We've been waiting for our Thailand and Vietnam adventure for over 6 months. AirBnBs were booked, dinners researched and excitement was building. We knew we had one night in Guangzhou, China as we got in at 5 pm and our flight to Bangkok didn't leave until 9 am the next day. We carefully selected a hotel that would be near the metro to take in the eve sights yet by the airport for the early departure. We are ready to have dim sum by the Pearl River looking over the gorgeous lights and Canton Tower. It was going to be perfect.
And then we landed.
"Gosh, it's so overcast" I said upon glancing out of the window. Maybe then we won't see so much this eve.
"It's smog" Pete declared.
"Really? Ok, we'll see."
As the plane door opened the smog pierced the air and immediately my eyes started to hurt. We were sardined into a bus and taken on a scenic route of the largest airport I've ever visited. No earlier than 10 minutes later, we arrived at customs.
And what customs it was. The line wound around and around for almost two hours. People (mostly men) from all over the world, tired after their journeys all just wanting to get out. Turkish, Russian, American, more Russian, English, people from all parts of the globe gathered in a smelly, smoke filled seemingly never ending line.
Stamps in hand, our next task was to find out hotel. Where, oh, where are you, Huahai Airport Hotel? In the terminal? On the grounds? Can anyone help us? In short: No.
Listen, I travel enough and speak a couple of languages that get me where I need to be in most places in the world. I do not believe every person should cater to my American needs and speak English. Unless they work at an information desk at any airport in the world. Call me snobby but I don't see how we could find anyone remotely interested in helping us. English or not, no one wanted to help.
By the time we found our hotel in the slums of Guangzhou it was time to call it a night. There was no going to the city, no dim sum and most definitely no getting out of that hard bed I, by mistake, laid my head on.
This was our China.
No comments:
Post a Comment