preparation is critical. Thailand is HOT and HUMID. It can also be very wet if you go in the wrong season. We chose to go in November, the beginning of the dry season. Stay away from July to October as that is the rainy season. March through June are the HOT, and I do mean HOT season. July through October is the monsoon season where it will rain heavily every day. So the best times are November through February. So choose wisely. Secondly Thailand can be dangerous. The country just lost their King and the government is ... read more

One journey ends and another begins, the journey home. But before that let me take you back to last night. After our nap,it was about 5:30 and we were getting hungry. So Rick and I decided it was time to go downstairs and scope out up some dinner options. When we hit the lobby we spied Heidi sitting on the couch waiting for Marilyn and Bob, her parents. She waived us over and gave us the plan. It seems she was plotting to ask Jo to join us for dinner, something usually frowned upon by tour companies, but we didn't care, Jo was worth it. John came down next and we let him in on the plot. Mike joined next and the plot thickened. Heidi called Jo, and she accepted our invitation. Unfortunately, as we approach ... read more

Friday April 15, our vacation is slowly coming to a close. We have two more days in Shanghai, then the journey home begins. However, we still have two active days ahead, so we are going to make the most of them. Today at breakfast, we were joined by Jo and our local guide Tony. Let me tell you about them. Jo is a very lovely mother hen, taking care of her wayward chicks. She anticipates everything. She watches over us to make sure we are on time for the next event, helps with the language barrier, fixes problems and, most of all, puts up with me, a major job in itself. She's funny, smart and a joy to be with. China Spree is lucky to have her. We all love her dearly. All of our local ... read more

The wake up call came at 6:45 for our last day in Guilin. Tonight we take the 2 hour flight to Shanghai, for the last leg of our journey. Before that we are taking a scenic cruise on the Li River. Today it is a little warm, somewhat cloudy but dry, no rain in the forecast. After another buffet breakfast we headed to the bus for the 45 minute ride to the port where we boarded our river cruise ship. On the way our guide, Sue, filled us in on a little history of the Li River. Normally the river is very clear and blue, but due to the excessive rain in the last few days, it was quite muddy. Oh well, if you have ever been to Toledo and seen the muddy Maumee, you will ... read more