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(More customer reviews)GETTING AROUND IN CHINA by Fred Richardson puts the journey back into travel. The writing style takes the reader on that journey. As well as presenting necessary information and details on travel the book includes enough of his experiences finding his way that the reader vicariously journeys in China too in the manner that a travelogue does.
The first sections of this book present details on how-to for finding a hotel within your budget, locating good food at reasonable prices in interesting areas, and how to travel by train, boat, bicycle, including sections on personal safety, standing in lines, using telephones, finding internet cafes, even a brief section on handling the sensation of culture shock upon return from your trip. The last section of this small, useful, reasonably priced volume included well edited selections from the author's journals acquired over twenty years of China travel. They site short tales, reflections and give insights into the author's personal style that show how he has made so many Chinese friends over the years. Here is one of my favorites.
"In Guangzhou, I found everything waiting for me. I assembled my bike in a quiet corner near the luggage carousels. A few people wandered over to watch and two security officers kept coming over to joke with me and help. When the bike was assembled, I asked the two officers, with a bit of Chinese and sign language, if they rode. Receiving an affirmative, I pushed the bike hard toward one of them and let go of it. He caught it as it went by, looking a bit worried. He jumped on it and rode it around the area and around the luggage carousals, to the amazement of everyone there. Then the other guard did the same, with a huge grin. They gave the bike back and I tied on my bags and bit them farewell. I hope they didn't get in trouble."
A unique guide written by a unique traveler. This man lets his interests create the journey rather than a set schedule or preconceived itinerary. Although an invaluable resource for anyone traveling in China, reading this book expands the armchair traveler's sense of China.
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"Getting Around in China" is a practical handbook for anyonetraveling, living, or doing business in China. It is about China andthe changes: the process of traveling, including resources, commonmodes of travel, safety and security, hotels, food, Internet, beingsick and finding doctors, money, telephones, and many other relatedtopics.It is a process book, not a guidebook, and contains nothing aboutwhere to go or what to see. Most travelers will use it as a companionto their favorite guide. It will help you do what YOU want or need todo."Getting Around in China" contains tales in diary style tightlyrelated to each chapter, to give a "feel" for what happens. A glossarycontains Chinese words used in the book, giving the pinyinRomanization with tones, the Hanzi (Chinese characters), and theEnglish meanings as used in the book. The book is detailed andup-to-date (in so far as anything about China can be up-to-date).Common information covered well elsewhere is not included, unless theauthor has something to add."Getting Around in China" has received detailed reviews andsuggestions from more than 100 readers both inside and outside ofChina, while in the manuscript stages.The book was thoroughly fact-checked and updated on March2007, with the help of the editors at Foreign Languages Press inBeijing.
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