Departures and Arrivals

As I stepped down from the plane onto the Xiangfan tarmac I was greeted by the fresh smell of evergreen trees after a rain. I was surprised because I had read that many provincial cities in China are home to heavy industries that saturate the air with pollution*. Refreshed and encouraged by the clean air, I continued across the tarmac to the terminal. 

Baggage claim was easy to find because all arrivals, departures, and baggage claims are made from a room about the size of my apartment.  Amazing that an airport serving a population of approx. 6 million can be so small**. Also, relieved that both my suitcase and guitar managed to follow along from Chicago.

We were greeted by three representatives from the university who escorted us out to a van/bus that apparently had survived the 1970's and was still kicking. The interior smelled something like a pop-up camper from the same era – musty and woodsy – the kind of earthy smell that can only come from sitting in a damp forest for a long time. This van/bus would provide our first real window into life in Xiangfan. Observations from the ride will follow in the next post.

*Later, I would come to find out that Xiangfan has a variety of smells to offer, some fresh, and others... not so much.

**Pretty much everyone travels by train, few can afford to fly internationally.