Wing Tip

Wing Tip
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My first trip to China was in March of 1989. Although briefed by several others who had been there before, nothing could have prepared me for what lay in wait. We (a business college and I) arrived around 6:30 in the evening. As we started our descent into Beijing, the sky suddenly changed from bright and sunny to dark and gloomy. It was not a cloud that had decided to hover over the city... it was pollution... thick, acrid, eye- watering pollution. Every household in Beijing was either cooking or heating with coal.

The Beijing Airport terminal was drab, dark, damp and dirty. We were ushered into lines for Immigration by teenage, uniformed soldiers carrying automatic weapons, a rather unsettling experience to say the least. Then on to the baggage claim carrousel which was missing several panels, allowing one to see the garbage and waste piled up under the moving belt, along with a few suitcases that had managed to fall through the openings. Thankfully, our bags arrived in the center of a good section and we were then ushered into the line for Customs. Piece by piece, every item was removed and examined before being carelessly thrown back into the bag. A few items were confiscated; a can of bug spray, a can of disinfectant, and although we didn't realize it at the time, a camera was taken from my colleague's bag.

By the time we entered the terminal and were welcomed by our interpreter, it had become quite dark outside. He led us to a mini van that had become void of all paint years before and obviously designed to transport dwarfs. Knees holding up our chins, we proceeded to the hotel for the night. It was hard to tell if there were headlamps on the vehicle and several times we had near misses with other vans, trucks, a mule- drawn cart and the million bicycles traveling in every direction on the main highway into the city. By the time we arrived at the hotel, I was sure my mouth would never close properly again, having been in the "Oh my God, Look at That!" position for the entire ride. The Holiday Inn Lido was okay and we were able to have a decent meal and a clean bed for the night... a commodity we wouldn't see again for some time.

Up at four, a quick breakfast, and back to the airport for a China Airline flight to Harbin. Even at five am the streets were as busy as the evening before, only now we could see better when we almost ran over somebody. While waiting at the gate for our boarding announcement, we were suddenly surprised as the locals erupted into a frenzy of action, pushing and shoving to get out the door, running to the ramp leading up to the plane. By the time we figured out what was happening, we were the last three to board. I looked at my boarding pass and realized the reason for the stampede...there were no pre-assigned seats. I managed to shove my way into a center aisle seat between two ladies who scowled their disapproval at having to sit next to a foreign devil. The area under the seat in front of me was taken by a box of peeping baby chickens, so I had to hold my briefcase on my lap. The airplane was unclean; papers and left- over food on the floor and seats and the windows finger smudged to the point one could barely see the wing tip. Then, much to my dismay, I discovered there was only half of a seat belt. Not to worry, no one was using them anyway. The flight attendant smiled at me as a few remaining passengers pushed her out of the way to get the last seat, and then, without warning, the plane began to taxi and actually took off with people still running up and down the aisle. I was sure my open mouth would soon become a permanent condition.

Harbin is located in the far northern part of China, only a few miles from the Russian boarder. When our flying death trap landed, I noticed a black blur whiz past the dirty window only a few feet from the end of the wing. Having no idea what it could have been, I could only shudder. The temperature was below freezing. Our welcoming committee from the factory we were to visit was dressed in heavy coats and fur mittens, a bit of overkill, or so I thought at the time. I soon discover the reason for that. The van taking us to our hotel had no heater and the floorboards were rusted through, allowing a steady stream of frigid air to blow up my pant leg. As we left the airport on the way to the city, I discovered what the black blur had been. Grazing on the sparse grass growing ten feet from the runway was several water buffalo. I guess they knew better that to walk out on the concrete.

The hotel was a four story brick building surrounded by a ten foot high brick wall. Freezing from the ten mile ride in the super air-conditioned van, I looked forward to getting inside to warm up. But, alas... the double entry doors stood wide open, letting the wind swirl eddies of dirty snow into the lobby. It was then that we were told that after March 15, the heat was turned off in all public buildings, including hotels... an edict from the Peoples Republic of China's Homeland Affairs Ministry. The hotel did provide, however, a five inch thick cover for the bed, which was like lying under the lead shield at the dentist's office. Try that for all night. I couldn't even turn over. And my room... well, that's another story. The next story, to be exact. The adventure continues.

L.D.Ridgley is the author of the novel The Dark Side of the Dragon, based on actual events experienced while on assignment in China from 1989 to 1998. Learn more about the author and his books at http://www.oakridgepublishing.biz

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