CHINA

My first visit to China was in 1997 only a few weeks after the British transferred Hong Kong to China in the form of a “Special Administrative Region.” Yet, a visit to Beijing was not a relatively simple matter like it is today. Few people spoke English, and western style luxuries were limited to a few five-star hotels.

During my day at the Great Wall, I felt like a celebrity as the locals stopped me to take my picture, or more surprising, to take their picture with me! The cost to ride the two-line subway was roughly the equivalent of a U.S. dime. And, at lunch, I watched my Australian friends pour hot water reserved for their tea across their lunch plate as a form of sterilization.