Rendezvous With Charlie

Upon arrival back in Hong Kong, I booked a one-way flight from Shenzhen to Chengdu online for $80 (tax included). Thank you China Southern Airlines!

I left Adam to his own devices and took the easy route by hiring a taxi to the airport instead of taking the metro to an airport shuttle bus. Thirty minutes later I was at the airline counter, zipping through security, and finding my departure gate. It was very fast and easy.

The 2.5-hour flight had a bit of turbulence at the start, though was otherwise pleasant. To my surprise, I received a warm pork and rice lunch which I gobbled up. The clouds, fog, pollution, or combination of all made for a practically blind landing from my perspective. And I've never seen people get out of their seats faster than my fellow Chinese passengers. Wow, they were in a hurry!

I immediately saw Charlie outside the baggage claim area. It helps that he's about 6'3 and white, towering over everyone else. It was very exciting to see an old friend after 3 months of traveling. I collected my bag and we headed off on a bus into town.

Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 66 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.