Summer Vacation is On

First Trip ...

Today, my summer itinerary starts. Sham and I left the University at 7 in the morning. Our flight was scheduled at 9 but we are early birds when it comes to travelling. Delay is something we don't allow to happen especially if it comes from us. 

I had a good sleep the night before which was surprising because I usually cannot sleep when I have to go somewhere on the following day. Well, good for me, I had all the energy to start the day. The airport was about 15 minutes away. We got there early, there were some people already but the one's working are not yet on their posts. The airport is kinda small but there is a big one under-construction just beside it. It was our first time to use that airport, 'cause we took train when we came to the University first time in 2008. There were some foreigners who probably came for business, they didn't look like our teachers in the University. We were the first few people to got in the departure area and I had so much time observing and watching each plane that arrives. The runway is visible from where we were seated and since it is a small airport, I even was able to make pictures of the plane without being questioned or something. Nobody tried to stop me, I was standing right close to the gate hehe. There was this weird woman who came to sit next to us when all the  8 other seats ahead are free. I don't know what was wrong with her. And she cannot stop staring. I thought that maybe she liked Shamil and that she was trying to display herself right in front of us. I went to pee and I asked Sham to guard my hand carry 'cause it's an open bag (which I know is not the best option when travelling especcially when crossing countries, but anyhow, I wanted to bring light one). When I came back, Sham was carrying my bag in between his legs. He told me he didn't want to put it down 'cause he saw this woman has some liquid which she was keeping with her hat. We didn't figure out what was that but it's better be safe than sorry later. How do I know, she had plans of putting that small bottle of unidentified liquid in somebody's bag. Oh, No, definitely Not mine. I sat again and she was still looking intently. She didn't have a good face. I mean the expression, y'know. We left the seat and stood in line already. We were about to board anyway. We still was able to make few pictures while walking towards the plane which was literally just outside the door in an open space. We also made a video, just for keeps. When I was climbing the stairs, I kept on looking at the door looking for that woman, hoping that she will not fly with us. But hey, just before I got in the plane, I saw her, she was the last person to get out of the departure area. Fffffff ..... I somehow got scared, I didn't what her plans are. It was just a 1 hour flight so I though that ah maybe she's not reaaly what I was thinking. I was just suspicious as always ",). 

We arrived safely in Beijing and it was raining. We arrived at the southern domestic airport which was very small too. We took the airport bus to the downtown and tried to get a taxi. Huh, the taxi driver wanted to charge us 100RMB ($15) from the downtown to the hotel which was not very far. It was the same hotel we stayed last time when we came to Beijing in April. He was obviously cheating us and of course we wont didn't him that glory. We walked a little and we saw KFC, we decided to eat since it was past lunch already and they didn't serve us anything on the plane except for a small peanut snack. The counter was at the second floor and we it would be too difficult to bring our luggage up. Shamil went to buy us food and we stood at the corner since seats were all full and ate. We waited for few minutes hoping that the rain will stop but unfortunately it didn't. We decided to go or else we will be short in time, we still have to find this Airport Express subway station. We're heading to the International airport tomorrow. We have umbrella but it was not enough to cover us both plus our baggages. We saw a subway station nearby and thought of taking it to the nearest station close to our hotel. It was good that we printed the subway map the day before leaving. We checked it and unfortunately it was another route so we couldn't take it. We waited and was cheching how is the situation with taxi. A man came and stood facing us and was just staring for minutes, I don't know if he even was blinking. Darn, we left and walked under the rain looking for an underpass, trying to figure out where we can take a taxi. Finally some taxi came and dropped a passenger, we talked but he didn't understand where we're going even if Shamil was speaking Chinese to him. Maybe he just doen't want to take our wet luggage. Whatever! We waited again and another taxi came. Shamil asked and he said he's going. Good, thanks to him I think he's a good person, he was pleasant though he didn't speak any English word aside from "oki" (ok). And you know what, we made it to the hotel for 25RMB ($3.5), can you imagine that how much that a-hole was trying to rip from us. Sigh at least we were given a good Samaritan. We paid, thanked him and got off with good mood. We checked in and the hotel staffs were different from last time. Today none of them speaks English. She was talking to me all the time. I don't understand anything that is why I was just quietly waiting. It was Shamil who was negotiating with her but she addresses me whenever she had to say something. I was tired and I just wanted to get to the room. I just looked at her and Shamil explained that I am not Chinese and I don't speak the language. So she asked for my passport, ok, we gave and we waited for sometime. We got in the hotel, put our luggage in and got ready to go out again to find the station we need to go tomorrow. We went out, checked this station closeby and we are so lucky that the station was just across the mall which is very close to our hotel. Whew, I didn't expect we will find it in few minutes hehe. So then, we have so much time to spend, it was only about 4 in the afternoon. We went to the mall, ate sandwich at Subway, I got myself a simple purple shirt for H&M, just an additional lol. Then walked to the other mall, bought some toiletries and took out an order of our favorite Yoshinoya hehe. 

We went back to to hotel and I felt how much tired I am. I lie on bed and took a very shallow nap. When I got up I felt my legs were painful especially the heels, I could hardly walk to the bathroom. I'm taking a rest now and hoping for another safe trip tomorrow. ",)