I’ll have lots of pictures next time.
~ ~ ~
So far, our English 8 have traveled from Toronto to Chicago to Beijing, approximately 7,041 miles. This does not include the bus trips in the three days since our arrival in Beijing to Tiananmen Square; Forbidden City; Temple of Heaven; The Great Wall; Ming Tombs, Summer Palace, and old Beijing Hutong.
The night before we scrambled to assemble our suitcases and sort out what we’d need for the morning and left our bags in the hallway for pickup as instructed. It seemed odd the next morning when the bags were in the lobby–sitting there looking abandoned and crammed together for protection. We could have brought them down when we met in the lobby after breakfast. What a headache for nothing. No tour was planned for the morning.
We were off for the first of our domestic flights to Luoyang. Robert, our guide, came with us to the luggage drop-off and as far as Security, which made it easier to find our way through the airport.
Someone brought up tipping at dinner the night before, but no conclusion had been reached. Before Robert said goodbye, there was a scramble to cross his palm with Chinese money.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luoyang_Beijiao_Airport
I stood behind Sue at the Security Check and was yelled at to step back behind the yellow line. Scared me silly. When my turn came, the (young) clerk looked so stern, I was nervous but I also felt she was milking it—you know—a power trip. I waited while she took her time before returning my passport and boarding pass. Once through, the body scanning wand went off. What’s going on? Deep breath. The problem: my bought-in-Canada made-in-China earrings.
Russ waited in line behind his wife who cleared in no time. We waited and waited for him in consternation. Finally, we watched him being escorted to another Security desk. When his carry-on had been x-rayed, they couldn’t figure out what set off the alarm. He had a camera charger which wasn’t labeled with voltage information (there is a maximum allowed) and it had to be turned in. The security guard, who escorted him, laughed silently. I saw his animated face and shaking shoulders. Even the fellow at the desk, taking possession of the charger, was apologetic, but rules were rules.
Our arrival at the airport was 10:00 a.m., too early for 12:30 boarding. Take-off was 1:00. Would you believe we were given a meal on such a short flight (about an hour and a half)? Then again, it was time for a mid-day meal. The boxed lunch consisted of rice with scrambled egg mixed in and a piece of chopped ham; a dried fruit bun; coffee; water, and cookies. A lot of Chinese were on our flight. One guy I watched across the aisle wolfed down his food as if he were starving.
We arrived around 2:30 p.m. I estimated we’d flown 420 miles on a ticket worth about $143.00 USD. We did not pay this. Our trip was all inclusive.
Next up August 15, Day 6, Part 2 – Luoyang (Longmen Caves)
For additional related information, click on China tab at the top of the page.
August 8, 2014 at 7:13 pm
Wow, I thought going through security in the US was bad. As for the made-in-China earrings being the culprit of your beeping–too funny. 🙂
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August 9, 2014 at 9:27 am
I know. I giggled about that afterwards. Do you think I found a pair of earring in China to my liking. Nope.
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August 8, 2014 at 7:23 pm
Intimidating security check. Can’t help smiling that the bought-in-Canada-made-in-China earrings set the machine off. Glad you’re through that debacle. 😉
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August 9, 2014 at 9:28 am
I laughed about the earrings later, Paulette. Too nervous to even think at the time. 😀
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August 8, 2014 at 8:07 pm
Not labeled with voltage info…too weird. I can’t think if any of my devices are actually labeled with their voltage info. Good to know. Glad you finally passed inspection 🙂
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August 9, 2014 at 9:31 am
Me too. You know how certain things make you feel guilty even though you’re not? If I see a police car behind me, I go all stupid and I’m not doing anything wrong. That’s airports for me.
Before I went to China, I read you could only carry 2 batteries but that wasn’t so because the same fellow who had to give up the power pack, had a wad of batteries.
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August 8, 2014 at 9:34 pm
Intimidating for sure. But I’m just in awe that you have the stamina and wherewithal to do this trip. Not sure I would. Great report!
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August 9, 2014 at 9:33 am
Surprised me too. This opened up my mind to all kinds of new things as travel will do. I hadn’t traveled in 17 years so this was a biggie for me. 🙂
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August 9, 2014 at 12:13 am
The stress of airport security can be a challenge. As far as stern faces that’s pretty standard. One just gets used to it. 🙂 love that row of bikes Tess.
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August 9, 2014 at 9:35 am
I found tangles of bikes all over the place–well, not on every corner but you couldn’t miss them.
I get nervous when there’s a cop car behind me.
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August 9, 2014 at 3:47 am
The cabin crew always seem to be up against when serving meals on a one hour flight. Hectic, very hectic. The room looks lovely.
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August 9, 2014 at 9:36 am
Hectic is right for the stewards. We had males. All the hotels were nice and kept getting better as time went on. 🙂
Nice to see you drop by. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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August 9, 2014 at 7:09 am
I always find it really hard to not look guilty when I walk through airport security even though I never have anything I shouldn’t have with me! I keep thinking “Just act natural, don’t look suspicious” as if I do have something bad! I guess a lot of people think like that, it’s silly isn’t it because we end up looking all nervous and shifty for no reason at all. Apart from the hotel-looking phone, that looks more like somebody’s house.
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August 9, 2014 at 9:40 am
The hotels were pretty good and we still had the look-through bathroom wall going on in a lot of them, but not all.
All I need is a police car behind me and I feel all guilty and nervous let alone airport security. 🙂 🙂
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August 9, 2014 at 9:31 am
I think we all have a security irritation sooner or later, don’t know why those immigration desk staff have to be so grumpy though!
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August 9, 2014 at 9:42 am
Maybe they hate their jobs?
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August 9, 2014 at 11:15 am
My greatest fear with traveling is that I won’t know local laws and break them by accident. So I understand you jumping backward when the clerk yelled about the yellow line. I would have hidden, also.
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August 9, 2014 at 11:36 am
It was a tremendous help that our tour guide led us like children through the airport and process.
Anybody yells at me, especially if I haven’t ‘done’ anything makes me want to disappear into the floor–especially if done in public.
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August 9, 2014 at 11:45 am
Security checks in foreign countries can always be intimidating. Your earrings, kinda funny. Last day, it doesn’t seem to bad actually. Good on you for tipping and figuring it all out. Hope the flight back wasn’t to very terrible, are you going to tell?
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August 9, 2014 at 12:47 pm
Nice to hear from you, Val. The flight was fine. It was noisy with kids, young people, old people, businessmen traveling between cities. Nothing outstanding or bad either.
Security of any kind always makes me nervous.
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August 9, 2014 at 12:44 pm
I can’t help but love all of the bikes. And power trips are not pretty on ANYONE.
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August 9, 2014 at 12:49 pm
I know but I lived through it. What are you going to do? It’s their country and it’s Security.
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August 10, 2014 at 6:29 pm
Love the face!
And you’re right. Just shows people are people are people. It’s NOT just our countries that have power trippers. 😉
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August 11, 2014 at 9:31 am
That’s about it. 😛
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August 9, 2014 at 4:28 pm
What a seasoned traveler you are becoming ….. the room looks nice! 🙂
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August 10, 2014 at 10:07 am
The rooms were great. The bathrooms were lovely, especially the ones that didn’t have glass walls. ~(~_*)~~
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August 10, 2014 at 10:28 am
I get that !
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August 10, 2014 at 10:32 am
😀
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August 9, 2014 at 9:12 pm
Am enjoying your trip, especially since I’ve never been to China. I have to commend you about China being the first trip in 17 years! Speaking about the airport security – my husband and I had a harrowing experience on the tour bus at the border entering Romania, many years ago. First of all, the bus driver handed a guard a couple of cartons of Marlboro cigarettes. They all love Marlboros. The tour guide warned us not to smile; keep our eyes down – don’t look at the guard who will be entering the bus; hide the cameras; have our passports ready to hand the guard. He came on the bus holding a mean-looking rifle of some sort. The mindset was still communism. Looking forward to your next post!
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August 10, 2014 at 10:16 am
Thanks so much, Sunshinebright. Nice to have you come along. Travel has changed in a lot of ways since the ‘old’ days. 😀
Nice to read your comments too. ❤
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August 10, 2014 at 12:03 am
Your description of your airline lunch reminded me of a flight I was on from Spain to England. They served a little piece of chicken, among other things. The plastic airline forks and knives were not up to the task of dissecting the chicken, and soon you could hear the sharp snaps of plastic utensils breaking. The Brits on the flight politely put the cover back on the tray and went hungry. The Canadians (our group) went to plan B and treated it like finger food…
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August 10, 2014 at 10:18 am
There’s polite and hungry. I’m in the Canadian group. It WAS lunchtime and I’d worked so hard all morning, I had to have a bite even if it was airplane. food. 😀 😀 😀
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August 10, 2014 at 4:02 am
Airport security is obnoxious wherever it seems?
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August 10, 2014 at 10:18 am
Thank goodness they didn’t carry guns.
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August 10, 2014 at 5:13 am
How dare they beep when they were made in the country! I do know those in flight meals, even between short destinations, sometimes rather silly, but I guess we have the choice of eating or leaving. Look forward to the next instalment. x
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August 10, 2014 at 10:20 am
Nice to see you smiling face, Jen. Thanks for reading and commenting. I figured it WAS lunchtime though the flight was so short. Sometimes I feel they feed you to keep you busy.
~(~_*)~~
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August 10, 2014 at 8:18 pm
🙂
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August 11, 2014 at 9:42 am
😀 😀
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August 10, 2014 at 9:21 am
Tess, we had a heck of a time with security in France as well. They all looked like they’d just smelled something disgusting. Rick always get targeted. He doesn’t look Egyptian but his name belies his origin. Every time they nearly strip him down in the airport. The world is what it is these days, so I guess we endure what we must to remain safe.
The meal on the plane sounds a bit spare. I’m afraid I’d have to tuck something in my bag. 🙂 What a wonderful experience.
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August 10, 2014 at 10:28 am
It WAS lunchtime so I figured might as well eat the boxed meal. Always gives you something to do on a plane although our flight was only 1-1/2 hours. Every morning I had a buffet breakfast and I don’t expect much from airplane food. 😀
Travel sure isn’t what it used to be in the ‘old’ days before super security. Sigh. Sign of the times.
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August 10, 2014 at 7:13 pm
Tess – I get such a clear image when you refer to your group as the English 8. It also doesn’t take much imagination to see you becoming the instigator of mischief on very short notice. I chuckled over the bills on Robert’s palm – that seems to be the norm these days. It certainly was in the 80s. I’d probably look so guilty I’d never get through security in China and I’d be stuck there forever and that’s not a happy thing to think about. I’m 100% with you on travel not being what it used to be in days gone by. However, I’m not ready to give up on the idea of traveling and the airlines are well aware we’ll tolerate what they dish out.
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August 11, 2014 at 9:37 am
I know what you mean about looking guilty. I feel uneasye and therefore do something stupid or look guilty.
The truth is we are so used to having a more relaxed life day-to-day, it doesn’t hurt to be brought to attention once in a while. Airports are another story though. 😦
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August 10, 2014 at 9:36 pm
Go figure, your made in China earrings caused an alert in China, lol. Security is no fun anywhere, especially Toronto airport. There are a million rules to learn, which batteries to turn on and off, take out, dismantle, etc. The thrill is definitely gone when travelling. 🙂
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August 11, 2014 at 9:46 am
Sign of the times, Debby. Not having traveled for so long, I wasn’t used to all the new rules although I have read about them in the past. After security is when the fun and excitement start.
😀
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August 11, 2014 at 1:11 pm
You have that right! 🙂
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August 11, 2014 at 4:54 pm
~(~_*)~~
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August 11, 2014 at 7:42 am
Oh Tess, that is so ironic about the earrings, but what a scare! I had to be hand-searched at security coming back from France last week as for some reason I set off the beeper on the scanner but I didn’t have any metal on me!!! Still no idea what caused it…. 😉 Great to be back here and catching up… I missed you ❤
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August 11, 2014 at 9:53 am
Great to have you back, Sherri.
About your hand search, the lady I traveled with said she took a hand search anytime over the X-ray–not pleasant, but less hazardous to your health, especially if you travel often.
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August 11, 2014 at 4:25 pm
Ahh…thanks so much Tess, great to be here 🙂
Yes, I would agree with your travelling companion…besides, not the first time I’ve been hand searched…when I go to visit my dear old dad for instance… 😉
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August 11, 2014 at 4:57 pm
Ugh. 😦 ❤
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August 11, 2014 at 7:46 am
Even though I found most of the people on that side of the world to be quite gentle, I also found that those in authority were a bit stern to say the least. I had a little incident with a police woman in Hong Kong – saving that one for a blog post 🙂
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August 11, 2014 at 9:55 am
Oh dear. I do think the power trip lurks. I especially found this with border guards between Canada and the U.S. and especially the women (guards).
I look forward to your post. ❤
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August 11, 2014 at 6:26 pm
I really enjoy how you illuminate the details- the abandoned luggage, the fear in line at the airport, interactions with others. It makes the whole experience of reading your travel memoir engaging. I look forward to the 15th!
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August 12, 2014 at 9:10 pm
I hope you got my above comment. I know how these things get lost in the shuffle.
Have a great week!
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August 13, 2014 at 7:24 pm
I’m still not able to respond to your comments like all the rest but I can manage at Dashboard / Comments till I figure this out. Another lady and I are having a similar problems.
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August 13, 2014 at 7:19 pm
Thank YOU, Pam. You are a kind soul. I appreciate your encouragement. ❤
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August 12, 2014 at 11:54 am
So much fun to follow your journey via your blog. I’ve never been to China so I’m learning a lot.
My little chocolate face attached to a Polish name ALWAYS causes me hassles at the airport in any country if my husband is not with me. Even in Canada, I was flagged as a potential “terrorist” right after 9-11 because I arrived early for my flight, made a dozen or so business calls on my cell, and had a suspicious passport with a Polish name. They had an Air Marshall sit next to me. (They didn’t tell me who he was, but I’m from the ghetto and I know a “po-po” when I see one.)
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August 12, 2014 at 6:54 pm
Thank you. Glad to see you’re enjoying the tour. Nice to have you along. 🙂
No kidding? That’s not nice about the airport.
I laughed out loud when I first saw your name. I couldn’t believe you had a Polish name. I think it’s delightful. I’m Polish as well.
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August 14, 2014 at 2:16 am
I’ve enjoyed reading the last couple of your trip posts – I got behind. That chips with shrimps, a few posts back, was wierd! Also, I like reading the 100 word stories. Thanks for sharing, Tess.
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August 14, 2014 at 12:13 pm
Thanks so much for reading and commenting, Christine.
I agree, the chips and shrimps made me shake my head as well. 🙂
I’m more than pleased you’re along for this tour.
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August 14, 2014 at 12:30 pm
I want your pretty luggage.:)
But you can keep the scary customs experiences…reading suffices. 🙂
best,
eg
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August 14, 2014 at 12:48 pm
My pretty luggage ended up all dirty. Someone warned me–too late–that it would. 😀
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August 15, 2014 at 11:17 am
Ah, no matter. Everything here has dirt and poo on it. 🙂
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August 15, 2014 at 12:17 pm
😀 😀 😀
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August 14, 2014 at 7:05 pm
The earrings bit was funny, at least to read about it now. I think I would feel so displaced in China… it’s such a contrast.
Love your stories! 🙂
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August 15, 2014 at 8:33 am
Thanks so much for reading and coming along for the tour. Without a tour guide, I cannot imagine getting around because of the language and culture. There are so many tours in China but we only bumped into another Canadian group. One night we (tourists) filled a whole theatre! As we worked our way south, more people spoke English, especially the 20 something crowd.
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August 15, 2014 at 5:44 pm
You are very welcome. There are lots of tour operators here in the UK that feature holidays to China as well. You definitely need a tour guide in places like that.
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August 15, 2014 at 12:08 am
Sorry about the earrings. They must have had it set at a sensitive level. When I was in China my carry on buzzed and they went through it several times. They were polite but increasingly suspicious. I couldn’t figure out what it was until suddenly I remembered and felt very, very foolish. I had forgotten to put the the wine bottle opener in the checked baggage.
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August 15, 2014 at 8:48 am
Ha ha ha. You travel with a wine bottle opener too! What a hoot. Me too. ~(~_*)~~ Don’t leave home without it.
Crazy about the earrings. The security person looked disappointed that’s all it was. ❤
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August 20, 2014 at 1:57 pm
So your earrings set off the alarm? Those must be some kinda earrings! 😉
Were you getting tired of travelling by then? I’m not a good traveller. I like to go to one place I like and stay put–preferably on a beach.
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August 20, 2014 at 6:43 pm
Not until about the two week mark. I was worn out from the fast pace and long days. I’m not usually that active for more than say…10 minuted let alone 9 hours straight. 😀 😀 😀
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August 20, 2014 at 9:15 pm
I hear you!
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August 21, 2014 at 10:36 am
~(~_*)~~
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November 2, 2014 at 5:28 pm
Ré the bags: that would have really annoyed me. Not just inefficient, but completely unnecessarily inconvenient!
And the last hotel room – could be anywhere. In a way I suppose that’s comforting! 🙂
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November 3, 2014 at 1:57 pm
Yes, the hotels were modern and could have been anywhere in the world. 😮
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