Wednesday July 20

Finally a day to move!! Today we travel to Hong Kong, the place we fly out of.

We got up, not too early, and went down for a late breakfast. It was nice not being in a hurry. Our friends came down towards the end. We managed to get a decent Skype connection and talked to Emma and Marie for a while. It was good for Emma to meet the boys.

We went back to the room and started to pack. It really wasn’t too bad. With the extra suitcase we had enough room and with a scale there was no question on weights. I did have to contend with the boys wrestling now and then and Finn reorganizing things the way he saw fit.

Walked around town a little bit after that in the pedestrian mall. Met some friends with a daughter who was in the same room as Finn and walked around with them and chatted. Then stopped in to 7-11 for lunch: Chicken for Kai, Pizza for Duncan, and Yogurt for Me and Finn. We ate in the pedestrian mall, though Kai ate at the doorstop of a store nearby, as he was in a mood…

Then we headed back to the hotel to get ready. Duncan and I showered. Kai wouldn’t and I didn’t fight him. Finn had a bath (he has hated them since the first one which he loved – not sure why). Then we headed down to the lobby with the help of our friends.

I checked out. I guess they go and check your room because they couldn’t find the handset for our phone. I went up and looked and couldn’t find it either. So they charged me 100 RMB ($15). They said I had to pay for the whole phone, but when I said OK, but I want the rest of it (sorry Marie) then they said I just needed to pay for the handset. I am guessing Finn put it in the trash (since he couldn’t fit it in the potty!)

We took the van to the consulate. Our facilitator went in to get the Passports and Visas for the boys. We waited in the van. That accomplished we headed to the train station, about two blocks away. We parked in the loading zone (like quadruple parked) and got out and got the bags. We had three rolling suitcases – one big, one medium, and one small. Three backpacks, and one little fella on my chest in the carrier. The facilitator took us up to show us where to go. We waited about 20 minutes until it was time to go into the waiting room for the train. There were about five other adoptive families from Guangzhou there.

Into another waiting room. Finn and I bought some drinks and chips while Duncan shared a cookie from Subway (what a nice surprise!) with Kai. Finally it was time to get on the train, about 20 minutes later. We went down the escalator to the train, now just us 4 boys and all our stuff. We carried the bags onto the train. The big one we left in the entry way and the others we put above our seats. Pretty heavy to lift them with a big backpack on my front and a Finn on my front. Soon thereafter the train left the station and on to Hong Kong.

It was a wonderful trip. Only one Kai meltdown. The big boys drew some (trains). We ate Subway (a Maxwell-Thompson train tradition now). Duncan READ A BOOK. Many trips to the potty, which apparently drops straight onto the tracks. When you get into Hong Kong the bathrooms are locked so you don’t use them. Of course Duncan had to go then, but apparently in Car 4, this is not the case so he was allowed to go back there.

Got to the station and went through immigration, including the station where your temperature is read as you walk by to make sure you don’t have a fever, I guess. No problems. Then into the station. McDonalds! We went and changed money and then headed up there. We had hamburgers and fries (Kai had chicken). I had a Sweet Potato Pie (mmmmmm). Then we went back down the escalator, this little train of suitcases and boys. And onto the taxi.

Duncan rode in the front and was officially freaked out. In Hong Kong, the drivers side is like England, so he was quite impressed that he was riding in the “drivers seat” on the right.

Got to the hotel and got the room. We were “upgraded” to a Harbor View room on the 36^th floor. Nice place. Room small but fine. Boys didn’t last long before they were in sleepy land. And now it’s my turn, with big plans to see all of Hong Kong tomorrow before we leave on Friday.