We made it!

We have made it to China safely. After spending 10 hours in San Francisco, we finally boarded our plane. We were seated at the back of the plane, which was actually really nice--easy access to the bathrooms and the standing area. Service on United Arilines was good, and the first meal we were served was excellent-the best food I have ever eaten on a plane. Surprisingly, the 13-hour plane ride went by quickly with sleeping and playing on our itouches. Blake loaded the itouches with tons of games and movies. Also, no one was sitting by Blake, so Katie Beth moved next to him. Maggie, Isabella, and I sprawled out. When we landed in Shanghia, airport officials boarded the planed dressed in white lab suits with masks and goggles to take our temperature. It was a little surreal, interesting, and amusing. All passengers passed! We had to fill out extra paperwork concerning our health and go through an extra inspection gate inside the airport. We were one of the lasts ones through customs. When we picked up our luggage (Yes! It all made it.), we got a taxi. Lots of guys were outside the airport yelling "Taxi!" (Hint: only get a taxi in the taxi line.) Those guys are a little suspicious and I have heard they take advantage of people. These same shady guys can be found in the Cancun Airport. LOL! When we got in the taxi, we gave the guy what we thought was the hotel name and address. (I had requested our travel agency to write the information in Mandarin. I think our travel agent only wrote the hotel name down.) The driver was trying to ask another driver where the hotel was located outside the airport while both taxis were speeding down the road. And then, he asked someone on his CB Radio. No luck! Of course, the guy wasn't speaking English. I could just tell from his manner of speaking, gesturing, tones, etc. that he had no idea where he was going. Blake put some of the hotel paperwork in the trunk, so we tried telling him to pull over. I finally got out the Nintendo DS Chinese translator and looked up many words to try to communicate. (Keep in mind that it was almost midnight and we had been traveling for 24 hours plus.) I finally found the word "trunk" and "paper" and the guy pulled over. The hotel paperwork did not have the address in Chinese, but I pulled out my Fodor's Shanghai travel book and pointed to the street. When we finally got the hotel's neighborhood, he stopped and asked a person and we found the hotel. Thank you, Jesus!

Our hotel, The Bund Hotel, is very nice. The gentleman at the front desk and the bell boy were very helpful. We asked them tons of questions, and they were so nice. We were so exhuasted that we didn't even mind the very hard beds. We all jumped into a hot shower. Absolute heaven! The hotel staff brought up extra pillows and towels at 1 a.m. We were all very, very happy to fall onto the concrete slabs. No complaints were heard that night or the next morning.

The next morning we had our tripped planned for YiWu. YiWu is a small city in Zhejiang Province. This is where Maggie spent the first 11 months of her life. I set the alarm for 4:30 a.m. Of course, I awoke at 4:00 a.m., just happy to have had a few hours of sleep. We were all dressed and ready by 5:45 a.m. The front desk was kind enough to pack us breakfast boxes (ham and cheese sandwiches, plain yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, and apples), since we were leaving before the buffet opened. Everyone enjoyed breakfast, except for Isabella who had pop tarts.

We arrived at the train station early and made our way to the First Class Lounge where we waited for them to announce our train departure. We were the entertainment for the entire lounge. People stared openly at us for long periods of time. Staring is not considered rude in China, so the entire lounged endulged themselves. It does not bother me, but it is taking some time for the girls to get used to it. I do admit that our family is a little unusual. LOL! We are a caucasian family with an Asian daughter. This is not something the Chinese see everyday. Many people throughout the day told us in English "beautiful babies." Furthermore, Isabella received many comments because of her blond hair and green eyes. Also, several people tried to talk to Maggie in Mandarin, trying to figure out if she is Chinese. Some people will try to talk to you in Mandarin. It is a little frustrating not to be able to understand them. Most people mean very well. I told the girls just to smile and say "Ni hao!" This worked. People would say "hello" in return and smile. We took the D Train, which is very fast. It only took us two hours to get to YiWu. Our guide Derrick met us the Hangzhou stop.

When we arrived in YiWu, we took a taxi to the orphanage. We were not allowed in the orphanage due to the swine flu, but we met with the orphanage director and walked around the grounds. The director was very kind. I gave him some pictures and my email address, and he gave me his business card. Also, on the orphanage grounds is a building for the elderly. We spoke to one elderly gentlemen who spoke English. He was a middle school teacher and his daughter lives in San Francisco. He was so kind, and we really enjoyed the visit. Maggie's "finding spot" was at the orphanage gate, so we spent time there talking to the security guard that found Maggie. It was very emotional for me and Blake. For those of you who have adopted from China, I know you understand what I am speaking of. Maggie also became upset. I do not know if it was visiting the orphanage or the fact that I was upset.

We ate lunch at a restaurant in town. It was delicious! We had BBQ lamb's leg, roasted chicken with green tea leaves, a corn dish, and cokes for the girls Yum! We visited YiWu's famous wholesale market. YiWu is famous for its wholesale market. People from around the world come to YiWu to buy Chinese products. We saw many Middle Eastern people throughout the city and at the market. The market is quite impressive with many large buildings. We were all exhuasted and found a Starbucks where we hung out and enjoyed the free WiFi, while we waited for our train departure.

The train ride back to Shanghai was uneventful. We were all exhausted and just wanted a hot shower, food, and a concrete bed. LOL! I spent a lot of time people watching on the train. The Chinese are very interesting people. We had Pizza Hut delivered (an example of "survival of the fittest"). Blake ran around the corner to a convenience store for cokes. The pizza was good, but the cheese tastes a little bit different. It is 3:30 a.m. now. I am sitting at the desk in the hotel room, looking at a spectacular view of Shanghai. The skyscrapers are amazing! Shanghai is a mix of modern and traditional architecture. Right next to a skyscraper you will find a cluster of older buildings. Shops line the first floors with apartments on upper floors. Yesterday morning, we saw older women on the rooftops and balconys hanging their laundry.

Today, we will venture out in Shanghai. We have no plans--just walk the city and soak it all in. Tonight, we will jump on a sleeper train to Beijing. Please keep us in your prayers. I will post from our hotel in Beijing. We were supposed to have a cell phone delivered, but it never showed up. We cannot call like we planned. We will try to find another way to call home. I can access my Yahoo email from China, so email me if needed. Also, you can leave comments on the blog. Just click the "Comments" under each blog post. Sending love out to our family and friends. Thank you for all your prayers. God is good!

Killing time in San Franciso.
Checking out our plane to Shanghai
Isabella and Raspberry all ready to go!
Laundry Day. This is the view from the The Bund Hotel's front door.
Shanghai Train Station
Maggie and I ready for our journey to YiWu
Orphanage gate

The girls first attempt at the squatty potty. Katie Beth and I are old pros. Maggie and Isabella are definitely amateurs!

As Jon Bon Jovi so eloquently asked, "Who says you can't go home?"

We feel like we are at home. Thank you to the person at Starbucks Headquarters who decided YiWu, China, needed a Starbucks! Drinks were a little bit different, but we were not complaining!