I admit feeling somewhat apprehensive in the hours before leaving Montreal, as I have immediately prior to my other backpacking trips. But as soon as I left the arrivals area at Beijing airport and was confronted with a throng of shouting and jostling Chinese, many offering me "deals" in a strange currency on a taxi to a strange city, I felt a smile creep across my face. This is a feeling I know. This is a feeling I love. By the time I reached my hostel, I had completely reverted to backpacking mode. Standing in Tian'anmen Square, barely 18 hours after leaving Montreal, I could hardly believe that I was in China. The direct flight from Toronto to Beijing, which flew almost directly North from Toronto, over Hudson Bay and Victoria Island before returning South over
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