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The Jay Weber Show
6:00 to 10:00 AM Weekdays
A trip you don’t want to miss – Limited space!
Dear Listener,
I invite you to join me for my September 6 – 18, 2010 “Trip of a Lifetime” to a place that has fascinated me for practically my entire life – CHINA.
If you’re like me, when you were a little boy you dug holes. For the really deep ones, you
were always accused of digging to China. When astronauts went into space, we learned
that only one manmade object on earth could be seen from space – the Great Wall of China. Then in 1987, along came the movie The Last Emperor, which won 9 Oscars and told us the fascinating story of life behind the walls of the Forbidden City. We’re going to see those
things and more.
Our journey begins as we board our United Airlines wide-body jet bound for Beijing, China’s bustling capital city. Here, an amazing potpourri of sights awaits us. Historic Tiananmen Square. The classical gardens of the Summer Palace. The Ming Tombs where emperors were laid to rest. The incredible network of palaces that form the Forbidden City. The ornate Temple of Heaven. And, of course, the Great Wall. We’ll not only see it, we’ll actually have a chance to walk on it and climb it.
In addition to seeing all of Beijing’s great sights, we’ll enjoy a traditional Peking Duck
dinner and learn a little about Peking Opera at a special performance. We’ll ride rick-
shaws through the narrow streets of ancient Beijing. We’ll learn how to make
dumplings in a local home and, yes, we’ll even try our hand at flying Chinese kites!
From Beijing, we’ll take a short flight deeper into China’s interior to the city of Xi’an. We’re going there for one main reason, to see one of China’s greatest archaeological finds. We’ll visit the excavation site of the Terra-Cotta Warriors. This life-size army of men and horses was buried hundreds of years ago to protect an emperor in the afterlife, but it was not until 1974 that it was discovered by farmers drilling a well. In Xi’an, we’ll relive the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty during a spectacular dinner show in a specially designed theatre. Before we depart the city, we’ll visit one of the most famous Buddhist temples in the world, the classical Wild Goose Pagoda.
Leaving Xi’an, an afternoon flight takes us to Guilin in southern China. This is a land covered with limestone karst pinnacles and it is this mystical scenery that has inspired Chinese artists for centuries. We’ll see this breathtaking place from the best of all possible perspectives, atop a riverboat as we glide down China’s famous Li River. Below the ground, we’ll see more scenery that Guilin is famous for during our guided tour of the spectacular Reed Flute Caves.
From Beijing to Xi’an, to Guilin, it will be a study in contrasting views of China, but none will be greater than when we arrive in our fourth city, Hong Kong, where we’ll spend our final four nights. You will be amazed to see the most stunning examples of 20th and 21st century architecture existing side by side with the China of old. And we’ll see the contrasts in so many different ways. During an early morning walk through Kowloon Park to see local residents doing tai chi exercises. Looking down on the city from the top of Victoria Peak. From aboard the famous Star Ferry as we cross Victoria Harbor. In the local street markets where we’ll shop. Over cocktails while riding a streetcar. (Yes, you read that right. We’re going to have a cocktail party while riding a streetcar through Hong Kong.) Hong Kong will be a stunning grand finale to this “trip of a lifetime.”
If the Chinese tourism folks have a fault, it’s that they want you to see everything. Our days in China will be busy ones, so it’s comforting to know that at the end of each day, we’ll return to the comforts of some of the best hotels the country has to offer. In Beijing, we’ll stay at the luxurious Grand Millennium where rooms are large, modern and extremely comfortable. In Xi’an, we’ll be at the highly regarded New World within the famous city walls – great reviews on the breakfast here, folks (one of my priorities!). In Guilin, we are at the Bravo, which is rated #7 out of 115 hotels in this city. There’s a night market within walking distance that I think everybody is going to love.
Then we come to Hong Kong, where we are staying at the perfectly situated Sheraton
Hong Kong Hotel & Towers. This is one of the great hotels to stay at in Hong Kong,
especially if you have a room with a view of spectacular Victoria Harbor. We have harbor
view rooms for everybody in our group.
Folks, this is not an inexpensive trip – none of my trips are. My mission is to take my listeners on top-of-the-line trips to amazing destinations that will leave you in awe of where you have been and what you have seen and done. This trip certainly fits the bill.
Next year’s trip is priced at $5,799 per person, double occupancy. Here’s a summary of everything that’s included:
- Roundtrip economy class transpacific flights from Chicago on United Airlines
- Taxes and fuel surcharges as of 12-15-09 (subject to change)
- Flights within China
- Transfers between airports and hotels
- Deluxe hotels
- 24 meals: 11 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 6 dinners
- All listed admissions and sightseeing
- Knowledgeable English-speaking guides
- Professional Collette Vacations tour manager in mainland China
- Comprehensive pre-departure travel information
- Complimentary travel accessories
- Services of our Cruise & Tour escorts
Not included:
- Optional transfers to/from O’Hare International -- $68 pp r/t
- Passport and visa fees
- Meals not listed
- Laundry, phone calls and other personal expenses
- Travel insurance, which is recommended
Speaking of escorts, this trip has been personally designed by my partners in travel, Dennis and Peggy Crull, the owners of Cruise & Tour. We could not be in better hands. In addition to having put together my past “trips of a lifetime” (the Galapagos Islands, Egypt, and Germany & France), the Crulls have led five groups to China and eighteen (YES, 18) groups to Hong Kong during their nearly 34 years of worldwide travel. They will be with us once again to be sure that everything goes exactly as planned, and I know we’ll all benefit from their expertise.
Your best chance to go with us to China is to call Cruise & Tour today – 1 (800) 383-3131. It’s going to be a fantastic trip. I hope you’ll join me!
Warm Regards,
P.S. I do need to stress that we cannot take anywhere near the number of listeners to China in 2010 that we were able to take to Germany and France in 2009. That larger number was made manageable by being on a boat nearly the entire time, and that size group is simply not practical in China. If you would like to go, an early decision is a must!
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