Notes from our round the world trip
May 10, 2007 Los Angeles Airport. We finished packing this morning with much time to spare. I have been very anxious ab out the trip, but the encouragement of Nancye and my doctors and the use of xanax is going to make this work. Chris Gardner arrived about 1:30 Eastern time to drive us to the Cincy airport.
The flight to the LA airport was a little bumpy - one big jolt spilled drinks. We flew first class to LA, wide seats, free drinks and a pretty good dinner. It is 10:30 pm body time and our plane to Seoul , Korea leaves here at 1:30 am Pacific time which is 4:30 am body time. Then a 12-13 hour flight to Seoul and on to Beijing. We are tired but have made the first leg of our round the world trip.
12 May 2007 7 am Seoul , Korea air port. We left LA at about 4:30 am Eastern body time. We arrived here about half an hour ago. Weary. did not sleep well. We crossed the international date line for the firs time. We both like the Boeing 777. REally quiet. Now we wait 2 and a half hours for our flight to Beijing.
Airports is airports. They look alike as you are landing and when you get inside. The Korean air stewardesses look much alike. Hair tied in a bun and all thin and young and pretty. Very pretty. Like stewardesses used to have to be in America.
Same day 2:30 pm Beijing, China. Plaza Royal Hotel. On the plane from Seoul to Beijing, Nancye and I were the only first class passengers. Good food - a cod with a “Chinese cream sauce”.
We got through the airport really fast. Customs were easy and our bags awaited us when we got to the carousel.
“Jimmy” - we’ll find out his real name later - [we never did] met us at the airport. He is our guide for the next two days. A taxi brought us to the hotel -about half an hour from the airport. This is a pretty nice place, redone rather ginger bread looking place. The girl at the desk was horrified that we wanted to go out for a walk. “O, there is nothing around here!” she said. But she did tell us about a food store a couple of minutes walk.
Food Store! This was Wal Mart, Kroger and Jungle Jim’s in one! Amazing displays of food. Many things exotic to us - veggies we could not identify. Live fish and many fresh fish. Chicken breasts in a pile that people sort through like socks! Fingering them.
The store had many many employees, people standing around displays hawking their wares, helping people and many just standing there.
We also noticed the huge variety of facial and body types. At least in the big city, China is, well, I was going to say polyglot, but truthfully many different oriental types. I think I have seen one black person in the last two days.
We came back to the room and read a bit and then to dinner in the hotel. The elaborate buffet had only four diners. We think it may be more populated later, but all that food sitting there on steam tables for hours! Then we walked through the complex of building of which this is a part. It includes a mixture of offices and apartments in high rises - neo gothic - modern buildings with pseudo -European court yard in the middle: fountains and patios. This must be pretty up market.
The flight to the LA airport was a little bumpy - one big jolt spilled drinks. We flew first class to LA, wide seats, free drinks and a pretty good dinner. It is 10:30 pm body time and our plane to Seoul , Korea leaves here at 1:30 am Pacific time which is 4:30 am body time. Then a 12-13 hour flight to Seoul and on to Beijing. We are tired but have made the first leg of our round the world trip.
12 May 2007 7 am Seoul , Korea air port. We left LA at about 4:30 am Eastern body time. We arrived here about half an hour ago. Weary. did not sleep well. We crossed the international date line for the firs time. We both like the Boeing 777. REally quiet. Now we wait 2 and a half hours for our flight to Beijing.
Airports is airports. They look alike as you are landing and when you get inside. The Korean air stewardesses look much alike. Hair tied in a bun and all thin and young and pretty. Very pretty. Like stewardesses used to have to be in America.
Same day 2:30 pm Beijing, China. Plaza Royal Hotel. On the plane from Seoul to Beijing, Nancye and I were the only first class passengers. Good food - a cod with a “Chinese cream sauce”.
We got through the airport really fast. Customs were easy and our bags awaited us when we got to the carousel.
“Jimmy” - we’ll find out his real name later - [we never did] met us at the airport. He is our guide for the next two days. A taxi brought us to the hotel -about half an hour from the airport. This is a pretty nice place, redone rather ginger bread looking place. The girl at the desk was horrified that we wanted to go out for a walk. “O, there is nothing around here!” she said. But she did tell us about a food store a couple of minutes walk.
Food Store! This was Wal Mart, Kroger and Jungle Jim’s in one! Amazing displays of food. Many things exotic to us - veggies we could not identify. Live fish and many fresh fish. Chicken breasts in a pile that people sort through like socks! Fingering them.
The store had many many employees, people standing around displays hawking their wares, helping people and many just standing there.
We also noticed the huge variety of facial and body types. At least in the big city, China is, well, I was going to say polyglot, but truthfully many different oriental types. I think I have seen one black person in the last two days.
We came back to the room and read a bit and then to dinner in the hotel. The elaborate buffet had only four diners. We think it may be more populated later, but all that food sitting there on steam tables for hours! Then we walked through the complex of building of which this is a part. It includes a mixture of offices and apartments in high rises - neo gothic - modern buildings with pseudo -European court yard in the middle: fountains and patios. This must be pretty up market.
posted by Thomas Van Brunt | 4:07 PM
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