AAVE Trip BLOG » China
August 11, 2008
China #2 - Olympic Fever!
Posted by AAVE Leader in : China, General , add a comment
Greetings from the beautiful town of Yangshou located on the Li River in Southwest China. We just finished cooking our own authentic, multi course lunch at a local cooking school and are packing up, doing some last minute shopping and preparing to leave mainland China and head to Hong Kong tonight.
Yesterday was extremely exciting and active. We rode bikes through the lovely countryside, hiked to the moon (well, Moon Hill), had lunch at a local farmer’s house, went rock climbing and . . . hmmm . . . something else . . . .oh yeah . . . watched the opening ceremony of the OLYMPICS!! Wow, people here were so excited. Shops closed early and we watched the show with a bunch of locals on a big screen at a neighborhood restaurant. It was a night (and day) to remember. In fact, this whole trip has been memorable and exciting and I know that all of us have made some lifelong friends! We’ll call from the airport on departure day.
Signing off from China.
Alice and the China 2 AAVE adventurers
August 5, 2008
CH2 - Greetings from Li Jiang, China!
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Good Morning from Li Jiang,
After a yummy breakfast feast, we are packing up and getting ready to start our two day trek in the beautiful, awesome Tiger Leaping Gorge today. Our group has bonded and already had many amazing adventures. Hiking on the Great wall was fantastic, definitely a once in a lifetime experience and physical challenge! After learning about them in school, the kids loved seeing The Terra-cotta Warrior army up close and personal of the beautiful city of Xian. We can’t forget to mention the cute, cuddly pandas in Chengdu!! That was a trip highlight for sure! Yesterday we got out of the city and did a trek to a remote mountain village where we had lunch at a local farmer’s home. It was authentic, fantastic and beautiful. Our travel days, China is a massive country, are filled with good conversation, lots of puzzling riddles, bus dance parties and silly games! We’re having a great time, taking tons of pics and can’t wait to visit the small town of Dali, go biking and climbing in Yangshou and end our trip (too soon) in the bustling city of Hong Kong. Ok, time to trek!
Lots of Love,
Alice, Stony, and the AAVE China 2 Crew.
China #2 from Xi’an
Posted by Nate at AAVE in : China, General , add a comment
Hello Abbott, family and friends from Xi’an!
We are preparing to go to dinner after a busy day (and night) traveling from Beijing to Xi’an and visiting the Terracotta Warriors! Friendships are forming and everyone is adjusting well to Chinese culture. Our trek on the Great Wall, while difficult, was extremely rewarding, beautiful and a great bonding experience. We are very excited to go see the Pandas in Chengdu but not before our Tai Chi lesson and visit to a local school here in Xi’an tomorrow.
Loving the AAVE Life!
July 16, 2008
China 1
Posted by Alice in : China , add a comment
Hello back home from Xi’an!
We are all resting up and showering after our overnight train adventure from Chengdu to Xi’an last night.
It was a bit hard to leave Chengdu after seeing the cute pandas and being treated like celebrities!! Yep, we were interviewed and filmed by the local news crew because we were the first large American group to visit the capital city of the Sichuan Province after the May earthquake. Chengdu wants to let people know that it is safe to visit (which it ABSOLUTELY was) and apparently we were good people to help get the message out! They filmed us visiting the pandas, touring a local temple and then invited us to a banquet with other tourists (all Chinese) to show their appreciation. It was a great, unique and special experience for the kids and I’ll be sure to send you pictures when I can.
We’re off to see the Terracotta Warriors this afternoon and tomorrow we get to learn some Tai Chi and visit a local school. Our journey wraps up with a trek on the Great Wall and some time in the Olympic city of Beijing.
The kids, although craving hamburgers, are sad that our adventure is coming to a close. They keep talking about how fast things have gone and how much they will miss one another. I think that’s a sign that this has been an amazing, unforgettable summer! Thanks for sending them our way.
Take Care,
Alice and Stony
July 14, 2008
China 1 Group Picture
Posted by Alice in : China , add a comment
July 3, 2008
CH1 - Loving China and the group!
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Hey Everyone
Just a quick update while the kids explore a bit. This group is AWESOME! Everyone is getting along well and has a great attitude about our adventure.Yesterday we toured the city of Hong Kong together, watched a killer skyline light show, had a great first group meeting, got used to the new cuisine (we are working on perfecting our chopstick skills) and already took 9 modes of transportation!! It’s only been 3 days. We made it to mainland China this morning and the feel is quite different from that of Hong Kong. We are getting prepared for our overnight journey to Guilin by running around and checking out cool temples and parks in Guangzhou. Ok, gotta run! Will send a group picture soon.
Take Care,
Alice, Stony and The China 1 Group
July 2, 2008
CH1 - Nee Haw!!
Posted by AAVE Camper in : China , add a comment
So awesome to be in Hong Kong. This will be quick but other blogs will follow. We have all arrived safely and are loving getting to know one another and learn where we are all from! Today is a great day to explore Hong Kong and check out the shopping areas, the cuisine (mmm…yumm), and this phenomenal, super large Buddha statue that was on an island that we had to take a boat to get to!!!
We got to run but we’ll definitely be writing more as the days go on!
Talk to you soon!
June 30, 2008
Hello China 1 Students and Families!
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I am almost all packed up and ready to head to Asia and I wanted to say a quick hello, or “Nee How” before I go. The itinerary is set and I am extremely excited to meet all the students and have an awesome, unforgettable summer adventure together in China. I hope you are all getting excited too. Our first few days will include getting to know one another, exploring Hong Kong via trams and a ferry, checking out the largest outdoor Buddha statue in the world and taking an overnight train to Guilin. How amazing does that sound? Don’t forget your cameras. See you in Hong Kong!
-Alice
January 26, 2008
China Summer Camp is Unforgettable!
Posted by AAVE Camper in : China, General , add a comment
It was good to know that we were dealing with a professional company with years of experience facilitating trips like this. Our son had a truly wonderful trip that will give him much to remember.
-Parent, Kate Cooper, CH
Everything was great, there wasn’t anything unsccessful about the trip.
-Camper, Adam Cooper, CH
We were extremely happy with Jonny’s experience in China 1. His trip was booked in early May as a last minute attempt to expose him to a totally new experience. Just before he left, he stated that ‘everyone else thinks I am going to have a better time on this trip than I do.’ It was with great relief we listened to Jonny’s feedback on his first phone call from China — he was having a FANTASTIC time. And, unlike certain other programs, my husband and I were confident that AAVE’s program was well-supervised with the right balance of activities and learning experiences to keep the kids interested and on-track. So thank you, Abbott, for once again providing one of my sons with an adventure he will remember for a lifetime.
-Parent, Jan Black, CH
The activities kept us busy and interested and really allowed us to explore the country and the culture. China is an amazing place!
-Camper, Sarah Probber, CH
March 12, 2007
China Adventure Was Wonderful!
Posted by Chris in : China, General , add a comment
Abbott,
I remember having so many questions before I agreed to send Kelly to China on the AAVE adventure trip … It was an absolutely wonderful experience for Kelly! She always felt safe, the itinerary was excellent, and the guides were superb. I applaud AAVE for finding Shoni (not the correct spelling), a very experienced Chinese tour leader who escorted them for the entire trip. He spoke excellent English and was a mature and wise man who educated them and was a good role model. Rory, the AAVE trip leader, was also excellent and was able to bring out the best in each child. Kelly still talks about Rory and what a wonderful person she is– she had a very positive impact on my daughter. I am sure that the person chosen by Abbott to lead the adventure and AAVE will be excellent as well.
I would say that the trip is rigorous and that you should be prepared for long days with extensive travel within the country. Also, the food is all authentic so if you are not comfortable with new dishes you may not enjoy the food.
I believe AAVE has developed a wonderful program over the years, and although the China trip is one of the newer programs Abbott’s years of experience allows him & his team to craft a trip that is of the highest caliber. I highly recommend the China AAVE trip and believe it is one of the best offered for teens. I wholeheartedly recommend AAVE.
Sincerely.
Deb Usher