Saturday, October 29, 2005
Lanzhou - Getting there
With the Bengbu experience still deeply moving me, I checked out of the hotel and headed to the airport.
It was there that I hit a glitch. I found out I had arrived at the airport too late, and I had missed my direct flight to Lanzhou.
I went to a nearby ticket agent, who appeared slightly interested in my plight, and told me that I would have to take a flight the next day, and that I would have to pay an extra fee. I figured that I had little choice, so I accepted her proposal. She then told me that I needed to go to the cashier to pay the fee, and then come back so that she could issue me my ticket. I then asked her where the cashier was.
She said, "there," as she pointed to the man sitting not 4 feet from her, in the next booth.
With a few papers in my hand, I lumbered the cart with my donation laden bags a few feet to the left.
The cashier appeared even slightly less interested in my plight, as I handed him my papers, and my Visa card. Without moving his head or gaze, his hands performed a flurry of swiping, filing, and stamping, and I ended up with twice as many pieces of papers as when I had started with. I then gave a few tugs on my cart, pulling it a few feet back to the ticket agent, who looked surprised to see me so soon. She took all my papers, and I did see some of them filed in different locations, but after all the stamping was through, I could have sworn the stack of paper now gripped in my hand was twice as big.
Resigned to another day in Shanghai, I used my cellphone to call my contact in Lanzhou, Mr. Huo. I told him what had happened, and he then offered me a solution to fly another route to Lanzhou that day, rather then spending another night in Shanghai. I told him I had asked all the requisite questions to the ticket agent, as in "is there any other way I can get to Lanzhou today on this or any other airline?". He responded, "let me talk to her".
Thank goodness I had purchased my SIM card for my cellphone to work in China.
After a lot of discussion, it was determined that I could indeed travel to Lanzhou, but would involve a stop in Xian.
I profusely thanked Mr. Huo for his telephone assistance, and was prepared for battle with the ticket agent. However, I was reminded of my overall objective, and peace overcame me, as I confirmed my agreement with Mr. Huo's plan to travel to Lanzhou that evening via Xian.
I won't tell you the details of the next 30 minutes, but I will say that the following was necessary for the transaction to take place:
1. My current ticket (for next day travel) had to be refunded
2. A new ticket had to be issued.
3. My original ticket had to be stamped in order for me to get a refund on my original flight.
Yes indeed, these three steps involved what I aptly named "the cashier waltz", as I had to go back and forth to properly process the transaction. While passing the papers over the divider between the ticket agent and the cashier seemed a bit easier, I accepted that I was the guest in this country, and I had to play by the rules.
However, the cashier had not seen the last of me, as when I went to the separate counter to check in, I found out that my bags were horrifically overweight, and even after a generous overage allowance, I still needed to sashay across the terminal dancefloor and collect even more leafs of onion-skin stamped paper from the expressionless cashier.
With only minutes to spare, and with the assistance of a very kind check-in attendant escorting me quickly through security, I was on my way to Xian.
I had to retrieve my bags at Xian and hang around for a few hours before I could check in for my next flight. As I waited, I took out my laptop, and watched a movie. Soon a number of children surrounded me, and I set the laptop on top of my bags, and we sat on the floor in front of the screen, like we were all sitting in the living room watching TV. My heart was warmed as one of the kids went and poured me a nice cup of tea.
When it was time to check in at Xian, and found out I again had to pay baggage overweight charges. This time, however, I mentioned that I was with a charity organization, and I received an even bigger break.
Finally I made it to Lanzhou, where Mr. Huo was waiting patiently for me. With a handshake and a smile, he helped me load my behemoth bags into his car. I thought for sure I would have to really make up for this bad start as an introduction for Packages of Hope, but Joe Huo didn't seem to mind. In fact, he did not mind at all, and I would soon find out just what a wonderful friend I had met.
It was there that I hit a glitch. I found out I had arrived at the airport too late, and I had missed my direct flight to Lanzhou.
I went to a nearby ticket agent, who appeared slightly interested in my plight, and told me that I would have to take a flight the next day, and that I would have to pay an extra fee. I figured that I had little choice, so I accepted her proposal. She then told me that I needed to go to the cashier to pay the fee, and then come back so that she could issue me my ticket. I then asked her where the cashier was.
She said, "there," as she pointed to the man sitting not 4 feet from her, in the next booth.
With a few papers in my hand, I lumbered the cart with my donation laden bags a few feet to the left.
The cashier appeared even slightly less interested in my plight, as I handed him my papers, and my Visa card. Without moving his head or gaze, his hands performed a flurry of swiping, filing, and stamping, and I ended up with twice as many pieces of papers as when I had started with. I then gave a few tugs on my cart, pulling it a few feet back to the ticket agent, who looked surprised to see me so soon. She took all my papers, and I did see some of them filed in different locations, but after all the stamping was through, I could have sworn the stack of paper now gripped in my hand was twice as big.
Resigned to another day in Shanghai, I used my cellphone to call my contact in Lanzhou, Mr. Huo. I told him what had happened, and he then offered me a solution to fly another route to Lanzhou that day, rather then spending another night in Shanghai. I told him I had asked all the requisite questions to the ticket agent, as in "is there any other way I can get to Lanzhou today on this or any other airline?". He responded, "let me talk to her".
Thank goodness I had purchased my SIM card for my cellphone to work in China.
After a lot of discussion, it was determined that I could indeed travel to Lanzhou, but would involve a stop in Xian.
I profusely thanked Mr. Huo for his telephone assistance, and was prepared for battle with the ticket agent. However, I was reminded of my overall objective, and peace overcame me, as I confirmed my agreement with Mr. Huo's plan to travel to Lanzhou that evening via Xian.
I won't tell you the details of the next 30 minutes, but I will say that the following was necessary for the transaction to take place:
1. My current ticket (for next day travel) had to be refunded
2. A new ticket had to be issued.
3. My original ticket had to be stamped in order for me to get a refund on my original flight.
Yes indeed, these three steps involved what I aptly named "the cashier waltz", as I had to go back and forth to properly process the transaction. While passing the papers over the divider between the ticket agent and the cashier seemed a bit easier, I accepted that I was the guest in this country, and I had to play by the rules.
However, the cashier had not seen the last of me, as when I went to the separate counter to check in, I found out that my bags were horrifically overweight, and even after a generous overage allowance, I still needed to sashay across the terminal dancefloor and collect even more leafs of onion-skin stamped paper from the expressionless cashier.
With only minutes to spare, and with the assistance of a very kind check-in attendant escorting me quickly through security, I was on my way to Xian.
I had to retrieve my bags at Xian and hang around for a few hours before I could check in for my next flight. As I waited, I took out my laptop, and watched a movie. Soon a number of children surrounded me, and I set the laptop on top of my bags, and we sat on the floor in front of the screen, like we were all sitting in the living room watching TV. My heart was warmed as one of the kids went and poured me a nice cup of tea.When it was time to check in at Xian, and found out I again had to pay baggage overweight charges. This time, however, I mentioned that I was with a charity organization, and I received an even bigger break.
Finally I made it to Lanzhou, where Mr. Huo was waiting patiently for me. With a handshake and a smile, he helped me load my behemoth bags into his car. I thought for sure I would have to really make up for this bad start as an introduction for Packages of Hope, but Joe Huo didn't seem to mind. In fact, he did not mind at all, and I would soon find out just what a wonderful friend I had met.
# posted by PoH_to_China_2005 @ 10:08 AM 
