Monday, October 27, 2008

I woke the kids at 5:30, late for them, so we could get our big day started.  We went to breakfast, I closed my safe deposit box and checked out of the hotel.  At 8:00 we left with our guide to get Aidan's passport, then went to the airport for an 11:15 flight to Guangzhou.  Aidan loves flying-he chattered and played with armrest gadgets the whole time.  I got sick the moment the plane left, but didn't have to dash to the rest room at least.

In Guangzhou we met our new guide, went to get Aidan's visa photos taken, went to the medical clinic for his exam, checked into our room, went through all of our paperwork with our guide, and then I called the airlines to confirm new flights for Thursday.  I hadn't rebooked them because until I met this guide, I didn't have an appointment schedule and, therefore, no exit schedule.  This had to be complicated, of course.  I can rebook for LB and I, but not for Aidan-that has to be done through the original agent.  Since we want to make sure we're all together, rebooking had to be done for all three of us through them-there goes another thousand bucks.  Oh, no, there is more-we can't get a flight out until Friday, so I have to stay another night at yet another very expensive hotel.

On a more positive note, Guangzhou is so much nicer than Beijing.  I am not a city person and Beijing is not a pedestrian-friendly place.  Guangzhou, though a city, is much more friendly and pedestrian-friendly.  Not only that, but there is a lot of variety in the people-their bone structure, body type, dress style, hair style, etc.