A quick 1.15 hr flight had us arrive at Amsterdam/ Schipol.
We departed Schipol at 13.45hrs (Saturday) on a China Southern A330-200 for the 11 hr. flight to Guangzhou. At 0645 hrs (Sunday), we landed.
We had flown into the night accompanied by a full moon. As we flew over Russia at 39,000 feet, the clear, full moonlit sky allowed for a view of the lights of the cities below. We followed part of the route of the Trans Siberian Railway journey, we had taken in 1988, passing over Irkutsk and Novosibirsk Siberia. Ironically, as we flew over the Gobi Desert, a film of cloud below (fellow Geographers you understand) appeared as a mantle of virgin snow.
As we approached Guangzhou, the sky cleared, the dawn broke, pink hued brush strokes streaked the sky, followed by another spectacular sunrise. We followed the route of the Pearl river as it wound its way to the South China sea at Goungzhou. The muddy river meandered torturously through the wide valley, forming some Oxbow lakes as it flowed.
The cities threw their multi storey apartment blocks into the sky with their numerous industries spewing out pollutants to form the smog so indicative of Chinese cities.
We taxied to the Crown Plaza adjacent to the airport, where J lives!! Thankfully we immediately got a room, a quick 5 hr. nap and I'm feeling rested!! We will have some R& R here until on Wednesday next, we depart by train for Lhasa (Tibet).
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