Back to China we Go !!!!

Amooliakin · Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 368 Location: NYC

Well one trip to China was not enough for us.... so having "done" Shanghai and Hong Kong we are now headed off to the far east again to try other areas. This time instead of going on our own and to see relatives, we are joining a tour. In some ways that will make things easier... in some ways harder. Thank goodness for Nancy who is a native speaker and for our extra luggage that will be fillled with GF foods that Rebecca will eat.

We will be in many different parts of China (7 flights and 2 boat trips in 3 weeks)... so wish us good luck and I'll post pictures when we return....
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Amy - Mom to two kids, one with Celiac, and assorted pets...

The Edifying Conscience · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 2484

Have fun! Looking forward to seeing your photos. Don't forget to take a photo of the foodcase(s).

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 8783 Location: WI, USA

Have a great trip!! How exciting!! I can't say I envy the amount of time spent in the cramped confines of an airplane [then again, I'm 6'5", so maybe others don't have trouble with their knees up to their ears..Thank goodness for emergency exit seats!!]

I'm thinking we're going to have to a thread dedicated solely to food cases Wink

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Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

ostrich · Joined: 30 Mar 2006 Posts: 4285 Location: Nebraska

Amooliakin · Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 368 Location: NYC

Well we are home again safe and sound... what a trip! It was one of those tours where you are up at 6:30 every morning and on the bus by 8 seeing sights. We ate at all kinds of restaurants and in many different parts of China. Thank goodness Nancy was there to translate and talk to the various chefs. We did really well and only made two mistakes, both of which were stupid of us and had NOTHING to do with the fact that we were traveling in a foreign country.

The part of the trip I think all of you would get the biggest kick out of was when we went to a dumpling restaurant where all of Rebecca's favorite foods were tantalizingly spread before her. Poor Rebecca was so sad. We never would have chosen this place, but it was part of the tour and there was a show afterwards so we couldn't peel off and go someplace else. They did have one dumpling made of rice flour, but it had a sweet center as a dessert. Nancy asked them to use the rice flour to make a pork dumpling and at first they refused, saying it was not on the menu and they couldn't do it. But Nancy said she would go into the kitchen and do it herself and then they had to agree to make the dumplings or they would look bad. They made those dumplings and everyone was happy!

At other places we found people were willing to go out of their way to cook things Rebecca could eat. She had a rice noodle dish that she loved but that looked to me like a jellyfish and at one place the cook made her a stack of sweet pancakes made out of corn meal and rice flour. They were really good!

The two mistakes were letting the tour guide give her a piece of chocolate which turned out to have a crispie center, and letting her eat some french fries even though they had been cooked with breaded stuff. In each case we were just lazy or practicing wishful thinking. But we learned our lesson.

Rebecca ate a lot of rice and vegetables and some meats (she is not too keen on meat) and the GF mac and cheese we brought and the cereals. She lost 5 pounds on the trip which is not great - but she didn't get sick and she got to see China!

On the non-eating end of the trip we climbed the Great Wall, saw the Terra Cotta Soldiers in Xian, walked through the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace in Beijing, took a cruise through the 3 gorges on the Yangtze river, saw the largest hydroelectric dam project in the world, Shopped in Hong Kong, took a Sampan ride through a floating fishing village, and lots more. We took pictures and made friends. It was a great trip and I'll be sure to post pictures when I get over the jet lag and back into this time zone.
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Amy - Mom to two kids, one with Celiac, and assorted pets...

ostrich · Joined: 30 Mar 2006 Posts: 4285 Location: Nebraska

Welcome back to the other side of the planet Amy! I'm glad everybody had a great time. I'm looking forward to those pictures.

I wouldn't feel too terrible about Rebecca getting sick. Getting sick twice in a foreign country while on a crazy tour schedule is pretty good in my book. Her losing 5lbs could also be due to all the sightseeing you guys did.
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Ostrich :>--O==={

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The Edifying Conscience · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 2484

Sounds like another wonderful vacation. I think you and Nancy should operate gluten-free tours to China! I would be interested.

Amooliakin · Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 368 Location: NYC

Funny you should mention the gluten free tour idea... I think Rebecca should grow up to write a book called "Traveling through China with a bottle of Gluten free Soy sauce". If we research the book by traveling around the world seeking out celiac friendly foods and places we will even be able to write it all off as a glorious business expense!

It was kind of crazy to travel to China with soy sauce in the luggage, but we brought it everyplace and it came in handy.

Wink

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Amy - Mom to two kids, one with Celiac, and assorted pets...