We really need some water; don’t let the gosh-darn building burn…

After realizing that I had lost my cap, I pouted all the way back to the hotel/brothel. We were running a bit behind schedule and were rushing back to the lovely Milano Hotel to pick up our luggage. When we were crossing a street, I noticed a dark column of smoke rising from the general direction of our hotel. This had to be a fire. I joked with my mom that a disgruntled customer had probably set the place ablaze. (Back rub gone awry?)


Well, luckily, I was wrong. Our hotel hadn’t caught fire, but something no more than 400 meters away on the opposite side of the street was sending out billowing, grey clouds. People were amassed in the surrounding block, watching firefighters as they hooked up hoses to a nearby fire hydrant. Another fire truck had already started dousing the fire with jets of water. However, one truck seemed insufficient to extinguish the flames as smoke kept rising, as fast as ever.

Due to the fire, the most direct road to the airport had been closed off. Thus, we carried our luggage to a nearby bus station and hailed a cab from there. An attendant at the bus station (who wouldn’t let us through at first for no apparent reason) told us that it would be impossible for us to leave the area via cab.

Well, he was wrong, too. I’m typing this entry at the Nanjing International Airport. On the way over, we heard a news report about the fire in the taxi. It was still burning. A local market had caught fire due to yet unknown reasons. Many roads were blocked off, and the announcer suggested alternative paths to circumvent the area. I hope that they manage to put the fire out soon.