Arriving in Beijing was certianly a wakeup. As soon as I stepped out of the terminal, I was hit with dense, choking smog that could be seen from as little as 20 feet away. The air smelled like burning, and I could taste a fine grit. Certainly not great – but this was a 200 AQI day – mid-levels of pollution for Beijing.

Retreating back into the terminal to grab a coffee and wait for my friend to show up, the pollution can still be smelled, although the haze is not as thick inside.