I just finished a trip that took me over to Hong Kong, then round trips to both Manila and Shanghai, and then back to the U.S. It was a long eleven days, but it was very nice to fly to two different cities out of Hong Kong; places I don’t normally go. I hadn’t been to the Philippine capital since training, and I have never been to mainland China.

The routes that I normally fly are freighter routes, but these two trips were passenger routes. I also haven’t flown passengers since training, and that was a blast. I had to remember to talk to the cabin crew over the P.A., think a little more closely about the seatbelt sign, and definitely had to hope for better landings than the ones the freight boxes enjoy. The freighter is nice because if you want a cup of coffee or something to eat you just get up and get it, without bothering a flight attendant with your request. However, the flying seems a little bit more satisfying when you have 399 people (379 + 20 crew) counting on you for a safe flight.

In Manila, I had forgotten about the squalor living conditions just off to the side of the runway, similar to the situation in Mumbai. 100 feet from the airport fence are little shacks made of jumbled wood and poorly fitted metal panels that people live in. The Philippines is a major Catholic society where birth control is unthinkable, so millions of poor people who have no financial means to support multiple children continue to bring kids into the world to live in a shack by the airport. It’s sad really, and makes me appreciate all that God has blessed me with.

Shanghai was an interesting place to fly in and out of. The brand new terminals were gleaming with brand new glass, metal and concrete. Everything was shiny and new, and even the concrete ramp was spotless. There are two terminals that are simple, elegant, and huge. Two parallel lines, each terminal is several thousand feet long. It’s a simple design that looks like it works well to move traffic, planes, and people, I just hope that there are moving walkways inside!

When I went to do the walk around, I only had to walk as far as the access door down to the ramp to be reminded that I was in a communist country, as I was met by an armed military guard in full military dress, white gloves and all. He nodded at me as if to say, “Yes, you may pass” and I did, grateful to be a short time visitor to China. The government in China can control almost any aspect of the life of a Chinese person, and again, I was reminded at how blessed I am by God to live in a free country like the U.S (So far. With so much of America’s debt owned by the Chinese, in the near future, Washington D.C. may be called Beijing-2, or maybe New Beijing).

On departure from Shanghai, we were all buttoned up and ready to push back from the gate when air traffic control let us know there was a delay to Hong Kong. There was no mention of an update time and no reason given. Great. We sat there, ready and listening for over an hour before the call came in that we were cleared to push back. Once airborne, there wasn’t much traffic in the sky at all and no real reasons for the delay. As much as China is growing and at such a fast rate, I think their ATC leaves much to be desired and they have a lot of room for improvement. The growing pains are obvious with the control of their airspace. If the Northeast U.S. air traffic ran as inefficiently as China’s southern corridor, New York and Massachusetts would shut down.

This entire trip I was doing battle with a sinus infection and a blocked right ear. We made gentle descents on some of my flights, and I visited a doctor in Anchorage on the second day of my trip to get some antibiotics. My allergies have raged larger than life this year, and when that happens, my ears get blocked when the pressurization changes for our descents because of all the junk in my head and sinuses. Upon returning home, I visited an Otolaryngologist, which to most of us is an ENT, or Ear Nose and Throat doctor. I’m sick of dealing with these allergies (no pun intended) and if this treatment doesn’t work, I’m going to try this type of acupuncture next month. We’ll see.

I also had some fun downtown Hong Kong with some down time on this trip. I love going down to the camera shops to drool over camera equipment and to take the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbor. In the evening, I ate at a restaurant that cooks the food on a stainless steel grill right in front of the patrons. All in all, it was a great time in Hong Kong, but I missed my Sweet Pea and wished she could have been along.

Shanghai and Manila were fun, but I’m glad to be home. Now I’ll be looking forward to my next adventure overseas.