Beijing Day 2 - Best of Beijing yet

These are the families who will be getting their babies with us on Monday!!! there are such a great group of people and we are all bonding very well!

Today was an extremely busy day. We started our tour at 8:30 am with Tianiman Square, grant and full of people, mainly Chinese on their way to pay tribute to Mao Tse Tung who's maosoleum is right on the park. It was incredible to see how many Chinese people stood in line for over 2 hours to get a glimpse of their hero. Then we went to the "Forbidden City" so huge and complex that if it wasn't for our guide, Veronica, we would've gotten lost in a heart beat. And then the best for last we went to the Great Wall!!!! Oh My God, it's definetely easy to look at it and admire than actually climb it! But I'm happy to report that Joey and I made it all the way to the top (ok maybe not all the the way) but high enough to get rewarded a bronze plaque engraved with "I climbed the Great Wall" with our names on it and the date, we are so proud of each other for having done this but we also think was crazy since our legs are now complaining about the abuse!!! And the last of the sightseeing was to the Bird's nest and the Water cube, more beautiful than the pictures for sure and at night that just seems like something out of a futuristic movie. We are leaving for Guangzhou tomorrow to meet our daughter for the first time!!! we'll post with more updates tomorrow... Have a great day

In Beijing Day 1 - Hutong tour

Beautiful people, beautiful scenery, beautiful city... We are so lucky to be able to experience what Beijing is all about, without even going to the Olympic parks we have seen some very beautiful parts. We weren't sure what we wanted to do today since we had left it opened to relax and recoupe from the jetlag but as we were in the lobby we felt so alive (besides a pain in the a... cold I caught on the plane) and so ready to go that we looked into any type of tour we could do... and then Joe remember the "Hutang tour" yeah!!! good choice, the door man got us a cab and we were on our way. As soon as we got there we were approached by the Hutang tour people and we gladly accepted with a little reservation since we had no clue where we were. But after paying and getting our own little rickshaw and our own guide who rode her own bike along our rickshaw we knew we had made the right decision. We went around all different hutangs (which means streets or roads), there are all sort of hutangs, very narrow, narrow, little wider and wider, there are temples and courtyard homes. We pretty much stopped every time we wanted to take pictures and do a little shopping. We visited the Drum Tower and the Bell tower, pretty amazing these were used to make people aware when they needed to get up (at 6 am with the Bell which was heard throughtout the city) and the Drum Tower to tell them to stop working (6pm) and to go home. If they didn't go home the gates of the city would be closed with them in them without being able to go home.... It's 6pm right now and we are done for the day... enjoy the pictures

We are finally here!!!!

After a very long flight ( *even longer because I couldn't help but watch the clock on the flight status screen every 5 minutes) we arrive to Beijing at 315pm more or less... So far so good, we got to the airport and were very impressed by the attentiveness of everyone there and everywhere else we've been to. We did have a tiny incident in Newark, the gate ticket person told me that my visa was wrong and that China would not let me into their country!!!! PLOP!!! I asked her why, and she said because the visa was issued in my married name and my passport had my maiden name. I showed her the amendment on the back of the passport and told her that my agency had taken care of this and I had asked them about it and they told me it was fine but she was determined to freak me out... which she succeeded when I said "OK, so what do I do now?" and she said, "good luck".. grrrrrr.... Needless to say China had no problems letting me into their wonderful country so there Ms ticket person!!! get another job!!! grrrr but other than that all it's been smooth sailing.... Heidy and Joey

WE ARE FINALLY ON OUR WAY!!!!

Gracias Dios, Mamita y Abuelito, hicieron todo esto posible, realmente son el "equipo perfecto". Mi corazon no puede describir el amor y las emociones que sentimos en estos momentos... Joey y you simplemente nos miramos a los ojos y sin decir nada "carino, es verdad!, realmente sera nuestra para siempre. Madison sera parte de nuestras vidas por siempre. En las buenas y en las malas, en la enfermedad y en la salud... si si la aceptamos para siempre!!. Pequena, agarrate fuerte que ya llegamos pronto y nunca te dejaremos ir, bueno derrepente cuando tengas suficiente edad derrepente... Nos vamos a las 8am manana y llegaremos a Beijing el 6 de Nov a las 3pm. Y el 9 de Nov. saldremos para Guangzhou por avion (mas o menos 3 a 4 horas de viaje) y el 10 de Noviembre nuestro "GOTCHA DAY" y por si acaso no me escucharon GOTCHA DAY, una vez mas GOTCHA DAY!!!.... y estaremos de regreso con nuestra princesa el viernes 21 de Noviembre a las 7:30 pm.... asi que por ahora hasta pronto. Trataremos de escribir en este todos los dias con fotos y videos.....
ENGLISH
Thank you God, Mom and Grandpa, you made it happened for us you are the perfect "dream team!... My heart can't describe the love and emotions that we are feeling right now. Joey and I just keep looking at each other and withoug saying anything we know this is it "honey, it's true, she'll be ours forever, Madison will be in our lives for better or for worse, in sickness and in health... yes WE DO WE DO!!! Baby hold on tight we are coming for you and will never let you go. Ok maybe when you are old enough but only then!. We'll be leaving at 8:00 am from Ft. Lauderdale and will arrive into Beijing on Nov. 6th at 3pm. On Nov. 9th am we'll go to Guangzhou about 3 to 4 hours by plane. On Nov. 10th our long waited GOTCHA DAY!!!! wow that sounds so good GOTCHA DAY, one more time GOTCHA DAY!!! ha ha I crack myself up! ok.... and then we'll finally be home with our princess on Nov. 21st at 7:30 pm Ft. Lauderdale airport.... So for now, it's see you later. We have promised to post as much as we can at least more than Brenda, sorry Brenda, couldn't help it!....
So see you later.....