Originally Posted by
moondog
On what -- for lack of a better word -- evidence, does she base this assumption? I honestly feel more at ease in China than any other country in the world. Granted, I speak the language and have spent 10+ years in country, but I host guests from abroad all the time, and have never heard a single complaint. Believe it or not, people born after 1980 who live in BJ, SH, and even Xi'an tend to speak decent English, pretty much as a rule... especially true for the well dressed set, which is easy to spot.
If you've read many of my other posts related to this topic, you'll know I feel about guided tours both in general, and with respect to the sites you've mentioned. But, I hate beating a dead horse.
Insofar as your side trip is concerned, check out the XIY airport wiki in order to get a feel for what's out there:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi'an_X...tional_Airport
Basically, you can get from almost all of those cities back to Beijing, so XIY is your limiting factor (assuming you don't scrap Xi'an from your plans, of course). Bangkok could be a decent bet; just don't try to cram too much in because it would be a shame if 6 of your 13 days were spent in airports and on airplanes.
Thank you for the reply, moondog. I'm sorry I was unable to respond sooner.
My wife had spoken with friends who had apparently lived in China for a few years. She was told that we should have a local escort whenever we leave the hotel to guide us because of the language barriers, among other things. She also heard group tours are herded through souvenir shops and can't get to the intended site until everyone buys something. Plus, she was told we have to register with the local police upon arrival.
Even if all that were true, and if we could afford the private escort, where's the fun in that? I'm for the adventure in exploring a little bit of China, even if it means getting lost now and then.
I understand my wife's concerns, and I need to be mindful of not dismissing them outright based on the information provided by, in her words, "strangers on an Internet forum," as I want many more years happily living with her. But you all are experts in one way or another here and I feel I your suggestions and advice are to our benefit. But that's me; unless my wife hears it from someone directly....
We're going to skip making a side trip outside of China; you and drewguy are right, there's no point in spending more time than necessary getting to and from airports and on planes. We still need to arrange the visit to Xi'an and the Terracotta Warriors; I'll see if I can do that without having to go through the Hilton.
Thanks very much for the advice!