Last night we ate in the executive lounge and then went to the BBQ garden. After a while a group of laowei, once their Mexican friend had retired hurt, invited us to join them. Two Bavarians and a Hungarian. They were in China on business, the Bavarians were engineers dealing with car parts for BMW, VW etc and the Hungarian was their supplier for something. I think we chanced upon the only Germans with a sense of humour and it made a fitting end to our sojourn in Shenyang.
And the travel problems naturally manifested again today, although not in the way I envisaged.
Alice, who was terrified of water until a few days ago, now can’t stay away from the stuff and just had to get in a last swim before we left. I had a late breakfast and then went to the ATM to use my UK card for the first time to get cash in about 2 years. It was rejected twice and I was in high dudgeon because I had called and checked it would work in China. Of course, I couldn’t phone to resolve it until I was at the airport due to banking hours. Later though I had a thought. It had been so long since I had obtained money with the UK card I had forgotten it wasn’t the same as the Chinese ones where you can withdraw any amount if you have the funds, up to 20,000 or 30,000y depending on the machine. There’s a daily limit! I tried again for 2,000y (I had been asking for 3,000) and hey presto it worked!
Before we went down to be met by Mr G I checked the flights online. Alice’s flight was already delayed but mine showed as leaving on time but delayed for landing in Pudong (Shanghai has had problems recently).
As we left, Simon the front of house manager, informed me that there were no smoking booths in Shenyang airport. That pleased me no end. At the airport Alice had no bags to check in but I was confused. I could see no counter for first/business class check in. annoyed at the prospect of having to queue I got Alice to enquire and then encountered another “first”. There was a special VIP lounge to do it. Thank God when they took the case away I never had to go and open it because all the goodies Steve had given us (which Alice promptly purloined) were in there, meaning not only did it weigh a ton but finding anything would have been a monumental task.
Our luck was in when I got to the 1st class lounge, explained the situation and asked nicely if Alice could come in too. The girl was lovely and let her in for free snacks and drinks. Sadly no alcohol so I had to go and source a couple of beers. The snacks were awful but I half expect that in China anyway - Alice filled up though and also sneaked some into her bag!
And then they called my flight for boarding! Alice was running about 100 minutes late so we said our goodbyes and I went in search of gate 81. The flight was indeed boarding but lo and behold there was a smoking room! There was a queue for boarding so of course I nipped in for a few gasps before departure! We took off on time at 1500 and amazingly landed slightly early at 1700. Wonderful.
I took the Maglev and then a taxi. I was incapable of hefting my case into the boot and had to enlist help from security! Then I encountered my own problems. I hadn’t booked the hotel I thought I had. Shouldn’t be a huge drawback as the map said it is near where I want to play at night and I shall find out tomorrow.
Poor Alice. I have no idea when she eventually took off but she never landed in Nanjing until 1930 and to rub salt in the wound the first train to Wuhu where the tickets weren’t sold out will see her getting to her hometown at 2308! She may have been better flying with me and taking the train from here, or better still staying the night with me tonight and leaving in the morning. Travelling in China is never short of surprises!
There is no bar in the hotel but the room, whilst being pokey, is clean and will do me just fine. It has a shop with drinks and snacks so I will be ok. I ventured out for a cold pijou and came across a spit and sawdust, sticky-tabled café with aircon and cold ale plus the added bonus that you couldn’t see for the smoke inside! I will be back there when I have no playmates in the daytime.
Night one has been mercifully cheap.
No comments:
Post a Comment