Back to Beijing

May 28, 2008
Chongqing, the largest city in China, at 33 million people, was wet and rainy this morning. Nini, our young guide, got us to the airport, helped us check in; we exchanged email addresses, said our good-byes and it was off to Beijing. The flight was unremarkable, with the exception of the interesting manner in which the in-flight meal was served. Each passenger had a choice of rice or noodles, which came in an aluminum foil tin. The tin was placed on top of a cardboard box, much like a box lunch from Honey Baked Ham. Inside the box were an assortment of prepackaged items; cherry tomatoes, bun, pickled vegetables, fish noodles and glutinous popcorn. All in all, it was a pretty good meal.

Speaking of meals…

This morning’s breakfast was another gastronomic delight; sushi, French toast, Danish pastries, banana bread all adorned my plate. As we sipped our last cup of coffee, at an adjacent table sat two couples with young Chinese children. Curious, as we walked by their table, Caroline introduced herself and asked if they were in Chongqing to adopt other children. The couples invited us to join them and shared with us that the children with them were their newly adopted son and daughter. They had gotten the children on Monday. Both were special needs children; the girl was 3 ½ and the boy was 6 years old. The father of the little girl shared that all the fear, anxiety, and unknowns melted away on Monday when he saw his little girl for the first time. His words were an encouragement, as we’ve both been experiencing a roller coaster of thoughts and emotions.

Back to Beijing…

We were met by our CHI Beijing contact, Lena, upon our arrival this afternoon. She dropped us off at the hotel, we checked in, and off Caroline and I went for a stroll around Beijing. Of note; it’s all about the Olympics.

Three more days until we get Ellie!

Another memorable quote from the cruise: Septuagenarian seated behind Caroline on the sampan, while I’m putting on the traditional outfit of the famed Yangtze ‘boat trackers’; “My goodness he’s a big man!”