KEANNA IS FLYING HOME WITH US TODAY!!!
It's Friday morning 6am here (3pm Thursday in BC), we'll go for breakfast in an hour or two, pack our final things and head to the lobby for our ride to the airport.
As we are 15 hours ahead of you we live Friday daytime twice today, but once on the plane. We are to land in Vancouver at 11:20am, which is 2am China time for us. Hopefully no plane delays on this flight.
We'll see you all soon.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
July 17th Day before travel we took it easy
We took a walk through a different area towards directions I got to a Wallmart for plane snacks and ended up at a Wumart. It was a good supermarket for what we needed, and found the little bread snack packs another Asian lady had given Keanna that Keanna loved. Back at the hotel she ate 5 of them, and would ask for more and get excited when she saw the new pack (-: We've packed them for the plane ride along with the other snacks we picked up.
Our luggage is packed other than for our morning change of clothes before our flight. Kids are bouncing around all excited to go back.
Our luggage is packed other than for our morning change of clothes before our flight. Kids are bouncing around all excited to go back.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
July 16th The GREAT WALL - Tram and Bob sled ride!!!
We went to the Great Wall, (Mu tian yu) a different location than we've been to before as a change that is not as busy with tourists. We rented a van and driver for the day as its a 2hr drive each way. Brought the portable DVD's and a bag of local food snacks from a corner store...
We arrived at the Great Wall, took a 10 minute transfer bus ride to the base, took a tram up (ski-lift chair), and hiked up/down the wall. It was spectacular, kids loved it, even Keanna hiked up more stairs than we thought she could. It was then time for the Bob Sled ride down!
I was going to take Makena and Keanna, and Alyssa and Cheryl were going to go together. As Alyssa wanted to go with someone. It was a long run down, 5 minutes about. When our turn they said no, to Alyssa and Cheryl going together, so they stuck Alyssa in a single and gave her a push . Alyssa ended up going first! Not the plan, but she did great. Alyssa had no choice but loved it. Cheryl and Makena went, then myself and Keanna.
We negotiated a price for a souvenir at the bottom to take home, and head back to the hotel for a swim.
We arrived at the Great Wall, took a 10 minute transfer bus ride to the base, took a tram up (ski-lift chair), and hiked up/down the wall. It was spectacular, kids loved it, even Keanna hiked up more stairs than we thought she could. It was then time for the Bob Sled ride down!
I was going to take Makena and Keanna, and Alyssa and Cheryl were going to go together. As Alyssa wanted to go with someone. It was a long run down, 5 minutes about. When our turn they said no, to Alyssa and Cheryl going together, so they stuck Alyssa in a single and gave her a push . Alyssa ended up going first! Not the plan, but she did great. Alyssa had no choice but loved it. Cheryl and Makena went, then myself and Keanna.
We negotiated a price for a souvenir at the bottom to take home, and head back to the hotel for a swim.
July 15th - Beijing Zoo
We visited the Beijing Zoo, we took a taxi from the hotel to the zoo and checked out the panda's polar bears, did a crazy motor boat drive up the canal (w/o Keanna and mom).
We had some food, other than Cheryl as she's been suffering with some food stomach issues the last few days )-: It's been tough on her.
On the way out of the zoo we went to get a cab, not so easy... No cab wanted to take us as traffic was supposedly bad to where our hotel was. After about 30 minutes I got an "empty" cab to pull over who turned us away, so I said how much, he said a price and we got in (about 3x the cost of our trip to the zoo). Keanna started to cry on the way back as she had to pee, and so far had not gone in her pull up (not even on the 6hr plane ride), but this time she was only in underwear, no pull up. Keanna held it till we got the hotel!
We had some food, other than Cheryl as she's been suffering with some food stomach issues the last few days )-: It's been tough on her.
On the way out of the zoo we went to get a cab, not so easy... No cab wanted to take us as traffic was supposedly bad to where our hotel was. After about 30 minutes I got an "empty" cab to pull over who turned us away, so I said how much, he said a price and we got in (about 3x the cost of our trip to the zoo). Keanna started to cry on the way back as she had to pee, and so far had not gone in her pull up (not even on the 6hr plane ride), but this time she was only in underwear, no pull up. Keanna held it till we got the hotel!
July 14th - Canadian Embassy
We went to the Embassy for Keanna's visa process but were not allowed inside. We had to stay outside in the heat and wait for about 1.5 hours. We spent our time whacking mosquito's that were giving Alyssa and Makena big hives and making them itch.
It was a rough first few days in Beijing but it greatly improved after that.
It was a rough first few days in Beijing but it greatly improved after that.
July 13th switching hotels )-:
We woke up in the morning, the hotel we were in was not making anyone happy. Corridors were dark and kinda run down, shower flooded the bathroom floor as the base leaked, we had no Wifi for internet connection on the floor they put us on, there were no shops/stores next to the hotel to grab food/snacks, NO POOL for kids... they were devastated as we now had some free days waiting for our visa, with nothing for the kids.
Our agency got us another hotel, it cost us an extra night fee in the one we left even though we were out before check-out time, but it was worth it!
The hotel we got into had a nice pool with shallow warm kids pool Keanna spent hours in it, and kids had lots of laughs and needed exercise out of the heat.
We had markets, mall, and tourist attraction within walking distance, including a pizza hut the kids loved.
Our agency got us another hotel, it cost us an extra night fee in the one we left even though we were out before check-out time, but it was worth it!
The hotel we got into had a nice pool with shallow warm kids pool Keanna spent hours in it, and kids had lots of laughs and needed exercise out of the heat.
We had markets, mall, and tourist attraction within walking distance, including a pizza hut the kids loved.
July 12th to Beijing and getting a hotel
Our plane journey started with a tight check-in on arrival, followed by Cheryl's and my passports not valid. Eventually we figured out we had been booked on our old passport numbers used off documents before we had our new passports. Fortunately Cheryl had them.
Then we boarded the plane and waited for take off as we taxied around and then watched the plane park along a fence? Just over 3 hours later sitting on the tarmac due to weather delay we took off. After being on the plane for just over 6 hours, we finally landed.
We did not prepare for 6 hours on the plane, and I scared Keanna by flushing the loud Vacu-flush airplane toilet and she did not want to go. Lots of tears and crying. Cheryl eventually got her to go, thank goodness as we only had on spare pull-up, that never got used (-:
We got to our hotel after collecting luggage and a 1 hour drive, it was 9:30 pm and we had not yet ate dinner, kids were hungry and grumpy. Our guide met us in the lobby and helped us to our room. She wanted to do our Visa paperwork right away before we ate... We did, but Cheryl or I could barely focus and the kids saying I'm hungry... We eventually got food, another challenge...
Bed time
Then we boarded the plane and waited for take off as we taxied around and then watched the plane park along a fence? Just over 3 hours later sitting on the tarmac due to weather delay we took off. After being on the plane for just over 6 hours, we finally landed.
We did not prepare for 6 hours on the plane, and I scared Keanna by flushing the loud Vacu-flush airplane toilet and she did not want to go. Lots of tears and crying. Cheryl eventually got her to go, thank goodness as we only had on spare pull-up, that never got used (-:
We got to our hotel after collecting luggage and a 1 hour drive, it was 9:30 pm and we had not yet ate dinner, kids were hungry and grumpy. Our guide met us in the lobby and helped us to our room. She wanted to do our Visa paperwork right away before we ate... We did, but Cheryl or I could barely focus and the kids saying I'm hungry... We eventually got food, another challenge...
Bed time
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