well, the article was indeed creating a very unappealing picture of Shaolin as a "tourist" destination even for the hard-core Martist, but I think that we should read between the lines.
The author was very unorganized, quite prepared to follow pushy indications of strangers, and most of all was doing it really rough and on the cheap.
I have 2 friends who have been to Shaolin, and I am currently planning my first trip, 2 weeks, at Easter 2004. Frankly with the CTIS support, 3-4 star Shaolin Hotel accomodation, South China Air flight to Z.Z. and then private car booked to the hotel ..... I don't think there will be too much dealing with mucus, monthly showers and dirty food. Tuition organized with friends teachers means knowing what you get, teaching wise, and who will give it to you, before even stepping on a plane.
The author went to a borderline third world location with barely enough budget to live like/with the locals: of course he'd then be faced with all the tipical scenarios like filth, scams for a few dollars, dirty toilets, no water, etc etc etc.
I think that as westerners we should realize that we are largely completely unprepared to deal with such conditions, and therefore either have the budget to pay for standards closer to what we are used to, or perhaps better stay home rather than live like sh!t, deal with predictable poverty-driven filth and hustles, and then be surprised / upset / harmed .....
I openly admit that given to my fortunate middle-class western life I could not stand nor deal with such conditions at all, so guess what .... I avoid them. Thus 2 weeks of Shaolin "luxury" rather than months of Shaolin "trauma".
Common sense goes a long way, and the author didn't display much IMO.
W
PS he's lucky not to have anything lifelong (see hepC or HIV) having had a quite probably unsterilized IV needle in a Chinese country "hospital"!