Beijing to Shenzhen on Hainan

We show up at gate 10 minutes before boarding is due to start for our flight and see that boarding has begun.

We can look outside and see the big bus for Economy and the smaller van for Business Class, a small irony in a classless society.

Eventually it’s our turn to board a van and we take another really long ride (10 minutes?) to reach our Airbus 330.

We drive by a 787.

We take our time and let the crowd go first.

Finally we’re on board and find ourselves sitting in the very first row of Busoness Class, fairly old fashioned seats but tons of room.

One of the lovely flight attendants opens overhead compartments and insists on helping us hoist our bags into them. We hope it’s due to Asian courtesy rather than our decrepit appearances.

They bow to passengers near the beginning and end of the flight and the ground crew waves farewell.

Our charming flight attendant asks us when we want lunch and we settle on one hour before landing for this 3 1/2 hour flight. We have a choice of entrees, plus an appetizer and a dessert - very impressive.

Almost before we know it we’re approaching Shenzhen, not far from Hong Kong and supposedly the 10th largest city within city limits in the world. Wow!

Some bumps on the approach but a smooth landing and before long we find ourselves in a large and modern airport.

We find our way to the metro with little problem, exchanging translation app phrases with a young man at an information kiosk.

We follow the instructions of a Trip Advisor reviewer to reach the Courtyard by Marriott, and they’re both easy and perfectly descriptive.

The only negative factor is that it’s hot and humid, about 85 F (29.5 C), with a chance of rain in the forecast, and the two long blocks  from the metro to the hotel make for a sweaty stroll.

We do arrive and find a modern facility that only opened last year. Everything sparkles.

We not only show our passports for photocopying at check-in but have photos taken for the police on a little screen sitting on the counter.

Another long corridor on the 9th floor to reach our room.

We’re ensconced in a cheery and fairly large room and will wander around the adjacent shopping mall after a little cooling off time in our room.

And even the emergency masks we see in some Chinese hotel rooms.

Our last hotel of this four-continent trip tonight as we look forward to a non-stop Hainan 787 to Vancouver tomorrow.