My 15-1/2 hours in the air were uneventful. The real adventure started in the Beijing airport with fingerprints and facial recognition; going through immigration, baggage claim and customs took an hour. Riding the tram between terminals was an experience in itself, with wall-to-wall people and lots of pushing and shoving. After all this, I was very happy to see the Tauck greeter! There is absolutely insane traffic throughout China at any time of the day, best described by one of my soon-to-be fellow travelers as “a massive game of chicken”. It took another hour to get to the Waldorf-Astoria, leaving me just one hour to get ready for a very nice Welcome Reception and Dinner. These are views of Beijing from my room at the Waldorf-Astoria, and a view of my room itself – a great place to crash after a long day of travel.