Sunday August 22, 2010

Just now settled in an have internet. We are on the 30th floor of 52 floors in room 5. The guide does not recommend that we leave the hotel. Holt told us everything would be too expensive in the hotel but there is nothing western nearby.
Today has been pretty hard. I have cried several times and fell like I could do with a good cry right now. We are exhausted. Beijing Airport is scary, crowded, large. We had a long wait and then had to take a very very crowded bus to the plane. Much turbulence on the flight. We were very hungry by the time we got a meal on the plane. Grace has no energy at all and just lays her head on me. Once we landed the heat hit us like a freight train. Another very very very crowded bus trip to the terminal. Only squatty potty in the airport. The driver scared us so many times. He is awful. Our guide speaks much better English than Arthur did, but she checked us in and left.
The worst news is that we do not get Cori until 3:30 tomorrow.
She also told us she was at the orphanage recently and did not know of Jiang Yi Hua. I told her she had been in foster care for 2 years. She said those are the children who have the hardest time adjusting.
On the better side, there is a playroom on our hotel floor. They have a crib in here I would not put one of the dachshunds in, but it is where we have put all of her things. The guide says she will take us to WalMart on Tuesday. Grace only packed on pair of pants, one skirt, and one pair of leggings. We were told to avoid hotel laundry service but there is no where else to go. We were told to avoid the minibar (for water/coke/snacks), but there is nothing else available.
I am frazzled and very frustrated.