I find CNY to be one of the nicest times to be in KM - as blobbles said, the streets quiet down quite a bit, which is always a pleasant change of pace.
GoKunming will put together something about which venues are open and which are closed during the holiday. (Attention local cafe/restaurant/bar owners: please send us your CNY plans as soon as they're decided.)
I read something about test runs for larger jets in the near future, but it does seem to be shrouded in uncertainty. Better than opening before it's ready, I suppose.
If, as I was recently, you're in a taxi with a new driver who doesn't know their way around the city so well, make sure they don't take the exit marked "Airport Expressway" on Erhuan Dong Lu heading south... that'll take you to the new airport.
I will always remember that morning... oddly, it was one of the most beautiful blue skies I've ever seen in Kunming.
It was pretty amazing that nobody was hurt or killed other than the bomber. Was also amazing how quickly you guys got the restaurant up and running again.
I remember the notes of encouragement and support (written by Chinese and foreigners) that spontaneously appeared on your door afterward. They were all heartfelt and real.
I think what that day did for myself and perhaps others was forcefully remind us that nothing in life, including life itself, is ever guaranteed - a lesson that should never be forgotten.
I'm sure Christmas Eve will always be slightly uneasy for you guys, but the coolest thing that came out of that whole situation was that after considering wrapping things up, you all decided to bring Sal's back - for the staff, for the community and for yourselves. Quitting would have been so much easier - good on all of you for not giving in to fear or hatred.
@Elfin: I do believe it was a little foggy the other day. I flew out on the 19th without any delay. No idea what the weather will be like on the 23rd, but if it is foggy, a delay is likely. Not sure what you mean by "staying overnight situation", it's easy enough to cab/bus between the airport and the city. If flights have been canceled or delayed I'm guessing the tiny 'hotel' in the airport will be full. It's a ripoff anyway, you're better staying at a hotel in the city.
Two friends and their infant were flying in from eastern China last night.
Ten minutes before arriving at Changshui they were rerouted to Guiyang, where they spent the night.
Now my friends say there is fighting at the Guiyang airport and they were hurried onto a plane that shows no signs of moving. I'm flying out of Changshui tomorrow, I half-expect to run into them then.
Nice bit of info from Global Times, the FOX News of China:
'A journalist from the Kunming-based newspaper Yunnan Daily, who declined to be named, confirmed to the Global Times that the airport, which went into operation just six months ago, was short of ground crew and not equipped with enough support facilities.
"There is no large hotel close to the airport so stranded passengers are sent back downtown, 30 kilometers away. When passengers complained about the low temperature inside the airport, they were told that the heating system was not fully operational."'
I didn't see anything resembling a heating system in the airport. Even if there is one, one would think it might be nice to have it operational by January.
Of course, GT has to be "fair and balanced", so it includes this chap saying that people had no right to lose their cool in the face of incompetence and indifference:
'"These passengers' actions were radical, and violated laws," Zhang Qihuai, a researcher from the Institute of Air and Space Law under the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times.'
Turns out that my flight that I gave up on last night was canceled, and I was refunded my money without having to get a flight cancellation certificate like two days ago, which involved fighting my way to the counter and vying for the attention of the overwhelmed staff.
A friend of mine went to the airport today and her flight left on time at two, so I decided, just for a laugh, to try for the third day in a row to fly out of Kunming. Heinz's comment above suggests that the chaos from less than a day of fog two days ago may still be an issue.
It seems that there is very little in the way of contingency planning at Changshui International Airport for emergencies or even normal occurrences such as cold weather. I truly hope the loss of face for the airport and Yunnan Airport Group spurs someone in charge to make sure that the airport is more prepared for emergencies and other mafan in the future... if something like this happens during Chinese New Year it may take ages to get things back to normal.
Hope that service and preparedness at the airport will improve may be misplaced for the next few years, it appears expansion is the priority for the foreseeable future: centreforaviation.com/[...]
My favorite Tengchong-style restaurant in Kunming. Their ersi and erkuai are trucked over from Tengchong and are the real deal — Kunming ersi and erkuai do not compare.
The restaurant itself is a bit jumbled, but there are a couple of tables outside in the courtyard that are nice to sit at when the weather's pleasant.
Don't believe them when they say they don't have lufu.
Fog shuts down Kunming airport, strands thousands
发布者@Elfin: I do believe it was a little foggy the other day. I flew out on the 19th without any delay. No idea what the weather will be like on the 23rd, but if it is foggy, a delay is likely. Not sure what you mean by "staying overnight situation", it's easy enough to cab/bus between the airport and the city. If flights have been canceled or delayed I'm guessing the tiny 'hotel' in the airport will be full. It's a ripoff anyway, you're better staying at a hotel in the city.
Fog shuts down Kunming airport, strands thousands
发布者Two friends and their infant were flying in from eastern China last night.
Ten minutes before arriving at Changshui they were rerouted to Guiyang, where they spent the night.
Now my friends say there is fighting at the Guiyang airport and they were hurried onto a plane that shows no signs of moving. I'm flying out of Changshui tomorrow, I half-expect to run into them then.
Kunming has a shame, and its name is Changshui.
Fog shuts down Kunming airport, strands thousands
发布者Shanghaiist put together a gallery of Xinhua photos too:
shanghaiist.com/2013/01/06/kunming-airport-chaos.php
Fog shuts down Kunming airport, strands thousands
发布者Nice bit of info from Global Times, the FOX News of China:
'A journalist from the Kunming-based newspaper Yunnan Daily, who declined to be named, confirmed to the Global Times that the airport, which went into operation just six months ago, was short of ground crew and not equipped with enough support facilities.
"There is no large hotel close to the airport so stranded passengers are sent back downtown, 30 kilometers away. When passengers complained about the low temperature inside the airport, they were told that the heating system was not fully operational."'
I didn't see anything resembling a heating system in the airport. Even if there is one, one would think it might be nice to have it operational by January.
Of course, GT has to be "fair and balanced", so it includes this chap saying that people had no right to lose their cool in the face of incompetence and indifference:
'"These passengers' actions were radical, and violated laws," Zhang Qihuai, a researcher from the Institute of Air and Space Law under the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times.'
Full story here: www.globaltimes.cn/content/753920.shtml
Fog shuts down Kunming airport, strands thousands
发布者Turns out that my flight that I gave up on last night was canceled, and I was refunded my money without having to get a flight cancellation certificate like two days ago, which involved fighting my way to the counter and vying for the attention of the overwhelmed staff.
A friend of mine went to the airport today and her flight left on time at two, so I decided, just for a laugh, to try for the third day in a row to fly out of Kunming. Heinz's comment above suggests that the chaos from less than a day of fog two days ago may still be an issue.
It seems that there is very little in the way of contingency planning at Changshui International Airport for emergencies or even normal occurrences such as cold weather. I truly hope the loss of face for the airport and Yunnan Airport Group spurs someone in charge to make sure that the airport is more prepared for emergencies and other mafan in the future... if something like this happens during Chinese New Year it may take ages to get things back to normal.
Hope that service and preparedness at the airport will improve may be misplaced for the next few years, it appears expansion is the priority for the foreseeable future: centreforaviation.com/[...]