Well, we are FINALLY here. We've been here a few hours we both went to bed.
Telling you it was a LONG LONG LONG flight does not explain how sitting on an airplane for 15 hours is. We were told it was 18 hours but they were wrong, so it was 3 hours shorter. China Southern is an awesome airlines. To explain how royal you are treated --they bow and introduce the staff. Everyone sort of looks and even wears their hair the same. They were so nice. If I didn't book this premium economy --I wouldn't have fit in the seat. No lie. China flying is for skinny short people!
I am a walking joke here...people point and laugh. Look at that fat girl. Oh, guys don't wear shorts here. So were are in the airport and took our bags at the checkpoint and rechecked them past this gate/checkpoint. The airport must have been 80 degrees inside. They told us to go to gate B, the first sign said gate A...so we kept walking. Basically at 7am when we arrived in Guangzhou it was a ghost airport...no one around except workers. There are people just standing places like they are on guard. It's sort of creepy. So we couldn't find B, but we found the bathrooms but some guy was cleaning the floors so they were closed. We asked him where B was and he took us to an elevator. So up we went 1 floor and get off and there is a guy standing there with this cart. He would give us a ride. We don't speak Chinese but I can get them to understand me. I ask him if it is a short walk (I make an inch sign with my fingers) or a long walk (make big arm measurement.) We finally gets it and then does my measurments back as long, long, long, long walk. HE was right--wow that airport is huge. So we took the cart ride. Better hang on, he drives like Willie around corners.
Okay, so there is this couple who was ahead of us in the bag check line, they come over a long time after we got to B and were vegged in front of a tv. They said they walked thru A, and then over to B. Wow, God provided us a MUCH easier route. (Thanks!) They didn't bring money with them and the currency exchange was closed until like 9am, so they bought $5 from us so they could buy a soda. The lady said that she gave the storelady her visa card with her ladybug picture on it and she felt it and thought it was a gift. She acted like she'd never seen a credit card before. Guess we were smart getting money, we had it to tip our cart driver and to give some to them.
So we are walking and get on these walking sidewalks and people come up behind John and giggle and point to his legs....guys don't wear red shirts, or wear shorts. So everyone points and giggles. I think we must have had our picture taken like a 100 times. You can see people point their camera or just walk up to you and click away. Very strange. Or guys will look at you with that "hubba hubba" look in their eyes. Go figure.
We ate at this restuarant while waiting for our next flight. It was a noodle place. All kinds of pages in the menu and it had the English words underneath. I don't know what they call Soda....but Pepsi or Coke is how you have to ask for it. So I ordered ham noodles and John ordered pork noodles. They bring this quart size bowl to us with chopsticks. Mine was really good. John's had bones it it. Oh, no salt on the table but they have almost giant size sugar containers. John can't use chopsticks. I haven't used them in ages but I got mine to work. Soon our little waitress is back saying "you need fork" handing it to John. She looks at me and isn't sure if I want/need one or not. I take one too. (I told John I was going to tell everyone he had a chopstick in each hand.) LOL! Oh this restaurant had little tables and chairs, it was like sitting on doll furniture.
There is TV at the airport so we vegged in front of that most of the day. We found our flight was in another wing, so we moved up and around the bend to transfer planes. So ours of course has to be at the end of the long hallway. I go to use the bathroom (up until now they are normal) I walk in and tada there's that hole in the floor. They had a woman constantly mopping the bathroom floor because it stays wet from all the pee. (ewww!) I walk in and say "ewww" and walk out. The woman behind me thinks it must be nasty inside so she won't go in there either. That was funny.I had to walk to the other building to find a toliet. LOL!
So we're sitting there waiting on the flight to XIAN and it keeps getting delayed. Must have been 3 hours late. All the announcements are in both languages so we can read the signs and also hear it in English. This girl comes up to me and makes round circles over her eyes --like the glasses sign. I was like "yeah, I wear glasses, so?" Then everyone tries to make you understand. They want me to stand up and get their picture taken with me. I am a giant next to them. Basically they look like 4th graders and come up to maybe my shoulder was the tallest one. So then a few more want pictures. That was fun. Big, tall, fat, redheaded American :) cool---let's get our picture taken with her. Hope I don't end up on the web. :)
I got booked on middle seats. The word "aisle" isn't in the phrasebook and no one knows what I am talking about. So we get on the plane. God listens to prayers here....because I needed one. Remember me saying I don't fit in coach seats? Well, from Guangzhou to Xian we were in coach. John in the window and I in the middle seat and there was our row and there was the guy sitting in the aisle. So he got out of his seat so we could get in and I sat in the aisle. So they made some arrangements and moved some people. John and I (and maybe a child) could sit 3 across. It's like a bus seat width, On the last flight I asked for a seat extender (I needed 3 more inches) and it was no problem. This flight they made a joke out of it and had to put it on me. Never felt so fat and stupid EVER before. So I have to cry. John is such a comfort, but what do you say when I cry "I wanna go home" The lady in the seat in front of us wanted to talk to us, although I can't understand.
Oh, back to our flight over---we got dinner and breakfast. We took pictures of them to remember. They can't understand John and he can't understand them. Even when they try to speak English. LOL! SO I do all the speaking :) I had fish and cheesy rice for dinner and John had something else. His was nasty. Breakfast was either watery ricy goo or cereal (raison brand) as the choices were Chinese or Western. We had both, and I ate the fruit.
Had to write, Charlotta you would hate it here--everything is squishy. All the foods are squishy! or make that extra squishy.
So we get off the last flight and head to get our luggage. Brand new suitcases took a beating! They might make it home. John went to find our bags and I went to the bathroom. All squatties, I was walking along poking the door and then looking in to see if I could find a toliet. Everyone watches me, and then I turn to leave someone says "go in and try it." I say "I can't, I don't know how" Everyone laughs with me. I really wouldn't know how to go, I can't squat I pulled a muscle in my bad knee on the flight to LAX.
And then tada there is our Sheridan sign. They have a ton of people holding signs. Only ours was in English. They hand us each a bottle of water and they guy speaks good English. I ask "can you find me a Western toliet before we go?" Sure, he knows where they are and giggles at me. So one guy took the luggage to the car and the other one waited with John while I went to the bathroom. Then we were taken to this underground parking garage. China is a very quiet city. John took lots of pictures.
Our driver is very nice and drives very well. It's sort of like driving bumper cars without hitting anyone. You know in bumper cars there are cars coming in all directions at one time, well just because there is one lane means nothing. People stand in the road and cars avoid hitting them at high speeds. It was interesting. Very rural and run down. Super Walmart is being built. Among all this farmland and ruins we pull into the Sheridan. WOW! (No way would we have found a better ride, cabs are way too small--I'd never fit in one.)
So a bellman welcomes us and takes our bags in to the hotel. The guy at the desk is from Holland. Very goodlooking guy. We then were explained all the services and stuff and then the bellman brought us to our room. Very cool. Never had anyone bring our bags up before. I'll have to get some pictures of this hotel. It doesn't get much better than this. Everyone speaks English --the language that we look like we speak :) Otherwise "ne-how" means hello.
We have a big bathroom, a king size bed, and a window with a view (nothing worth seeing) and we're on the 17th floor! :) It's very quiet in the hotel and even outside. No street noise at all.
WE are in the room for about 5 minutes and the phone rings. A gal named Jenny. She was at the airport ot get us but the Sheridan people snatched us up. I guess bonehead didn't tell me he arranged for us a ride. She didn't sound to happy about our agency. Anyways, because our flights were late...we get Qin tomorrow.
She says she talked to the administrator at the orphanage and they gave Qin the talk about Americans coming from far far far far far far away and she'd better be a good kid. So at 9am tomorrow we go and get her. Jenny is very nice. We'll have to take her picture too.
She was telling us about XIAN (said like see-an but with a Ja sound at the beginning of the sch)oh she says, we are a small city of only 75 million people, we laugh and say our city has 5,000 people in it (if the sign is right). Then she laughs. It's been at least 75 here all day. Everyone is wearing turtlenecks and coats. Then they see us, John has shorts and sandles and I have capri pants on. We are both melting. Glad we weren't here when they think it's hot....I'd melt!
Glad I brought a winter coat then for Qin, she'll probably be cold too. Wouldn't it be great if Wisconsin's winters were 70 degrees? WOW!
On the flight to Guangzhou, my ear popped and I can't hear out of my right ear. I don't know if it's full of wax or what. If it doesn't get better I'll have to find a doctor here. PRAY it levels out and popps back in.
it's Saturday at 230am here
Although it's Friday and 1230pm there in WI.
I'm into tomorrow and it's going to be a good day.
Happy St Patty's day!
***s***
PS: I miss Alex and Dolly so much I cry when I hear their names.
