Recalling my Shanghai and Beijing trip experience made me check the Internet regarding china tour scams and my gut feeling is telling me that we have been scammed. :(
I am normally very sceptic about things and something felt staged but I don't know why we will fell into the trap.
I arranged our Shanghai and Beijing trip via universal holidays travel located in Dusit hotel here in Manila. Everything looked straighgforward.
We chose to have a tour guide with us because we thought it was impossible to enjoy the place if we don't have someone with us who can speak mandarin.
Hotel was good. Food was ok 90 percent of the time and the tour guide looked decent.
Michelle was our guide in Beijing and she looked very educated and kind hearted. Someone who wouldn't do anything deliberately bad.
I should have been more wary. I should have been more careful. Looking back, I realize that all her stories and side-kwentos about her jade bracelet and weight loss because of puer tea all were tiny traps that was planted in our subconscious.
One of her first story was what things were exclusive for the imperial family during their reign.
Silk. Cloisonné. Pearl. Tea and Jade.
Im sure there is some truth in her stories but I just feel that it was just too misleading.
First there was the silk factory in jiangnan.
Silk Beddings. Sold.
Then the Jade factory. She showed us her jade bracelet and that she has been wearing it for 10 years already. Her story was flawless. She made it sound magical.
Up next was the free tea tasting.
On our way to the Kung Fu show she told us that we still had time before the show so we can pass by Mr Tea where we will have a free tea tasting ceremony.
She said that she lost 10 kilos in two months by taking puer tea.
Sold.
The last one was the saddest one of all.
She asked us how our feet was with all the walking that we did. Thanks to the Uggs that besty lent me, my feet were just fine, thank you.
How about a foot massage then? Who would say no to that right?
We were then taken to a government run facility... for a massage???
While having our foot massage, a "dr" came in and started explaining acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. No harm in that.
But then a burly man in a suit came in followed by two assistants. They made him appear very important. Kesyo presidente nila and very important traditional doctor and we were were lucky that he was around.
He went to "diagnose" my mom just by looking at her and feeling her pulse. Then went on to prescribe her Chinese herbal medicine that will cure her of her hypertension. When he saw that we were skeptical, he offered to take a better look at my mom and went to perform a "cleansing ritual". He scared my mom and us by saying that my mom has to take a one year supply of his prescribed medicine as a supplement. The price was just too crazy. When my mom pretended that her credit card was not working, they called on us, the "daughters" to help out out mom and give our mom money for her medicine. HALLER!!!
Good thing we did not fall into this scam.
The sold bedsheets I can live with. They do feel soft and luxurious. The jade bracelet? I can do without it but I'll wear it. The tea? I'll drink it.
But looking back and realizing how dumb I am and stupid for not being able to protect my mom and sister from this scam makes me want to vomit. :(
I didn't want to think much about it but reading too many similar scams in the Internet makes me really dumb. And stupid. And stupid. And dumb.
All of these side trips were not on the original itinerary.
I always thought that people are innately good. Then I get conned. It doesn't feel good :(
The silk place, the cloisonné, the tea place and the foot massage place were all "government run place" with the best quality for the lowest price. yeah right.
So I won't be blogging about the rest of our China trip.
I will just blog about how I got scammed in China.
Mano po 2? Never again.
I am sorry Ma and Che. :(
Please do share my experience to others. I am not telling you not to go to Beijing or shanghai but if you do, please be very careful.
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