Member-only story
An unexpected Layover — A night at Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport
Traveling can be full of surprises, and sometimes, those surprises turn into unexpected adventures. This was also happening to me on my journey from Bangkok back home when I found myself stranded at Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport in China for an entire night.
I had booked a flight from Bangkok to my home country with a layover in Xiamen. Little did I know, I would be spending a lot more time in Xiamen that anticipated. Due to some visa regulations, I was not allowed to leave the airport premises. As someone who had never even heard of Xiamen before, I was in for quite an experience.
Xiamen, a city with millions of residents, felt both close and distant as I watched the night pass from within the airport confines. With no hotel room to retreat to, I had to make do with sleeping on the airport floor. It wasn’t the most comfortable night of my life, but it was certainly memorable.
To pass the time, I turned to my trusty Netflix account, grateful for the foresight to download a few movies before my trip. As the hours dragged on, I found myself repeatedly visiting the only convenience store in the terminal. Between movies and snacks, I managed to stave off boredom, indulging in more instant noodles and packaged pastries than I’d care to admit.
While it wasn’t the layover I had planned for, my unexpected stay in Xiamen taught me a lot about resilience and the importance of preparation. It also reminded me that even the most inconvenient situations, there’s always a way to make the best of it. As I finally boarded my flight the next day, I couldn’t help but laugh at the sheer randomness of my airport adventure.
