Safe in Beijing!
We have arrived in Beijing, and from the little we have seen the city is beautiful! By the time our plane landed just after 4 p.m. and we came through the extremely efficient and professional temperature scanners and immigration and baggage claim and customs, it was about 5 p.m. (Saturday), so our drive through the city featured lovely lights and signs. There is English everywhere--at least wherever we are. We have met one of our fellow adoptive couples (they came in on the same flight) and they are adopting their daughter from Hunan. We are happy to have connected with such a terrific couple who will be with us for this whole journey.
Needless to say, the flight from Chicago to Beijing was pretty long, and we expect it to feel even longer on the way home, but we got to fly over plenty of ice, though not the North Pole itself. I got a lot of reading done, and we occasionally tried to sleep.
The Beijing airport is extraordinary--expansive and in such a magnificent design. Our guide who met us and our new friends at the airport tells us that it was built for the Olympics. There was a Christmas tree at the airport, but there is an even bigger one here at the hotel. This is probably the schwankiest hotel we've ever stayed in (Hotel Hershey may be the one exception), but we'll debate that tomorrow after we are rested. For now we are going to go find out how comfortable the mattress is. Even if it's made of cinder blocks, it is sure to beat a United seat in economy class!
Landing in Beijing was awesome. Realizing we are so close to Louis and that we have landed in his homeland... it's all too wonderful. I'll write more and try to post photos tomorrow, but for now we are just thrilled (and perhaps a tad exhausted).
Needless to say, the flight from Chicago to Beijing was pretty long, and we expect it to feel even longer on the way home, but we got to fly over plenty of ice, though not the North Pole itself. I got a lot of reading done, and we occasionally tried to sleep.
The Beijing airport is extraordinary--expansive and in such a magnificent design. Our guide who met us and our new friends at the airport tells us that it was built for the Olympics. There was a Christmas tree at the airport, but there is an even bigger one here at the hotel. This is probably the schwankiest hotel we've ever stayed in (Hotel Hershey may be the one exception), but we'll debate that tomorrow after we are rested. For now we are going to go find out how comfortable the mattress is. Even if it's made of cinder blocks, it is sure to beat a United seat in economy class!
Landing in Beijing was awesome. Realizing we are so close to Louis and that we have landed in his homeland... it's all too wonderful. I'll write more and try to post photos tomorrow, but for now we are just thrilled (and perhaps a tad exhausted).
Good luck w/ the time change. That was the hardest thing for almost the first week. Enjoy China; it is great! and get some REAL Chinese food.
ReplyDeleteHotel Hershey????? We live a mile from Hotel Hershey? Are you local?