Arriving Beijing
The 9 hours of El-Al flight passed very quickly, I actually first time in my life slept during the flight. Probably stressing myself all the day before while making last preparations for the trip and running a dry run of my workshop presentation did the job.
19 June 2008, Beijing is a big surprise, actually the city is almost nothing like my original expectations. Beijing met us with 29 degrees heat and extreme 90 % humidity so I got wet already 10 minutes after leaving the plane. The city is completely covered by smog, you almost could see and touch the air you breathing. In addition it a bit is cloudy today so you actually cannot see farther that 100 meters away.
Next surprise to me, Beijing turned out to be completely western city. I don't know, it is really reminds me Moscow. The Olympic village there my hotel located, turned to be a huge quarter surrounded by 24-36 floors towers of hotels and apartment buildings and small streets I expected to see turned out to be multiline highways. I am actually a walking distance from the modern Beijing architectural wonder - the Olympic stadium - I seen it in NGC only a few weeks ago. But not sure I could make any good picture of it because of the smog that cover everything around.
So today I went everywhere around the Olympic village, visited nearby supermarket and expecting Darek to SMS me soon after he arrives to his hotel and settles down. Hope for better weather tomorrow morning !
