Welcome to China

Imagine this:

You've been up for nearly 24 hours (minus the cat naps in odd positions on the plane), endured a 13 hour flight and you disembark to a crowded, busy, hot and huge airport.  By the time you reach customs their isn't a dry spot on your clothing and you are definitely out of breath.  I mean, you were lugging 50 lbs. of carry on bags!  Luckily, you get the only friendly customs agent.  He actually smiles at your lame attempt to say hello in his language.  Passport stamped, body temperature scanned (and you didn't have to go to quarantine, thankfully), you proceed to grab your next 50 lbs. from the carousel and proceed through the next customs check point where they scan your luggage. Again.  Waving you through you hit a brief burst of air. Ahhh!! If only you could stand here.  BUT, there are about 100 people calling names, waving flowers and signs and you see a sign that indicates our group.  Three young women are waving at you wildly. You must look slightly (or significantly) dazed and they know you are part of their group.  After a stop at an ATM which gives directions in English but not dollars, you pray you didn't just wipe out your entire account. 

After meeting up with the young women and a restroom stop, it is off to Starbucks for a bottle of OJ and a (very, very yummy) green tea frap.  Then, you wait.  Hot, sweaty, tired, achy.  You sit on the floor of the airport for four hours until all 50 something people arrive.  It is chaos with information changing every few minutes and mostly total cluelessness as to what is next.  Or, what is even right now.

Finally, you walk about a mile.  With luggage in tow. Then, a five hour ride on a bus with (Thank you, Lord!) air conditioning.  Almost immediately the bus movement and passing landscape lulls you to sleep and when you awake it is dark and you are at the stinkiest rest stop known to man.  I mean a lady has her DOG in there.  There are no toilets.  Just squatters. (what is that?  a toilet in the ground.  Seriously.)  But, there is still a ways to go.  And, for the record, no toilet paper.  Luckily, one of your fellow travelers thought ahead and packed tissue in her purse.  You are all now her friends for life.

Eventually you reach a dark city with speeding mopeds, people on the streets and constant road construction.  (You are from SC, that is nothing new!)  After 3 U turn attempts your bus driver decides he can't get down the street to drop you off at the door.  So, again, you lug all 100 lbs. a few blocks.

And there is home.

It is a "dorm", but very hotel like.  Two rooms.  Clean. Comfortable.  Cute.  Air conditioned! And, guess what?  They have food waiting.  Dumplings that were once hot, but are still delicious.  After a cold shower ( you can't figure out the hot water deal), unpacking and a call home you fall into the soft bed.  Day one of China is over. 

Now, you wake up refreshed and ready to see where you are and what the next four weeks holds.  Welcome to China.

PS...you only took photos on your iPhone and can't load them on here to post.  Your VPN works (says you are in South Korea) so you can post and the "Chinese" adaptor that you brought doesn't work in the plugs so until you find a solution, your computer is only as good as the 50% of power left.  But, you are in China.  Really.  In China!!