One day to departure!

We are one day away from our departure for China. This trip has been in the works for a year now. Nine students signed up, took two classes last summer, participated in the pre-trip activities (such as movie nights, a trip to Chinatown, pre-departure meetings), and they have individually prepared themselves for the opportunity of a lifetime.

As we prepare to leave, we are thankful to the school administration for its support, the Pathways to China Program managed by Burlington Public Schools, and our families. All have made this possible.

While we are in China, we will be updating this blog to bring friends and family news of our whereabouts and post pictures for all to see. We are unsure how often we will be able to access the internet, but when we do, we will post.

Also, we are being accompanied by a paper cut out boy called "Flat Will." Mrs. Burchill's 4th grade class at Killam Elementary is learning geography all year long by tracking the travels of their own "Flat Stanley" (Flat Stanley is a children's book.) Flat Will has traveled to New Mexico, Arizona,London, Florida, Washington DC and his culminating trip is China. Hopefully, we will be able to post pictures of Flat Will as he makes the journey with us. Thanks to Mrs. Burchill and her class for allowing us to spend this time with Will. Hopefully he has some rain gear and his passport is up to date.


Lastly, you can see our itinerary below. Thanks again to all of you for reading our blog. We are excited to share our stories and pictures with you as we explore China.
-Mr. John White

Itinerary
Day 1 > April 15 > Start Tour
Day 2 > April 16 > Ni Hao Beijing
Meet your Tour Director and check into hotel
Day 3 > April 17 > Beijing
Tiananmen Square
Local school visit
Forbidden City visit
Peking Duck dinner
A favorite dish of the emperors during the Ming Dynasty, Peking duck became available to the masses when a later dynasty collapsed and court chefs took their recipes to the streets. Indulge in spiced, crispy duck carved into strips and eaten on thin pancakes with cucumber, shallot, and plum sauce.
Day 4 > April 18 > Beijing
Tai-Chi Exercise
Summer Palace visit
"Snack Street" visit
Day 5 > April 19 > Great Wall
Travel to Great Wall of China
Stretching from Korea to the Gobi Desert, the Great Wall of China reaches 1,500 miles along old imperial borders. The wall was built mainly by millions of slaves, repairing and lengthening existing defensive walls throughout the centuries (the oldest dating back to the 5th century BC), until the massive structure was complete. Sentries posted at the stone watchtowers along its length could use smoke to signal an imminent attack.
Sacred Road
Day 6 > April 20 > Beijing--Xian
Fly to Xi'an
Bike the City Wall
Greater Wild Goose Pagoda visit
Day 7 > April 21 > Xi'an
School visit
Muslim Market visit
Mosque visit
Dumpling dinner
Day 8 > April 22 > Xi'an
Terra Cotta Warriors Museum
Tang Dynasty Singing and Dancing Show
Elaborate costumes, haunting rhythms, spectacular dexterity. The Tang Dynasty had a wide reputation for its dance performances, used by the Emperor Taizong not only for entertainment but also to educate citizens about civic duty and military readiness. At the art form's peak popularity, there were thousands of trained dancers kept in the emperor's court.
Day 9 > April 23 > Xian--Shanghai
Fly to Shanghai
French Concession walk
Yu Yuan Garden
Bund evening cruise
Day 10 > April 24 > Shanghai
Shanghai museum
Nanking Road
Acrobatic Show
Forget Cirque de Soleil -- Shanghai's Acrobatic Troupe has been performing for more than 50 years, and their combination of superb acrobatics, juggling, magic, and more has made them the world's best acrobatic ensemble.
Day 11 > April 25 > End Tour
High-speed train to airport