Note:  To see/read Day 11-17, click on the ‘Previous Posts’ link below and keep reading.

Team Three:

Back on the road again after an eventful time in India. India was quite interesting, but I am glad to be moving on. The country was a whirl of energy, life, and color. Chaos embodied. It seemed to me on leaving that some things really haven’t progressed much from colonial times, with white foreigners coming to pillage cheap labor this time instead of silver and jewels. Still, according to many Indians foreign investment seems to have brought a better quality of life to many people. The British however used this excuse and in reality there are many, many more people who are desperately poor and don’t seem to be on the receiving end of India’s growth spurt. However as with many things this is a multifaceted issue… the perception of progress is in the eye of the beholder.

The Mumbai airport is slightly more polished than the one in Delhi, still there is much to be desired from the likes of a Hong Kong or Shanghai… no worse than LAX however. The flight is a turnaround and it is late. This means that it has not had much time to be cleaned and by the time we are nearing Hong Kong it is absolutely filthy. I was really impressed by the quality of the Indian domestic airline, Indigo, as opposed to an international carrier like Cathay Pacific, though for some reason Cathay enjoys quite a good reputation abroad. Unsure of why their flights to and from India are of a lower standard than the other routes.

We zipped through Hong Kong and somehow made our flight. I am really indebted to the strength of the small women who tirelessly struggle to push my wheel chair up and down so many ramps and through so many security checkpoints.

The flight to Shanghai was short and sweet. On arrival we were greeted by something out of Michael Crichton novel. A crew of technicians in full biohazard gear swept the plane, scanning each person with an infrared thermometer as they went. I feel the gods must have been pleased with us as somehow we passed the check even with the people in our group that were sick. After the initial screen, security and customs were a breeze, with everyone breathing a sigh of relief as we went. Shanghai airport rivals Hong Kong… I was really impressed. That and the 300km/hr MAGLEV train from the airport confirmed in my mind that China is the future. Shanghai makes LA look like an Omaha or Boise. The amount of lights and skyscrapers are amazing. We went for a tourist jaunt up to the 100th floor of the Financial Center from where we could see the glittering beauty of the city in all directions. I am happy to be in China, and my stomach is even happier. We ended the night with food from Sichuan, not extremely spicy Sichuan food, as everyone’s stomach was still a bit tender, however it tasted great nonetheless. The hotel is first class and bed after 30 plus hours on the road is an indescribable heaven.

Note:  To see/read Day 11-17, click on the ‘Previous Posts’ link below and keep reading.