And we know that all they who work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
We have arrived in Beijing. A few observations from a jet lagged mind. Overall the journey took about 28 hours. We flew to LA on American Airlines. That was by far the worst of our journey. While in LA we met up with other adoptive families. We enjoyed their company as we waited to be boarded. There were two other families with CHI that we stayed with on our journey.
In LA we boarded China Southern. We upgraded to Business Class and it was well worth the added price. The Stewards and Stewardess were courteous and attentive to our needs. The food good and the seating arrangements were comfortable (for an airplane). The bathroom was always clean. Rulon slept most of the way. I read junky celebrity magazines with abandon.
We left home in the late afternoon and chased the setting sun. The sky was a dark indigo blue as we journeyed over the ocean until it faded to black. We flew far north up over Alaska. No, William we did not fly over the North Pole, but we came close. In the early morning we arrived in Guangzhou. The airport was nearly empty and we were processed very quickly. The air was hot and sticky. From the window the surrounding area looked and felt like Florida. The airport was clean. An airport steward took us to our connecting flight to Beijing. Once again we flew China Southern. This time we flew coach. Once again the service was superior and the food acceptable.
We arrived in Beijing about noon. The Beijing airport was clean. The bathrooms had an attendant . Our CHI Coordinator Christi met us just outside the baggage terminal. The climate in Beijing was cool, dry a little windy, but very pleasant. On the bus ride to the Raddison Hotel the side of the freeway was filled with pine trees. After settling in, Rulon and I took a walk through the streets of Beijing near the hotel. We sought out a market to buy bottled water. We found a large store similar to Walmart called Carrefour. It was jammed packed with people getting off work and shopping for dinner. The store was clean and smelled of salty fish. We saw interesting fruits and vegetables that we had never seen before. Clerks stood by stations shouting and we supposed extolling the virtues of their product. It was an interesting experience and we managed quite well.
The city’s streets were clean. Construction was everywhere; tearing down the old and putting up the new as fast as possible. Small parking lots were filled with rusty old bicycles. We guessed most of the bicycles to be about thirty years old. Small cars, buses, bicycles and pedestrians navigate the streets together in a dangerous fashion. Just one big accident waiting to happen. A female party official, (I suppose) wearing a red arm band and an official looking hat, sternly admonished a gentleman to pick up a small piece of paper at his feet. He was compliant.
We came back to the Hotel and meant to take a short nap and fell asleep for three hours. We had a late dinner at the Raddison. The service and food was excellent. The bed in our room is comfortable; a little firm but feels heavenly to a couple of weary travelers.
One last thing. Happy Birthday to my sister Rhonda and my son Sam.
