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Well I was hoping to write a great entry here with only a few minor mishaps. Unfortunatly The airport adventures I went on were not all that fantastic but after 24.5 hours of making my way to our destination we finally got to lay in our bed. Whoever said u dont get jetlag with only 2 hours time difference is wrong. Im wrecked.
So rewind to yesterday the 29th and waking at 5am in the morning to race to the airport only to forget 1 of Elijah's cuddle rugs. The important one that wont strangle him when he is having a restless sleep and tossing and turning. My wonderful big brother went back to his house to grab that and bring my bank cards that I left in the car (I was stressing hard) while my also wonderful little brother entertained the tot and I checked in. I was nice and early just like planned and scored a free seat for Elijah on both the flights.
I was hoping like mad that I could be writing this today and be an inspiration for all travellers thinking of going solo with a toddler. From this point on I do beleive
not happy
Crackin it over not getting the cameraI will be anything but. We get through customs fine and got to cut in line. Through that the man said something about tickets and next thing I know only have one of the tickets each! Where was our transfer tickets?? So we went back and Eli had a good 20minute tantrum, screaming laying on the floor kinda one, that left all of Brisbane airports passengers praying that this kid wasnt on their flight. Found the tickets and off to get on the plane we go.
The flight itself went REALLY well! About the only thing in the trip that did but I should be thankful for that because it was a 9 hour 20 minute flight. Eli actually had a spare seat next to him as well that I thought 'awesome when he goes to sleep he can lay across then both'. Well 2 hours into the trip a beautiful lady from Shanghai, Lisa, decided she didnt want her seat and wanted to be next to the 'baby' but that was ok because it was like having a babysitter there. Eli was exceptionally well behaved and even when it was his nap time all I had to say
Drawing Owie (spider)
1 way to keep him occupied for 15 minutes. was Eli time for bed and he snuggled into Lisa's hair and then decided to fall asleep on my lap. That was a brillent 1.5 hours. I caught 45 minutes of zzzzzs and the rest I used to walk around as I was in alot of pain from sitting still for 5 hours.
Landed and thats where it all went downhill. Eli was still a little tired and he was cranky that he couldnt pull the carry on. When he did carry it he kept dropping it as it is too heavy for him (I was bad it had 8.5kgs instead of 7 in it) not to mention we got left way behind. At the Gaungzhou airport I got asked a million times for my passport, in which I finally lost ALL my tickets for this holiday (how the hell am I supposed to get back if Marie can't email them to me? wait... do I want to leave after this experience!?!?!). I had a toddler running away and screaming because he wanted to drive the airport cars (note: 1 year olds dont know the difference between supermarket rides and real life). I also tried to declare food and
Sleepin
PURE BLISS he said if I wasnt declaring money then to go straight through. I wish I had to declare money haha it would mean I had more then $10,000! I wish i had bought more food now hahaha
We were also greated by the lovely smell of weird food and rotten eggs which made me smile. Welcome to China!
While waiting for the plane which had been moved from 8.20 (previous to that it was to leave around 6.30, woo hoo I said -_-) to 9pm (11pm in Australia). Eli drew crowds, which he throughly enjoyed. While running around the airport screaming at me because he wanted to get on the moving walk thingy. He danced, jumped and made silly faces for the crowds of people. He went nuts and it was all good but by 7pm (9pm AEST), with 2 hours left and things going wrong I was exhausted. I was past exhausted to tell the truth and the next 2 hours went even slower and I couldnt wait to get into bed. I had to change a nappy in front of an audience as nappys arent used in China so no change tables. grrrrr embaressing!
Finally
the time came to board the aeroplane. I had a ticket and Elijah had a ticket but they wouldnt let Elijah on the plane. By this time I was not a person you would choose to mess with. They wanted to see my itinery ticket thing. I tore apart all 3 of my bags franticaly searching for that bloody flight centre folder. No such luck :-( I had lost it somewhere in the Gaungzhou airport (Im thinking the mini customes place but I was being SO careful everywhere!) and with it my baggage claim tickets. I had to keep reminding myself that I had the passports still and that was the main thing.
Then we finally got on the plane after a bus ride and a screaming kid only to find out that the plane was delayed 2 hours. Eli is there screaming uncontrollably and after having him screaming uncontrollably for the 45 minutes it took to get to the plane I was questioning my sanity. I broke down cried for the 2 hours. The plane finally started moving and he fell asleep. I had a quick 1 hour nap only to be awoken by the screaming child who
was once again uncontrollable. A lovely flight attendent came up and took Elijah but he (yes HE. its nice for Eli to get attention from both sexes because he does like men a bit better) had to bring him back cause he was starting to get upset.
A rundown on my experience with China Southern Airline. The first flight the crew were useless. U had to go back to the kitchen to order ur drink as the call button mysteriously turned off all the time. Noone ever came no matter how many times I pressed it anyway! However the passengers were all great! A westerner looks at a kid and goes "oh no im seated near a baby". A chinese person goes. OHHH HELLO BABY!! they are so good to kids. It was nice. The second flight had people giving us packets of biccies. worked for me as I now had breakfast this morning haha.
Beijing airport was easy! because we came domestic, no customs, no lines. Brillent! My bag came out but they had put my stroller and baby backpack somewhere else (sigh) so I had to fuck around there which actually turned out for the best
Room
Really sorry for the mess. He woke up, saw the suitcase open and went hard. What a huge job thats going to be to pack it again. argh because my hired driver was not there! So these 2 lovely people took me out, let me jump the giant taxi line and found me a taxi. 400RMB, not bad, as thats around how much I paid for the private one and at that moment, after my giant 24 hour adventure, I was willing to pay up to 600RMB just to get to the bloody hotel!
The hotel is ok. On top of the $362 I paid I now also needed to put down a 500RMB deposit. I hope they give it back. Its not that I will trash it, it is more that they wont want to give it back. Red Wall hotel never gave us back ours and it is just around the corner.
The room is small but its for a week only. Its a non smoking room that reeks of stale smoke. Its making me sick. But... welcome to China! Elijah has been tough today and its only noon local time. Im trying to get him to sleep so we maybe go to the park this arvo. Im just not game yet as Eli starts screaming for random shit or trying to run away.
Maybe a sleep will cure it. A nap is on the cards for me too haha. I hope I have something more positive to write tomorrow or tonight.
Well the internet went out right before I could post this so this is also what I wrote yesterday. The internet is finnaly back on after 30 hours. some glitch eh?
Well tonight has come and gone. Apparently there is a glitch and the repair man is working on it. It must take forever because it went off at 2.30pm.
We had our nap with me catching a nice 2 hours and Eli getting 3.5. He was buzzing and I hadn't eaten in 26 hours so we went to the little cafe that I enjoyed while I was here in 08. It was good because there were 2 kittens and a lazy mumma cat so Elijah chased the kittens around. He was enjoying it so much that I couldnt get him to leave, but I did get him to eat his share of chips. Should have gotten 2 serves as they were so small! Next time I am going to get Chicken mmmmmmm
Afterwards we decided to go
View 1
View from my window. not that great but it is quiet which is the main thing :-) to the park. 5RMB (6.2 buys $1 so you do the math ;-)) which was definately worth it and we walked around the WHOLE park. Something Phil and I didnt do last time, instead we climbed the mountain for a view of the Forbidden City and left. I do plan to climb it again but i didnt today because 1. I didnt bring my backpack and despite trying i couldnt get him to take the path up the hill and 2. I have a headache anyway so it was probably for the best. He had alot of fun leading me places, chasing birds and talking every child who we passed. God forbid if they tried to play with him though lol my little sook.
You can tell I'm paranoid about cuddle rug as I have actually bought 5 of them instead of the 3 I thought I had packed. Dummy on the other hand I only came with 4 and I've lost 2 of them in the first day. NOW Im freaking because without dummy it is going to be pure hell. He is going to be slowly weaned once i get home and I have no desire to
start in a different country.
We had quick noodles for dinner tonight and may brave a restuarant sometime tomorrow. After being in the aeroplane for 12 hours Eli wants to run/walk everywhere and he thinks he bloody owns this country (Im guessing because everyone wants to talk to him?) and chucks the shits if I even pull him away from getting run over by a car, bicycle, motorbike or person. So a restuarant has been a hard one because everytime I say we are getting something to eat he says no and/or screams. Children...
Tomorrow we are off to some mystery place with my friend Claire and, from what I can gather, her workplace. Chinese are so bloody hard to understand over the phone. Hopefully tomorrow my ears will open a little more. Anyway it is 9pm and I best be getting Eli to bed. This should be interesting :-)
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