Last night we got most of our stuff repacked for our train ride to Zhengzhou in the morning. Since we weren't taking the plane, we figured we would put more stuff in the suitcases and keep our backpacks lighter for this trip. Our bags feel SO HEAVY, we are Really hoping they will lighten up a bit in Zhengzhou when we get rid of all the heavy gift stuff. In reality, I think we are going to end up buying another suitcase for the plane ride to Guangzhou!! Hahahahaha
Ok, so, we got up in the morning and finished the last minute packing. Then we headed down to breakfast. We immediately spotted the Conklin and Johns families that arrived last night. It was amazing... the adoption bond strikes again!! I had never met these ladies, but we have chatted on Facebook. But we were hugging and talking... and I had to remind myself to go get B'Elanna and I some breakfast before we got on the train!!
Afterwards, all the families immediately started working as a team. B'Elanna has decided Zoe and Brook Conklin hang-the-moon and wants to be with them at all times. The girls have been wonderful, holding her hand and making sure she was safe when I was walking slower with Grammy and B'Elanna wanted to be with the big kids. The families are all helping each other with taking each others bags at different times, helping corral children, helping with luggage!
The bus dropped us off and we had to walk a good distance to the train station. It didn't seem that bad, but Grammy's knees have had it after the last few days in Beijing, so we kept falling farther and farther behind the group. Once we got the ticket booth, George gave us all our tickets and walked us to where we needed to board the train. He gave Very Exact directions on how to go through the gate, down the stairs, to the right and walk A LONG way to the first car for our assigned seats. Then he had to leave. When it was time to get through the gate, it was like a ton of cows charging a gate - pushing, pushing, pushing. All the parents and Grandparents made sure the kids got through the gate... and then B'Elanna tripped and fell onto our silver carry-on. She got scared and I think she wanted to cry... I just didn't want her to get trampled or left behind. So I just picked her and the suitcase up, and said "your OK, we gotta Run!" and we quickly caught up with the group. She took back her little My Little Pony suitcase and I took the silver one, my purple one and kept a VERY TIGHT Grip on her arm with my two available fingers. A very nice Chinese Lady sorta gently pushed her way onto the escalator with B'Elanna and took hold of her MLP suitcase. In less than half-a-second, I almost lost my mind... then she looked at me and very nicely in broken English said "I help" and then she patted and caressed B'Elanna's head the whole ride down the escalator. We got down to the bottom of the escalator and we caught up with Grammy and the other two Mom's (one was carrying a child, the other a couple heavy bags and her suitcase), B'Elanna spotted Zoe or Brook and rushed up and grabbed their hand. I was sticking with Grammy. She was walking too fast so she didn't miss the train and you could see the pain in her face and steps. Then she needed to stop and said "Go ahead, go ahead"... so I did. I kept walking fast, got to our train, put my BIG purple bag on the train (the other families watched it and B'Elanna) and I rushed back to help Grammy with her suitcase.
WE MADE IT TO THE TRAIN!!!!
Now for the easy part... just sit back and enjoy the three-hour ride (1030-1348) and stress over your watch and making sure we all got out at the right stop. HAHAHAHAHA The train seats are really neat, they can be turned around so groups of four are looking at each other. We were a group of 11, so we had two set of 4, sort of kitty-corner to each other, Grammy and I in two seats and one seat for backpacks or left empty. It worked out perfect, the Mom's and I were able to face each other and talk and talk and talk. I think we missed most of the outside, because we were so focused on each other (and the kids when needed)... the poor Grammy's and Dad were pretty much ignored. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Then it was time to get all of us and our luggage off the train in Three Minutes.... WE DID IT! It was a comedy act, watching us decide which exit to go out, start to move the luggage, then change our minds and start to move to the other exit, then change our minds and move back. We got all pre-staged and I think we were off that train in less than two minutes. Everyone safe and sound, all toes and fingers intact.... I won't account for our brains.... I have been so discombobulated this trip, I think my was left back in the States. We headed off the platform, spotted Yisha (our guide) ... and the music played, the rainbows came out!! Yisha is WONDERFUL at taking care of families in country!!! We all go loaded onto our bus, then myself, one of the other Mom's (Ashley) and Dad (Zach Conklin) got off the bus at the bank to get our money exchanged. Grammy, B'Elanna and all the other family members and luggage went on to the hotel (Hilton - Zhengzhou) to get us checked in.
We got back to our hotel about 1540. Just enough time to go up to the room and get Grammy and B'Elanna, put money in the safe and be back downstairs at 1600. I got to the room and Grammy had unpacked most of the stuff and was laying down. I told her we needed to be back downstairs in 20 minutes to go to Walmart. She said she wasn't going, her knees were done.... and then I got cranky and bitchy! I wanted her help at Walmart. So B'Elanna and I met the group, we all walked to Walmart bought all our supplies, which included a new stroller. Thank-goodness I bought the stroller, I used that to carry all the groceries home!!
By this time the families that had arrived the night before were DONE IN. I was starting to feel the effects too, but I got Grammy and we went down to the in Hotel restaurant and got some Pizza for dinner. Came back to the room, got B'Elanna in bed, finished unpacking, got all the gifts and the CRIB ready for Ayla!!
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