On 13 Hour Flights...

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Let's just say we're all really glad we don't have to do that again for 3 weeks.
The flight to Beijing was 13.5 hours, and what a long 13.5 hours it was. Honestly, I was just happy no one got sick, passed out, or shoved me to get to the lavatory. Eventually, as I kept hoping it would, the flight finally landed. Then, though, was the 4 hour layover, and only then did we fly an unexpectedly long 2.5 hours to Chengdu city in Sichuan province.
The food on both planes was awful, but we had a decent experience with Chinese fast food once we landed in Beijing for our layover. As it turns out, Flavor Tang is not a bad choice when dining at the airport, but the KFC next door will run you a pretty penny and serves as a sit down, white table cloth and silverware establishment rather than the presumed fast food, extra messy fare we know and love. I have a feeling that some of our tried and true greasy spoons from the west won't be quite what we're used to here, but I'm in China, after all, and if it's predictable, it's no fun.
Around ten, we got to our hotel and decided that it would be silly to go anywhere for dinner because it was late, and we were tired, and no one wanted to be on a large transportation vessel anymore because the feeling of being an anchovy had ceased to be novel. So, instead, we had dinner at the hotel.
"Dinner at the hotel" doesn't usually sound very appetizing or cheap, but instead of getting expensive room service or freeze-dried, reheated, food-substitute meals, we ended up sitting down to a filling and simple dinner of spicy noodles and wontons with broth, and I don't think any of us could have been more completely satisfied with the warm, delicious food than we were right then.
In short; we're in China, it's Sunday night, and I just had some very tasty wontons. Time for a shower and a good night's rest before tomorrow's excursion.
Good night, tomorrow land.

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