A Storm in a Teacup, then Delays and Delays
Trip Start
Jan 10, 2008
1
25
26
Trip End
Feb 06, 2008
Harbin,
China
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
I was almost led into another song and dance situation at another airport. Thank goodness it didn't happen for very long!
As my flight back to Chongqing was scheduled to depart at 2: 40 pm, I decided to give myself enough time to get to the airport by the shuttle bus. I needn't have worried, nor about the angst delays due to traffic congestion that is the bane of most cities nowadays, and tends to thwart unhindered driving progress.
Saying goodbye to a nice sunny day, I stood like an unsuspecting lemon in the queue waiting for the flight no to Chongqing to show up on the screen monitor. Nothing came up. Chinese people in front of me were discussing the delay, and one mentioned "binguan" (hotel). Everyone abandoned the check-in queue. I was left standing like an idiot until a nice Chinese girl who spoke English said the flight had been canceled due to inability to land because of a freak storm in Nanjing. The plane had been scheduled to stop there before its onward journey to Chongqing.
With other passengers, I stayed in the airport hotel until the flight was re-called, although I thought I was going to stay there until the next morning.
The flight finally left at 10 pm and arrived in Chongqing 4 hours later. I needn't have worried. An airport bus took me to the rescue, and after being the spectacle of several taxi drivers, got one to take me to the Huaxianglu Binguan, a two-star hotel in Jie Fang Bei. I checked into the six-bed dorm and was the only one staying. I needn't have worried. I've lost count how many times I've written the last sentence.
