The day started at 4:36 am. It was early. We slept walked through the motions to get our stuff together, get checked out, and get on the bus by 5:30. Upon successful checkout, we received a bag lunch with white bread, mayo, cheese and white lunch, meat, cookies, a banana and water. I choked down the sandwich and a banana. My hubby ventured only to the banana,
We were the first to be dropped off, and our guide Michael took us all the way through security. It was good he did because there was a problem with our reservations and we almost didn't make the plane. Once inside the airport proper, we picked up a coke zero and 2 little cafe lattes to feed our caffeine addiction and wake up.
We arrived in Taiyuan, and it was like a scene from a post-apocalyptic war movie. The pollution here is extreme. As the plane descended from the sky, the smell of chemicals filtered through the plane. A haze of smoke is everywhere, the view from the plane was power plants smoke plumes and chemical plumes churning out of smokestacks every block or two. The first breath of air as we debarked burned my lungs and made my eyes water. It didn't improve within the airport, in the car ride with ac, or at the hotel. The city seems to be filled with smokers which masks the chemicals but adds a whole new dimension to them pollution.
We arrived at the hotel and the air is the same here. We had lunch at the hotel restaurant and the smoke was thick like a nightclub in the early 90's - or the Ace for you Coloradoans.
I am relieved we are saving this one little girl. I wish we could save more.
I finally got an Internet connection so was able to post more info. Hopefully it will work tomorrow too.
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