Fiji, Tahiti, Hawaii, the Cook Islands. All these places were on the table for a layover on the way to Australia for our teaching exchange experience. Taking advantage of flight layovers adds opportunities we might not otherwise have on a trip when we have the luxure of time. It is one of the advantages of exchange timing that we leave late December and enjoy a southern hemisphere summer holiday in January.
So what did we decide for the layover? Beijing, China.
To tell you the truth, it scares us a little. Such a big place and a completely foreign language and writing system are very disorienting not to mention exotic food and squat toilets. I guess that’s how we knew it was the right choice. After all, we have pretty easy access to beaches and resorts from home, but China will be completely unique – a place we wouldn’t likely visit on its own.
We’re playing it safe with our risk-taking and have booked bus tours for a few days to cram in some sight-seeing. Yes, I know it is an inauthentic experience and spending a day or two just wandering The Great Wall pondering history would be ideal, but we also want to mitigate the anxiety that might come in that environment.
