I really wanted to see Santa Clause. Continental Airlines had already firmly established itself in last place in my mind of the American based airlines—Christine and I have quite a rank list going so far—suffice it to say though, I was awake as our flight passed over the North Pole. My one great nemesis; however, in this endeavor to prove the existence of hardworking elves and the Land of Misfit Toys, was darkness. That dreaded 5 months of continual darkness for those who live way up north. I saw nothing! The mystery remains.
Perhaps as you read this, you are coming to grips with our east-west centrist view of travel as I did. In my mind, I have always thought that to get to China, you must cross the Pacific. This thinking is incorrect. You must fly north until you turn south and cross the Arctic, and the Russian Federation flag planted firmly in the ice. The only east-west of our entire trip was Columbus to Newark. Other than that, we flew the route of the Reindeer.
This alertness on a plane where we were stowed securely in the middle row, without a window in sight, kept me aft with the stewards and those waiting for the lavatory staring out a tiny window on the escape hatch—the one that turns into a giant slide after you set down gently in the Hudson or some other urban body of water. The sun did rise enough for me to glimpse a very desolate and rocky, snow-covered, Siberia (wouldn’t want to be trapped there), followed by a surprisingly flat (very flat!) Mongolian steppe, and a blizzard rocked northern China. My excitement built as around 3am (Eastern time, on which the plane operated) we neared the Great Wall of China. I don’t think that I moved more than the occasional wipe of the fog caused by my breath on the tiny plastic portal. By 3:30, still nothing, and now the sun had set. I was quite disappointed, but I guess this means that we need to return to China someday.
That’s all for today. Up next: Hong Kong (briefly), Port Moresby (also briefly), and Mount Hagen (yes, I scared off a pick-pocket simply with a stern stare!). Thank you all for your prayers and support. They are greatly needed and greatly appreciated! Ryan