Mike here. We got home and took some time off. We have been enjoying a couple weeks at Angels Camp, California. We intended to catch up on the blog and that didn’t quite happen. We had some wonderful retired days though.
We were sad to leave Shanghai, it was so beautiful and modern there. Our guide, Dave, was great throughout. We heard rumors of trouble in Beijing, fog or smog too thick to land or once we land, too thick to take off. Such is traveling. We did make our flight, however, once we finally got to Beijing.
Out our room window. We really like Shanghai. The streets are very clean, air not so much.Rock band….carved in rock…get it?Leaving Shanghai, headed for the airport.The bus was different, not crowded at all, and fairly comfortable.Bottle opener on the left, cake top in front of 2nd tallest building in the world.As modern as anywhere.Just everywhere.Too fun, high and low.The south has plants everywhere you can have plants.Curves are beautiful.Pyramid topped building.Very old in Shanghai.What wealth has poured into the country.Certainly as much fun as Chicago.Looked like a high tech Walmart.As big as the one we saw in Tienanmen Square.Looks like a luxury liner.Circles, bamboo, gravel, still China.Thought we were on our way.Big place, we were worried some might not make it. Brandon often disappeared on side trips to make food runs.The airport is so big you don’t want to cut it too close. 8 minutes walk to the farthest gate.Air China, in China does not use the gantries, We deplane to the tarmac and get on a bus.The ride can be a little long but on the way out it is a nice tour of the airport and after you land it is a nice shift from sitting on the plane.Great photobomb by Dennis right behind us. A new Dreamliner from Shanghai to Beijing. No shades on the windows, they electronically darken them. Not much air pressure issues either, way cool.Stewardesses on a different airline make their way through the Beijing airport.The 747 and the long ride home. This too shall pass.Pretty woman sat apart from me and I missed her the whole way. She was upgraded to premium economy. Sure good to get home.
That was our day, hope yours was shorter and excellent.
P.S. After enjoying dragon fruit at so many of the breakfast buffets, our son greeted us with a whole dragon fruit when we got home.
Every breakfast buffet had dragon fruit cut up and we enjoyed it. Our first day back our son brought dragon fruit!
