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Shanghai Airport with Jane

Saturday, 30 Sep 2017 – We set our alarm for 8:00 AM and went to breakfast.  Since several of our group were still eating their breakfast, we said goodbye to them again before returning to our room to finish our packing.  We checked out of the hotel and met Jane in the lobby at 11:00 AM.  We were the only passengers from the Fairmont Peace Hotel on the bus, but we stopped by the Westin Hotel and picked up several other passengers (from another Viking cruise group) before making our way to the airport.  During our ride, we had interesting conversations with two men from the Chicago area who have been friends since high school, Jim and Tom.  Luckily, Jane stayed with us until we were all checked in.  We really didn’t understand what was going on, but one of our bags had been tagged and needed to be opened and inspected.  They didn’t find anything, but Jesse returned to check-in with the bag to get our boarding passes.  (Thanks again, Jane!)  At least five passengers on the plane looking familiar to us:  Jim and Tom from Chicago, Jerry and Sherry from Naperville, and a young lady (about 30 – probably the youngest passenger on the Viking cruise).  Our departure was on time, 3:15 PM.  We were served two meals, a snack, wine, juice, and coffee.  Although Chinese food was sometimes very good in Chinese hotels, the same could not be said for that served on the United Airlines flight from Shanghai to Chicago.  Although the passengers were probably at least half American, Chinese food was served; some of it was tasteless and unidentifiable, and some was very spicy.  None really tasted good.  Sally tried sleeping the entire trip, but except for nodding, Jesse watched movies.  Since Jesse had an aisle seat, we got up several times (unlike on our flight to China, when Sally’s feet swelled a lot); the young man in the window seat only got up once, right before landing.  Our arrival in Chicago was at 3:15 PM Saturday (exactly the same time/day that we left Shanghai!).  We then picked up our vehicle from the Park/Sleep/Fly motel and drove back to Bettendorf, arriving home by 8:30 PM.  Luckily, Jesse was up to the drive back home.  Sally arrived home with a bad chest cold that had worsened from little sleep on the plane.

Although we enjoyed much of this trip, it definitely won’t be remembered as one of our favorites.  Some of our problems we created for ourselves or were caused by sickness.  Yes, we might return to China someday – but no, we will not be returning to Tibet!