Today, or was it yesterday, marked my first flight over the polar ice cap. Not sure we did exactly that, but it was definitely a "cool" experience.
We went from day light to dusk to dawn to daylight but never complete darkness for the entire 13:01 minute flight. So no cool Northern Lights shows. Hopefully we'll have some on the way back... What I did experience was a whole lot of Mongolia-
While I've been fascinated with the notion of completing a horserace across Mongolia, after my preview today, I might just take a pass. Of course the grass hasn't greened up, nor has spring arrived, but I did see a whole lot of herders and their yurts. Oh dear, I sense interest arising again.....We did however have a sunny arrival into Beijing thanks to a morning rain shower, which made for some great site seeing from the air.
I was primarily amazed at the number of powerplants I saw, hydro, nuclear, coal, and wind turbines. Beijing's airport is simply huge and stunning (on the inside). However, I will add that when stepping onto the jet bridge, I couldn't help but notice the familiar eau du burn. It did not have the deep undertones a la Bangalore, Hanoi, or Nairobi-- but had perhaps a rather less dramatic scent.
Being met by private escorts at the airport is nice,
Better yet is being whisked down a non descript hallway to a "special" parking pick up zone for dignitaries, VIPs, and well, business people. Stepping into the BMW7 750 was a perfect compliment to the flight and we set off for the hotel only to meet some of Beijings famous traffic. There are a lot of nice cars on the road here. The Beijing I remember from 20 years ago is nowhere to be found, at least not yet. Maybe tomorrow or next Saturday.... except well, we did arrive from Xian in 1991 via what we were told was the Premier's 737 complete with couches, so I guess arriving in Beijing in style is just the way it goes....
This week we will be primarily holed up at the Westin a brand new and extremely swish modern hotel. My 27th floor view seems to pick up the street noise well, but it does have this funky clocktower to help me remember what time it is.....
A few of us went for a plod around the hotel neighborhood and all of my Hanoi street crossing sense returned. First rule is to follow or stand shoulder to shoulder with a local. Second rule, if they run, run! We dodged into a department store which was pretty much nicer than most of our major department stores and has far more choice and brands. We couldn't help but remark on the sense of forward momentum we've experienced (walked passed the Maybach dealer en route) in our short time. Yet, the sense of newness is bizarre. But well, history is being written. Opting to stay-in this evening, I've just finished my soup, having tested the spa for a massage (I will be going back), there is a yoga studio on site, and the indoor pool is stunning. Gym is a bit small, but looks as though without our two hours of bus commuting time in Bangalore, I may be able to squeeze in just a little bit of fun. So I've just previewed this post and it looks as though perhaps the video is being censored. My apologies and if anyone knows how to work around this challenge (I'm already using VPN) please let me know! Maybe they will work for you....
Jet lag nonsense reigns- have already made the toothbrush and tap water mistake, even after pouring a nice cup of bottled water.... Ah, c'est la vie.
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