Day 0 ~ Sydney to Beijing

I'm always up all night before a flight. And packing at four in the morning to be at the airport for seven. I was particularly proud this morning when I rolled out the driveway with only one bag to check, a first for me! Still, I'd be dragging along my camera bag and tripod, laptop backpack and lighting kit. I'm off to photograph The Great Wall of China and a journey of a million steps in the fight against Cancer! I wonder what that will look like?

I never arrive at an airport without expectation of exciting shenanigans. And I would not let myself down. About five minutes before boarding I was called over the loudspeaker. I'd left my passport at the security checkpoint! Rushing back to retrieve it I was stopped by a guard asking to search my bags. I'd just come through security but boy was he eager. He insisted in that way that security guards have a right to do, and so a search became a chemical swab and a swab became a pat-down. At the conclusion of a search I take great pride in always saying "thank you very, very much". And so offered the widest, brightest smile I could muster to the five personnel now assembled in formation around me, and sped off for gate 35, a ferocious, whirlwind blur of Australian Traveller.

My flight was groovy.

The new terminal at Beijing Airport is stunning! I was like a kid in a candy store. And without a responsible parent tugging on my hand it took me over an hour to make it from the arrival gate to the taxi stand, so frequently did I pause to take photographs. The driver practiced counting in English as we sped along dark highways, through the late evening in search of my hotel. He was counting out the meter fee and together we laughed at each wrong turn taken. The porters at The Westin were able to explain to him that in fact I'd be staying at The Ritz Carlton and once back on track we found our destination two blocks away in the downtown core.

This will be the first and last hotel bed I could jump on without breaking my back (or the bed). Jump! Then sleep.

Click here to check out my photoset from Day 0!

And Wish me luck, I'll need it! ;)