** CHINESE EXPERIENCES **
** WUHAN **
This is the 1 Feb 2003 Edition of
this page. It is being transcribed from my diary-like entries!
Tuesday - 11th September 2001
I was UP and raring to go before my 6.30a.m alarm! I'd prepared well in advance,
ablutions completed and my case OUTSIDE my door by 6.45 a.m.. I was down for
breakfast at 7.00a.m..- a good buffet-style meal in stages! After breakfast, I was back in
my room at about 7.40am., -then down for the coach around 7.55am..
My departure was at 8.15am, just a quarter of an hour later than planned! We made off
to Beijing's SUMMER PALACE, calling en-route at a PEARL STORE. Staying there quite a
while, I indulged in some photography, saw the interesting gatrdens and the lakeside scenery.
Lucy organised us well, including on the BOAT TRIP on the lake! It was only about 2miles,
but on one of their FAMOUS 'DRAGON BOATS'!! Then a coach took us about 7miles
to the Best Hotel Dinner that I've, so far, come across on this trip. To me, it was
a more sensible Westernised set of better choices. Judy and I shared a table on this
very satisfying occasion.
After the meal, our coach took us the approximately five miles to BEIJING airport. Lucy manaaged
these controls with extraordinary confidence and professionalism. It was made to be so straight-forward
for us non-Chinese, and the whole event was really plain-sailing (both before and IN the airport). Even
IN the airport another BUS took us about 1.6 miles from the Terminal to the Aircraft.
Climbing the crowded stairs into an even more crowded aircraft, I was aware that we had been given our
flight tickets (or 'boarding-passes) on a RANDOM basis. (I was Mr Derek Brown!!) My seat co-passenger
(we are in seats 16E & 16F) was the delightful lady PEE PENG (with the Mrs Georgina Brown ticket!!).
Andrew is her husband and apart from her 'dozings-off' we enjoyed some meaningful and enjoyable, and
very intelligent, conversations.
The 700 mile flight from Beijing to WUHAN (in a Boeing 737) brought us into a VERY HOT town - but
apparently cooler than the last couple of months.Our LOCAL guide told us of these temperatures, their
FLOOD DEFENCES against their TWO rivers (YANGTZE plus one tributary) and many other interesting snippets.
This was done on the 15-mile bus-trip from the airport to the hotel ( a new COACH from the WUHAN Airport to our
DOWNTOWN destination.)
My hotel-room has NO light-switches (which puzzled me) - even after following LONG cables from the
lights back to non-existent switches!! Fortunately, a control panel at the bedside (reminding me of one that I'd
lashed-up in my RAF bunk-room in the 1955 era) controlled the lights, airconditionning speed, etc., etc.. This was
the best 'panel' I've seen yet (as it also contains 'dimmer-arrow' switches).
There was much in the way of tables around the room, which made an EXCELLENT OFFICE, study & Cafe for
my write-ups, photo-records and tour questionnaire!! I also did my planning for the following day!
Unfortunately, the coffee/tea making facilities don't include MILK!! A separate conventional light-switch was
provided for the kettle and light in that area. Still, I've got my MARIE BISCUITS remaining from the '737 Flight'.
It took ages to get the air-conditionning to get DOWN to my required coolness (even with the 'HIGH MOTOR'
setting). I then turned it down to MEDIUM for noise reduction and a happier compromise! I even had to take my
shirt OFF to get my COMFORT UP! After my writing finished, I put that shirt ON again. At the 20th Floor, this
is the HIGHEST I've had for years! I'm in Room 2000!!!
After the writing finished, and I'd started to cool down (only a bit!), I decided to watch some TV for relaxation.
** NY's TWIN TOWERS (WTC) **
What RELAXATION?? It looked like a horror movie in a language that I couldn't understand (Japanese or
Spanish??) ... with the scene of the first of the TWIN TOWERS in New York (by my quick translation) being 'on
fire'. It looked horrific - but was it true? Turning over to CNN, I found out at 8.55pm (remember they are 12 hours
ahead of NEW YORK in CHINA) whose AMERICAN commentators almost speak English, - that
some plane HAD flown into the TOWER!! As the distant camera zoomed into the actual scene at about 9pm,
another aircraft was seen going behind the tower and smashing into the other one. The world, by now, at the
time of writing, treats this as HORRIBLE HISTORY - but at the time (180 degrees of longitude East from
the scene) it was REAL-TIME "BREAKING NEWS"!!
Before long there were reports of "a bomb or a Helicopter Crash and FIRE at the PENTAGON", and another
similar report on a Washington MALL (hit and on FIRE). My writeup, here, reflects the commentators'
words at the time - but their panic-stricken-state could well mean that actual accuracy (in hindsight) is not
there.
Soon, the WHITE HOUSE was reported as being evacuated!! Air Travel, in the USA, came to a HALT,-
all AIRPORTS being closed. A concerted terrorist attack had been suspected, and HIJACKS of some
Boeing 767's had been reported. All Airports are being SHUTDOWN for several hours!!
Right now, ANOTHER massive explosion was reported in Manhatten with several 'NEWS BREAKS'
constantly interrupting NEWS BREAKS of a few seconds earlier. At about 10pm (am in NY) the SOUTH
TOWER of the WTC collapsed. The Sears Tower (CHICAGO) was then being evacuated. Commentators
were then querying as to whether the USA will declare war.
The UN Building in NY was also being evacuated. The start had been at 8.48pm (approx) and the American
Airlines flight from LOGAN (Boston) to Los Angeles was missing. Incoming Transatlantic flights to the USA
are being diverted to CANADA. Now it looks as if the 2nd TOWER at the WTC is collapsing. These Towers
have thousands of employees and VERY large numbers of visitors. Nearby SCHOOLS are obliterated by
the impenetrable SMOKE and DUST.
A collapse at the PENTAGON is then reported, and a further Hijacked aircraft is now heading there.
F16's are going to intercept that aircraft. Later, further parts of the PENTAGON are reportedly collapsed.
There is PANIC in 'downtown New York'. The CIA is evacuated to elsewhere (a secret place!), a Dulles
to Los Angeles plane is 'lost' (with many passengers) also a 747 to NY! A United Airlines Pittsburgh (Flight 75) to
Boston or LA is missing. So now we are talking about Flight 11 (a 767) with 81 passengers, Flight 77 (a
757) with 56 passengers and Flight 93 a NY to Frisco jet also missing.
Then I heard that a JUMBO jet crashed into the PENTAGON (0.13hrs tomorrow), Disney World and
significant LA items have now closed down. My note-taking closed at this point of the evening. It was getting
FAR too big!! I hope that our "CHINESE EXPERIENCE" is not affected. It should be relatively safe, and
peaceful this FAR away. I then try and get to sleep, trying not to be affected by the momentous happenings
and disasters on the other side of the world.
A slow cruise up the YANTZE GORGES should be a pleasant contrast.
Wednesday - 12th September 2001
Again, early in the morning (well - at 6am), I tuned into CNN for continued reports about the FIRES and
EXPLOSIONS in the USA and comments on AFGHANISTAN -especially KABUL.
On going into breakfast at 7am, I ate well, on my own before returning to my room to put my CASE OUT
by 8.20am.. In the meantime, I had briefed EVERYONE who came in later - as they had missed the
CNN reports last night regarding the TERRORIST ATTACKS. Some people, naturally, thought that I was
playing a 'sick joke' on them - but the majority already knew me as an honest purveyor of news and
information. Later arrivals still, confirmed my reports - as they had picked up the news of the carnage from
their radios!
Having missed my 7.45 am 'call', I then watched the US President G. Bush (the younger!) give his 'Address to
the Nation' about NEW YORK's and WASHINGTON's problems!
Our local guide explained that the YELLOW CRANE TOWER would be TOO HOT in the afternoon, so she
has switched it to the morning - leaving the MUSEUM stuff until the afternoon!!
So we set-off to the Yellow Crane Tower (noting that it ONLY sees WHITE CRANES now!) for photos and
climbing it. We also visited the TEA ROOM nearby - for mutiple tastings (nothing was to MY taste!)
Continue to Yangzte Cruise Start
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