Day 1 – Tuesday
San Francisco: After meeting and greeting your flight leader and the other students joining the Yunnan Explorer, we’re off to Hong Kong! This is an easy, non-stop ride across the Pacific – and most students find that after dinner and a movie, they’re able to manage dozing off to sleep for a while. So sit back, have a chat with your new friends, and enjoy the flight!

Day 2 – Wednesday
This day is ‘lost’ as you cross the International Date Line. But don’t worry– you’ll get it back when returning home!

Day 3 – Thursday
Arrive at Hong Kong International Airport, where you’ll meet your program leaders and have time for a long awaited stretch. You will have a few hours in the airport before connecting onwards.  Next, we’ll grab our bags (preferably small and manageable!) and check-in for our connecting flight to Kunming.  The flight takes about 1 ½ hours, and then you will be setting down in mainland China!  Arriving into Kunming International Airport, you will meet up with the rest of the staff awaiting your arrival, and then catch a flight up to the city of Lijiang.  This flight is very short, about 45 minutes long, and as you gaze out the window, you will watch the city of Kunming fade away and be replaced with the lush mountains of Northern Yunnan Province.  Once we arrive into Lijiang Airport, grab your bags, and hop on a private bus to take you to the village of Shaxi.  The drive is about 2 ½ hours, and you will arrive in the early afternoon.  Once arriving into the village, you will be warmly greeting by our head staff member in the village, Yunxin Wu.  A native for over 13 years in the village, Yunxin has overseen the local school, been a welcoming friend to local travelers looking to spend a night in this special place, and a proud husband and father.  Settling into the village, you will move into your home while here in Shaxi – a 300 year old monastery restructured to hold Rustic Pathways students during the summer months.  Inside the monastery grounds, which are your home away from home, there are 3 main structures.  The first is a common area where you will have time to relax, chat with friends, practice your Mandarin that you pick up while here, and discuss the service work you are performing while on this program.  The second building is made up of the sleeping quarters, all brand new Western guest rooms with private bathrooms.  There will be 2 students per room here, and the accommodations are extremely clean and comfortable.  The third structure inside the monastery walls is an ancient traditional Chinese open-air theater, where local villagers have put on performances for the Shaxi people for centuries.  This unbelievable “home” overlooks the rolling farmlands in the valley, and is truly a magical place to spend your time here.  This first evening in Shaxi, sit down to a welcome feast of local Shaxi dishes – some of the best food in China!  You will have your orientation after dinner, bringing you up to speed on the community service projects that you will be a part of in the weeks to come.  As you drift off to sleep, with the peaceful quite of this little village surrounding you, and the stars ablaze above your head, you will truly be part of this special corner of the world.  Welcome to Shaxi!

Day 4 – Thursday through Day 9 – Wednesday
The daily itinerary will be mainly the same for your time here in Shaxi, and will run as follows:

Morning – Waking early, you will dine of local Shaxi delicacies and some Western dishes, all prepared by the villagers and served in the monastery.  If you are up for it, you can lend a hand in preparing these meals, but you will have to be ready to rise very early in the morning!    After breakfast each day, there will be a short orientation to go through the day’s activities of service work in the area.  Students will break up into groups of 2 or 3, and be paired up with specific Shaxi families with which they will be working on this morning service project.  Students will be working alongside families as they perform their daily projects. These will range from working in the farm fields, watering the rice crops, removing plants from the crops, helping to ‘drive’ the donkeys who are an integral part of this agricultural chain, helping to choose and plant seeds for the harvest, picking wild mushrooms to be used in the food, and building nests for the local bird populations.  This morning service project will run for approximately 3 hours each day.

Mid Day – Taking a break from the morning service projects, return to the monastery to rest up for a bit, grab a shower, take a stroll through the village, hang out with some of the school children and village elders, or just hang out with friends.  Lunch will be taken in the monastery, which will consist of traditional Shaxi & Chinese dishes. 

Afternoon – the afternoon service projects will be working directly within the village.  There will be a choice of service projects running in the afternoons, and students will split their time on different days between these multiple service initiatives.  The projects will range from working with the local school children in the village teaching English, a few different community based service projects such as doing general repairs to the school and playground & sports field, other general repairs to other community buildings, and helping to establish a functional compost and trash disposal program for the village.  The afternoon service projects will run for approximately 3 hours.

Late Afternoon/Evening - After finishing up the afternoon service projects, there are various afternoon activities to choose from in the village.  While serving an important role in learning about both the culture of the Shaxi locals, as well as Chinese culture as a whole, these are not primarily community service projects.  These optional afternoon activities will range from Chinese calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting, Chinese cooking classes, Chinese theater, weaving straw into local handicrafts, and learning about traditional Shaxi and Chinese music.

Night – Dinner each night will be as a group in the monastery, and on many evenings there will be locals in the village joining in the festivities.  Dining on traditional Shaxi and Chinese dishes, sitting around the table with new friends, the stars above and the quiet countryside surrounding you – this is the Shaxi Village Service Project!

Day 10 – Thursday
Waking up early on this final day, you will pack your things, say your final goodbye’s to the new friends you have made in the village, and hop on your private bus for the ride down to Kunming.  Arriving into the city of Kunming, you will catch a 1 ½ hour flight down to Hong Kong.  Once arriving into the city of Hong Kong, you will either be taking the Group Flight back to the USA, or connecting to another Rustic Pathways program.  Say goodbye to the friends you have made, the adventures you have had, and the country you have come to know – China! 

An Important Note about Schedule Changes:
Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the scheduless of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.

CHINA PACKING LISTS (Shaxi Village Service Project)

IMPORTANT: PACK LIGHT! Domestic airlines in China have a check-in baggage weight limit of 20 kilos (about 44 lbs). If your bags weigh more than this, the airline may charge you an excess baggage fee for every kilo over the allowed limit. In past years, we have had students incur SIGNIFICANT charges for excess baggage.

Pack the following items with your CARRY-ON Luggage:

* PASSPORT - you can not get on the plane without this!
* AIRLINE TICKETS - you can not get on the plane without these either!
* WALLET - with a bit of US money for the trip over. Your allowance account will be available to you as soon as you arrive in China. Most students bring something like $100 on the actual flight in case they need it along the way.
* 2 Photo Copies of your Passport - you will give these to our staff when you arrive in China. You only need to copy the 2-page spread that has your picture, date of birth, passport number, and personal information.
* 1 Spare T-Shirt - you may want to change shirts somewhere during your flight
* Sunglasses
* Toothpaste
* Toothbrush
* Journal and Pens - start the habit of writing in your journal before you leave
* Water bottle - keep yourself hydrated to avoid jet lag
* Snacks – comfort food that won’t melt - granola, dried fruit, etc. You don’t need much, but just in case you don’t like the airplane food. (Note: Singapore Air serves some tasty meals)
* Deck of Cards - fun for the plane and with your friends in China too
* Books – Something to pass the time.
* Cameras - Don't forget to bring your chargers, batteries and memory cards!! You can also bring your USB cords for downloading pics for emails. (For all ipod photo / video users, try and practice putting pictures onto your ipod at home before coming out here)

(TIP: BRING ALL OF YOUR FILM IN YOUR CARRY-ON, AND ASK THE STAFF AT EVERY X-RAY STATION TO WALK THE FILM AND YOUR CAMERA AROUND THE MACHINE. DO NOT PACK YOUR FILM IN YOUR CHECKED LUGGAGE!)

Pack the following items in your CHECKED Luggage:

* Silk or Cotton Sleeping Sheet- for hostel beds
* Long Pants (1 or 2 pairs - I suggest something lightweight ie. linen or a quick drying material)
* Underwear (between 7 - 10 pair)
* Socks (4 pairs)
* Swimsuit (modest)
* T-Shirts with sleeves (5-7 t-shirts)
* Tank Tops (1-2)- Remember that you want to be culturally sensitive with your dress, so don’t bring anything too tight or revealing
* Long Sleeve T-shirt - one or two - they help keep off the sun and keep in a little warmth in the evenings
* Rainproof, Lightweight Jacket - a small travel one is best
* Shorts (3 or 4 pairs) - not too short or tight, as this is offensive in Chinese culture.
* Running Shoes - 1 pair (optional)
* Sandals that are strapped (Chaco’s or Teva’s are recommended) and/or flip-flops
* Personal First Aid Kit - optional but recommended - a small kit with basic first aid supplies
* Small day bag – for side trips or hikes.
* Sunscreen - we suggest that you bring two completely different types. Alternate between them to avoid having any allergic reactions
* Chapstick- make sure that it has sunscreen in it. Lip balm without sun protection actually attracts the sun. Burt’s Bees has some nice products.
* Sunburn cream or Aloe Lotion - if you are someone who is prone to sunburn, we suggest that you bring a small tube or bottle of sunburn relief cream just in case you get too much sun.
* Insect Repellant - bring one that is heavy in DEET (40% or more) and one that is natural Citronella - 2 cans or bottles minimum. Be sure to switch off between insect repellants since DEET-based repellants can cause allergic reactions.
* Hand Sanitizer- one bottle. Always use this before you eat as many germs are passed from your hands to your mouth and keeping your paws clean helps keep you healthy wherever you are traveling!
* Small packs of Kleenex Tissues - public toilets in most of Asia do not supply toilet paper - you are meant to bring your own. It's always handy to have a few packs of Kleenex tissues with you when you travel in Asia.
* Hat or cap for sun - you may want to bring two hats or visors to keep off the sun, and to trade
* Towel (1 towel - NOT white) - white towels get rather gnarly looking after a while
* Laundry Bag for dirty laundry, or an old pillow case - keeps the clean stuff away from the dirty stuff so you don't have to sniff to find out.
* Medications (must alert staff about these) - bring with you any medications that you will need while you are away. You will need to tell staff what medications you have brought during your orientation period. This is done privately, but it is essential that you disclose to your staff all medications you are carrying.
* Contact lenses and accompanying paraphernalia - if you use contacts, bring all of your chemicals with you
* Other toiletries - shampoo, soap, etc.