In thinking about our March 2011 expedition to China, it was important to me to document all that I wanted to remember. It’s impossible to remember every observation, and every remarkable experience that you have on a trip such as this one, but I wanted to be able to look back and remember the most important parts for me.
In addition to my scrapbook and pictures, I wanted to do something more that would further document the unusual things I learned, experienced, and observed while on the trip. So I have decided to compile a list of five things that surprised me about China.
#1: Pollution. It is common knowledge that China’s environment has been severely damaged by over and improper use- and that this has been amplified by their tremendous population. I knew prior to going on this trip that pollution in China was on the rise, but I didn’t put a great deal of thought into it in terms of how I would experience it once there. Once we stepped outside for the first time after leaving the Wuhan airport, the very first thing I noticed was the palpable density of the air. I could feel myself breathing in chemicals and smog for the first few minutes. Throughout our first night before my body adjusted, the feeling was indescribable. I could also see a difference in the air; it appeared as though the city of Wuhan existed under a cloudy haze. Nightfall in Wuhan was when I could visibly see the greatest impact on the atmosphere as we strolled around downtown. After this initial adjustment there were two periods in which I noticed air improvement. (1) When we reached William's camp at the foot of the Great Wall, and (2) the second I stepped off of the plane back into Vermont.
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