All I (Bart) can say is “Wow, what a trip!” After about 30 hours in 4 airports and on 3 planes we made it to Hong Kong about 11PM Friday night, found some food, and crashed. Actually, while the trip was long, everybody managed to catch some naps here and there. Our last flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific – awesome) was only about 10% full and the kids all found places to lay down and sleep (buckled, off course).
On Saturday, we took the Limited express train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou. We had assigned seats on the second level of the train and there was plenty of room. Logan and Olivia did homework, the girls played, and Claire and I just enjoyed seeing more of China. We actually went through Shenzin city, where Hudson is from. Claire and I pondered what he was thinking and doing. The trip was about two hours and we really got to see a lot of more than you do in a plane. It really was a very neat trip and only about $30 per adult, $15 per child.
Our guide Connie met us at the Guangzhou train station and helped get checked into the Victory hotel on historic Shamian Island (check out the island’s history online when you get some time). She mentioned that she had met Hudson a couple of days earlier when one of his friends was getting adopted. Our guide Connie says he “talks a lot” and was excited to meet his family. Sounds like he and Logan should be two peas in a pod.
We had a “homecoming” dinner at Lucy’s; Claire walked me through the menu and pointed out what she’s ordered at some point or another during her travels here; pretty much everything on the menu (except for the “seafood medley” which I ordered on our first trip in ‘06; Michael and Olivia still talk about how many eyes were staring back at me from that dish.)
This morning (Sunday)after a great buffet breakfast Claire, Olivia, Mia, and Sophia were picked up by our Guide to go to the airport. Today they will fly Air China about 2 hours north to Nanjing, the capital of the Jiangsu province where our new daughter Kira is waiting for her family. The girls are very excited to meet her. We can only wonder what is going through her mind after her entire life (11 years) in an orphanage.
Logan and I are stayed behind since Hudson is this same province. Logan is very excited to meet his brother tomorrow afternoon. Today we’re going to buy some toys for he and Hudson to play with and have play hacky and badminton in the park.
It’s amazing that less than 3 years ago we were here in Guangzhou adopting him. He didn’t know a word of English, now he can’t remember a word of Cantonese. Same thing with Sophia, who has been home less than a year. I wonder how much of the language will come back to them during the trip?
At breakfast this morning the kids weres visiting with an American family that had a newly adopted little girl and are waiting on her travel visa to travel to the U.S. with her new family.
Logan then went up to Claire, gave her a hug and said “thank you for adopting me.” Very touching and timely encouragement for mom and dad as we get ready for tomorrow.
Tomorrow is a big day for all of us.
Love you all, Bart
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