We board our plane at LAX and just after take off I fall deeply asleep. I don't know how long after I am awoken by the flight attendant in her perfect English. "Excuse me, Excuse me. Beef and rice or chicken and rice?" Chicken and rice please. This is our first meal. Some hours later our second meal- breakfast, I think, comes. This time it is a choice of fish and rice or beef and rice. Basically the same thing as our dinner-white rice, steamed carrots and bok choy and beef with a brown gravy. Breakfast comes with a fruit combo of watermelon, pineapple, honeydew, a yogurt cup and (wait for it...) a pack of dark chocolate Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies!
After a little more than 12 hours suspended in mid-air at 35000 feet or whatever altitude our Airbus was cruising at, the wheels of our plane touch down smoothly in Beijing, China just before sunrise. I have never in my life flown 12 hours. Wandering from the security check point through the early morning quiet of the airport the only thing that is open is Starbucks Coffee. A man greets me in English and I order an Americano. Even though I don't normally like Starbucks coffee this cup tastes so good and seems to take an edge off the slight headache I have upon arrival here. Now we are waiting at our gate while the sun peaks above the horizon for our final flight to Sapporo, Japan. I am making a pact with myself to write in my journal everyday on this trip. I want to account for everything here. It's my first trip to Asia-my first trip to a country where I don't speak the language.
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AuthorAnn is a writer, teacher, skier, traveler, and all-around adventurer. Click to set custom HTML
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