We went back to the hotel where we had left our luggage on the way out when we arrived to Lanzhou, to have breakfast in the restaurant. It was the easiest option. Even if it was mainly another chinese breakfast, there were some sweet things, even some milk, and it tasted like heaven after having breakfast that seemed lunch for a week. Chinese breakfasts are something from another world.
The more adventurous part of our trip back began when we took the taxis to go to the airport, which is located far from the city. We were about 20, counting the taiwanese, koreans, and people from other places. We took six taxis, with at least one mandarin speaker in each. I was in the last one, with a guy from the Philippines and another from Malaysia, but from chinese origins. So, when our little convoy started, I had a little bit less than two hours before my flight, and soon we saw that it would take some time to get out of the traffic nightmare of that city.
After a while, it was clear that we were not following the same route that we took on our way in: we were in the right direction, that is westwards, but we had not crossed the river yet nor taken the desert highway. When the malayan guy told the driver, they began a very curious conversation. It wasn't clear if they were quarreling or if that was their usual way to talk, as sometimes happens. The driver said that there were two ways to go to the airport. So, why did he take that one?. I don't know, we guessed later that maybe they were saving some money off the highway tolls. The ride had its own charms though: we stopped once midway in a gas station to refill the tank — and because the taxi used that compressed gas, we had to wait outside the car, standing, for security reasons; yeah, that was the last thing we needed— and later in order to fill the tires of another taxi (yeah, when they were already warm). We could also see the more industrial and poor side of Lanzhou. So much so, that the filipino guy said when we were crossing some streets, with roadwork all around, muddy and with humble houses, that it looked like the worst neighborhoods of Manila. There was also a thick smog all over that made everything look dirty and polluted, very different from the clean looking appearance of our way in.
We got into the airport highway in the end, and when I was beginning to wonder if we would ever get to the airport, we were almost there, with time enough to check our bags and say goodbye to the other groupgs. Of course, our flight was then delayed for a little over an hour, because the Changsha airport had been closed. I could then enjoy another great exhibition of how to jump the line made by the locals and also to savour the blocking abilities of one of the taiwanese students (she was as good as an NFL tight end).
There were no further problems. The luggage zone at Changsha in the domestic flights terminal was literally a madhouse —I'd better not describe how packed and "watered" was the men's room— with people running around everywhere, who knows how many thiefs. But they checked that the bags you took were really yours. The international terminal was the complete opposite, almost the definition of peace and quiet. It was closer to a hospital.
The flight from there to Hong Kong was as placid as can be, and we could see a beautiful sunset and the show of the clouds with a storm far away (I could see wonderful lightning inside the clouds). In the end, dinner in Hong Kong while we waited for our flight to Taipei. Some kind of dumplings with bubble tea. Tasty.
When we arrived to Taiwan, and thanks to the students it was easy to find a taxi to take me home, I was really tired, from the trip and from so many intense experiences in so few days. A very interesting trip. And a lot of fodder for the blog too.
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