Homecoming

Early Sunday morning we grabbed one last monster breakfast and scurried to the airport. It was a 100 Yuan ride on the freeway to the new Beijing International Airport. This airport was as modern and as clean as any in the West, and checkin went just as smoothly. We all made it to Hong Kong, where we did not have to go through customs but we did have to go through the temperature detector one more time. The temperature detector is like a metal detector, except that it works with something like a radar detector for heat. A person with the camera and monitor views people as they pass, and if your face shows up in any other color than green or yellow, they will check you for bird flu. I wonder what happens to people who do have a temperature as they pass, but for something innocuous. Do they lose their flight while medical technicians diagnose your case?

Both Dragonair and Cathay Pacific were wonderful airlines, and got us home on time. The first thing I noticed was how clean the air looked and smelled. I felt I could see for miles, and the sky was the first blue sky I had seen in 10 days. While coming back from Europe, Highway 101 might look a little run down, but coming back from Asia, its beautiful. I am glad to be back home.