itinerary

this is about as detailed as it will get. i really enjoyed being able to see day by day what brendan and january where up to so hopefully you'll get a kick out of this, too.

mostly, i'm stuck in this vortex of stress. time is simultaneously moving incredibly fast and painfully slow. i feel like bill murray in what about bob - hi, i'm bob, would you knock me out, please? good thing i'll have 24 hours of travel to help me unwind . . . ok, enough whining. here's the itinerary:

The Preliminary Itinerary for Group #39
(August 3- 19, 2005, ChangSha, YuanLing, Guang Zhou, China )

3 Aug. Your Home Town / Los Angeles (LAX) / Guang Zhou (Wednesday)
Hometown to LAX for CZ 328 (11:59PM) to Guang Zhou, China.
- only 15 hours non-stop fun journey to China!

5 Aug. Guang Zhou / ChangSha (China Arrival Day!)(Friday)
6:20am Arrive Guang Zhou NEW International Airport.
8:45am Flight (CZ 3913) to ChangSha (1 hr). Stay @ Dolton Hotel
12:00Noon Fees and Group Money collecting @ your room by Morgan
Group Dinner @ Dolton Hotel ...... sleepless night for the new parents!

6 Aug. ChangSha/YuanLing (Baby Meeting & Orphanage Visit!) (Saturday)
8:00am After breakfast, bus to YuanLing SWI (8 hrs)
Group Lunch or Snack on road. Stay @ YuanLing (best available Hotel).
Before or after Group Dinner, visit Orphanage and meet foster
family and your daughter. Gifts for Director Ms. Zhao & foster family.

7 Aug. YuanLing / ChangSha (Holding Baby Back to ChangSha) (Sunday)
After breakfast, visit finding sites & maybe quick city tour. Then back to
ChangSha with Orphanage Staff. Your daughter will stay with you overnight.

8 Aug. ChangSha (Official Baby Gotcha & Adoption Day!) (Monday)
8:30am Bus to Provincial Office together with Orphanage Staff (Gifts – 1+1 for a staff
with your baby + Lady from Provincial Office) Orphanage Donation ,
baby's passport & family photo fee & newspaper advertisement fees.
9:00am Baby Gotcha @ HuNan Provincial Office -pretend to meet your baby first time!
CONGRATULATIONS!
1:30pm Bus to Provincial Office.
2:00pm Adoption Certificate is issued. (Gifts 3, mostly for ladies)
3:30pm Authentication by Notary Public @ same building. Gifts 2.

9 Aug. ChangSha (Bonding Day) (Tuesday)
FREE or some emergency shopping for diaper, medicine or food etc.

10 Aug. ChangSha (City Tour) (Wednesday)
Visit YueLu ShuYuan Academy & Silk Embroidery Factory & group shopping..
Group Lunch in the city or Dolton Hotel.

11 Aug. ChangSha (Bonding Day or City Tour) (Thursday)
FREE or City Tour (Museum or city park etc.).


12 Aug. ChangSha (Passport pick-up) (Friday)
AM FREE
PM Baby’s Passport Pick-up @ Police Station by Morgan
Group Dinner @ Dolton Hotel

13 Aug. ChangSha / Guang Zhou (Back to Guang Zhou ) (Saturday)
2:20pm Fly CZ 3379 back to Guang Zhou. New Victory Hotel (4 star).

14 Aug. Guang Zhou (City Tour / Shopping) (Sunday)
9:00am Bus to Six-Banyan-Tree Temple & Chen’s Clan Academy-City Tour; Jade &
Pearl Wholesale Market & Group Lunch @ a fancy restaurant at the foothill
of BaiYun Mountain

15 Aug. Guang Zhou (Medical Exam) (Monday)
AM Medical Exam & baby's visa photo Gifts 2.

16 Aug. Guang Zhou (BCIS Paperwork Preparation) (Tuesday)
3:00pm Group paperwork prep for INS at Hotel’s Conference Room (3rd floor

17 Aug. Guang Zhou (Paperwork Turn-In ) (Wednesday)
9:00am Visa Paperwork turn-in by Morgan or AAC facilitator to US Consulate

18 Aug. Guang Zhou (VISA interview & VISA Pick-Up) (Thursday)
AM Group interview & vow in front of INS officers with baby at the Consulate.
Group Photo at Balcony in front of the Water Fall @ White Swan Hotel
3:00PM Baby's visa pick up at American Consulate General by Morgan
5:30PM Group Celebration & Farewell Dinner (TBA)

19 Aug. Guang Zhou / Los Angeles / Home Town (Homecoming Day!) (Friday)
AM FREE!
PM 5:00 Leave Victory Hotel for Guang Zhou International Airport.
9:00 Departure for US by China Southern CZ327.
6:50pm Arrive LAX.

After Immigration and Custom, to your hotel @ LAX or fly to your Sweet Home!

(SEE, we are back not only on the same day, even before we left China!!)

WELCOME HOME!! CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!