My throat filled with my first
major butterflies of the trip. It was 11 hours into our flight on Air China and
out of the window I saw the mountains of the Orient. Lush and green the ground
folded beneath the plane into mountains and valleys. Upon seeing those hills my
heart leapt like it did when I was a child and caught a glimpse of the Matterhorn.
As we continued to fly I noticed a change in the view below me. The ground
became less clear, cover by a cloud of what I assumed must be the byproducts of
life in Beijing. It was like we were entering the cloud into a mystical other
world. The difference was that Neverland is filled with pirates and children
living freely, while Beijing is a land of the steel, concrete, and governmental
authority.
We exited the plane and entered
Beijing international airport. This structure built by the People’s Republic to
show off the modernity of China during the 2008 Olympics accomplished its task.
I was nearly awed by this massive complex just like when I glanced Cinderella’s
Castle constructed by the Magic of Disney.
Before we could go on our first
ride in Beijing we had to exchange our money for colorful coupons of different
colors and sizes. These Yuan all had the picture of Chairman Moa on them. With
his picture scattered throughout the city it appears that he is their mascot.
We crammed onto the first ride, a
subway train. It wasn’t crowded at first but as time went on it got more and
more packed as if the park was filling up. We struggled to keep track of each
other on the subway. Rushing on to this train and entering another each time we
raced the closing doors.
Once we exited the Subway we were
truly in Beijing land. Crowds thronged around us but the sights were mystical.
Lampposts covered in cameras reminded us of Hu Jintao’s ever watchful eyes that
like Disney’s never blink. The building in Tiananmen Square were grand and
unreal with Moa face looking down upon us. Guards in military costume with
automatic weapons patrolled the streets never breaking character.
The streets were lined with various
souvenir vendors selling Chinese themed toys and oddities, which could be
purchased with our coupons. After not to long it was time to return to the
airport for the night. As I fell asleep on the airport bench (not much worse
than a hotel bed) I dreamt of my day and all the exciting adventures to come.
A brief explanation. I decided to
compare Beijing with Disneyland in this post because at this point the reality
of my trip hadn’t hit me yet. Beijing felt like a dream. Walking through alleys
looking for food and going to places I had only seen on TV. It was like
entering a movie. I can’t wait to return to Beijing and get to know the people
and to make it a reality. I look forward to making it a real place in my mind soon
enough. I hope everyone enjoys this post. I will endeavor to post more often.
