This site is designed to share information about our family adoption journey to China. Posts are added most recent on top. If you have never read our blog it is best to use the archives on the side to go to the oldest month first and scroll to the bottom to read the oldest posts first.

ITINERARY updated 10/18/11

China hotel room occupancy laws state on 3 adults per room. D will count as an adult while E counts as half. We will almost certainly have to have 2 rooms in Guangzhou. I'm going to try to see if we can squeeze by with a suite in Nanchang. Taking the train to Nanchang was a planned adventure. With this new expedited schedule we will arrive in Guangzhou during the last few days of trade fair. Taking the overnight train then also will save considerable money as we do not have to get two rooms that night and airplane tickets too.

I do not know why the layout of this list looks strange, sorry.

10/18 Tuesday: Angela buying train tickets for 10/28 to Nanchang.

10/19 Wednesday: 
Depart Tulsa 6am United/Express Jet Flight 6122. Its a very small plane. 
Embraer RJ145 Arrive in Chicago 7:48am. Hang out for 5 hours in airport. 
Depart Chicago 1pm United Flight 851. Boeing 747. Flying time 13:15 hours. Total time from Tulsa to Beijing is 20 hours 15 minutes. Arctic flight path over the North Pole. Will we see Santa’s workshop? 
10/20 Thursday: Arrive Beijing 3:15pm Angela picking us up and check-in at Lee Garden Serviced Apartments. Hopefully we can get to the bank to exchange money and a grocery store. We have a 2 bedroom-2 bath with a kitchen and washer/dryer. Early day planned for tomorrow.

10/21 Friday: Angela is taking us and another forum family to the Great Wall Mutianyu section. This is where they have installed a ski lift and toboggan. After that we are going to see the Summer Palace. Very long day. 

10/22 Saturday: Tour Beijing. Buy train tickets for Nanchang to Guangzhou trip.

10/23 Sunday: Angela has agreed to take me to the market and show me a couple a basic foods. Hopefully Joseph and Jewel will find them comforting. 
  
10/24 Monday: Tour Beijing
10/25 Tuesday: Tour Beijing
10/26 Wednesday: Tour Beijing
10/27 Thursday: Tour Beijing 
10/28 Friday: Take the overnight Train to Nanchang. Train Z65 or Z67 departs Beijing West 20:00 or 20:06 arrives Nanchang 7:20 or 7:30 private soft sleeper compartment with 4 bunk beds. 2-3 train stops. Only one stop 30 minutes before ours. No need to book hotel for Friday night. Angela is buying our tickets for us on Wednesday the day they go on sale to be sure we get good seats. 
10/29 Saturday: Arrive in Nanchang train station 7:20/7:30am. CAWLI has arranged for our guide to pick us up and take us to the Galactic Peace Hotel. Drop luggage off at hotel. Check in is at 2 p.m. Possible early check-in? We plan to familiarize ourselves with the area before tomorrow. 
10/30 Sunday:  Fu Jingxin will be brought to our hotel room or lobby. Guide is supposed to be there to translate. Go to store to purchase her brand of formula or other basic needs for her. Sometimes the SWI brings a couple of days of formula. Then we wouldn’t have to go out right away. 
10/31 Monday: Adoption Finalization and tons of paperwork. 
11/1   Tuesday: The overnight train to Guangzhou. T171 leaves at 18:40 (6:40pm) arrives Guangzhou East 6:29am. 12 stops. Private Soft Sleeper 4 bunk beds. No need to book hotel for Tuesday night. If Jewel is fussy this could be a nightmare so hope for calm. 
11/2   Wednesday: Arrive Guangzhou station at 6:29am. CAWLI has arranged guide to meet us there and take us to check-in at Holiday Inn Shifu. Meet Long Guangbo at Civil Affairs Office.
11/3   Thursday: Adoption Finalization
11/4   Friday: Jingxin’s Chinese passport sent to Guangzhou. Touring/Rest
11/5   Saturday: Medical Exam for visa on Shamian Island/TB test for Joseph. 
11/6   Sunday: Touring/Rest
11/7   Monday: Get medical exam results
11/8   Tuesday: Pickup Guangbo's Chinese passport
11/9   Wednesday: Consulate Appointment and Oath of Citizenship
11/10 Thursday: Pickup US visas
11/11 Friday: Take private van to Shenzhen City. Check into Hotel. Visit SWI. Our guide will be with us at the SWI and will say goodbye to us there. On our own now. 
11/12 Saturday: Tour Shenzhen City. 

11/13 Sunday:  Take ferry to Hong Kong. Check into hotel. Go to Oceans Park or Disney maybe. Or Victoria’s peak.

11/14 Monday: Its DALTON’S 14th BIRTHDAY for 38 hours!
Depart Hong Kong United flight 896 at 11am. Boeing 747. Flight Time 14:05
Arrive Chicago 11:05am. Immigration takes several hours to get through with the children’s paperwork. Not expecting a peaceful layover but we should be able to make our connecting flight 5 hours later. I say should because recent families have reported Chicago immigration taking up to 4 hours to process the paperwork. 
Depart Chicago 4:02pm United/ExpressJet 6170. Another small Embraer RJ145
arrive Tulsa 5:57pm. We are going to a local playground for 30 minutes for everyone to meet the kids before heading home. Remember, this will be 8am to us. And it has been 21 hours since we left Hong Kong. We will all hopefully fall into bed for at least a nap. Dalton plans on going to school the next morning if at all possible. He is cutting is close on how many days he can be excused from school. 


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