I’ve made some maps showing our way to and around in China as the plan looks now. Maybe my mom then have time enough to learn the names by heart? We don’t want her to get lost! 🙂
After many hours in front of my computer surfing the internet I realize it’s time to start blogging about this years biggest event!
Already in 2007 as new parents we decided at a return trip to Nanning, Guangxi was a must. We also decided when we should do it: October 2014! Well it was many years ahead so no worry!
Well my friends we are here! Welcome 2014, year of the horse! It’s real, the planning has begun and I want to start writing about it NOW!
Of course I want to blog in China too, and I realized that I have to blog in a different way this time compared to the trip in 2007. Linnea is not a baby anymore. She will be 8 years old next month. Her feelings and thought about this trip is hers to write not mine!
I will be writing my perspective on the whole booking process and the trip. We talked about a daily update in China where I write, and Hans, Linnea and my mother will tell me what memory of the day I should write…or they can do it them selves!
So when are we going?
October is the answer I can give at the moment. Hopefully later this week I can set the dates of the flights!
The plans is to fly from Copenhagen, Denmark to Frankfurt, Germany, to Beijing, China and to Nanning in Guangxi in Southern China. Nanning is Linneas town!
We will stay for almost a week in Nanning, then fly (we think) to Guiyang in the neighbor province Guizhou to visit our dear Dutch friends, who move there on this Friday. After some days there, we’ll move on by night train (we think) to Guilin back in Guangxi.
In Guilin we’ll be picked up by a minibus and drive 65 km to Yangshuo and The Giggling Tree in the small village Aishanmen. The Giggling Tree is a hotel in the country side. 23 rooms in a old farm. The landscape is breathtaking and I’ve decided that I’m gonna live in such a place in my next life!
We will (we think) stay for 9 nights!
Then back to Nanning for a little less than a week.
Finally back the same way we came: Beijing – Frankfurt – Copenhagen – Bjärnum!
Somehow I don’t like to think of us coming home, this is so big, so many feeling are rushing in my body. And on the other hand, I will miss my little Tindra (dog) so much, that I don’t like to think of her staying at home for 28 days!!!
Yes, we plan to travel for 28 days! I have never been away from home for such a long time. I feel I could have travel for 3 month IF I didn’t have Tindra.
It if fun to think of what worries me or for example my mother about this trip: I think of my dog and the “stone” hard beds and she thinks about getting lost.
Why do we need so much time? Well several days are just traveling from one place to another. I Nanning we want to see everything since when we were there in 2007 we arrived Wednesday evening and left Saturday morning. I have no recollection of anything: The hotel room number, the hotel breakfast, the city etc. Only that we had a very sad child longing to leave and go home to her (foster) mother.
I do remember meeting Linnea foster parents though. And we will spend a good deal of time with them! We all look forward to meet again. Hans and my mom have never met them and Linnea has no memory of them.
We want to visit a park with monkeys with them. There are 2 parks in Nanning we want to see, maybe some museums and just be able to be there in no hurry!
We will also visit our sponsor girl Li who lives outside Nanning, spending a day with her and her family and visit her school. In Nanning we’ll meet some of the people who helped Linnea so that she could live in a foster family for 17 months of 19.
Tomorrow I will take a break in the surfing, emailing and chatting with people in Sweden, The Netherlands, Finland, Scotland, China & USA and focus on my other big project: Learn Chinese!!!
I have borrowed some photos to show what I’ve been looking at for many hours! Click on the photos to see them in full size.
China MapNanning GuangxiMt. Qingxiu in NanningAt the top of Mt. QingxiuPeoples park NanningPeoples park NanningGiggling Tree near YangshuoGiggling Tree near YangshuoGiggling Tree near YangshuoGiggling Tree near YangshuoBamboo river rafting near YangshuoBamboo river rafting near YangshuoBamboo river rafting near Yangshuo
First vi saw the pandas. That was great! Then we went shopping again. We took the subway and finally found Yashow clothes market. More stuff was purchased. Lots of bargins. They all say Linnea is beautiful and Hans is tough! But prices start at 1200 end at 160.
Now we’re packing. In 2 hours we’re leaving the hotel. We all miss something at home but we also would have loved to stay longer. Many thoughts for the next trip!!!
Yesterday on Christmas day we took the subway to the Pearl market and back. The price is 2 Y/ person for one way (2kr) and as long as you don’t leave the subway you can travel as long as you like all over Beijing.
But it’s croweded. About 5.000.000 people take the subway each day!!
We bought a lot of things. Pictures later.
The chinese are very intrested in Linnea . She has her tag saying she only speaks Swedish and Danish not Chinese. And they tell us she is very beautiful and lucky (that she got good parents). I keep telling them we are lucky to have her!
One man said we ( China and us) made connections and thanked us.
Linnea is Linnea meaning she is no different from home. She behaves no different here than on any other holiday we have been on.
We have talked about her birth parents once and she thinks they are dead. And we don’t know. She told the other guests in our group she is from here and she has 3 set of parents. That’s it.
And today we’re going to the zoo and do a little shopping. Tomorrow at 11:30 we’re leaving the hotel.
Times’ fly and we really look forward to come back to China again. Next time Nanning and Guangxi and for a longer time.
Our day started with a drive to Badaling and the great wall. Hans and Linnea walked far and high while my mom and I didn’t. My knees don’t like the cold -22 C during the night to the 24th and very cold during the day too.
After the wall we went to a cloisonne factory had lunch and saw how they made the wases. The biggest we saw had a pricetag: 2.000.000 Yuan!!
From there we went to the Ming grave and the spirits way.
Finally through the chaotict city trafic to the restaurant where we had the Peking Duck dinner with a show. Linnea was thrilled by the show.
Back home after almost 12 hours and very tired.
Now it’s 8 am and we just woke up. Today we will take the metro to the pearl market and the toy market.
We heard that the SAS plane from CPH last night was cansled. And we want to stay here longer!!!!! We are to go home on the 27th. The only things I miss from home is Tindra and my pillow!!!
So much to see!
Our day starts at 6 am then breakfast at at 8:30 am we’re off. Back at 4 pm and off again at 5 or 6 pm.
On day 3 we went to
Guojizian (The Imperial College)
The lama tempel
A pearl factory/shop
Lunch
Summer palace
Dinner
Acrobat show
It’s so amazing and I love it here. But mostly I love to see Linnea enjoying her self. She looks and she listens. We translate and she is very intrested. Ofcourse she also runs around, climbs and make fun. She has done some shopping too: 4 small masks, 2 bracelets with pearls, and a doll.
She loved the carobats, they were amazing.
We have 2 rooms with a door inbetween so we can visit eachother.
Today,day 4 ( it’s 3:10 am now) we’re going to see more and also get a little time off to do some shopping in the hutong shops.
We still don’t know if we’re going home on the 27th or the 28th but we want that extra day. I could stay for several days extra!
The weather is COLD!!!!!! We have had at least -10 C and sunshine. But also some wind.
Tonight it should be down to -16C they say and that would be the coldest in 10 years at this time a year!!!!
Well I’ll go back to bed now!
Photos will have to wait it takes a lot of time but eventually I’ll update both the gallery and Facebook!
The fight was long but we did manage to sleep for about 3 hours. Linnea slept on the floor for 4,5 hours but she has been good.
There are so many cars in Beijing – about 7 millions to the 23 millions living here and even though we took the highway we nerver really got to drive faster than 50km/h.
Our guide is James, he speaks good english. We are 14 in our groupe. The age is from 30+ to 70+ with only child, Linnea!
James had a little surprise for us, he said we’re checkning out on friday the 28th not the 27th. Tomorrow, he will figure out what’s the right date.
We got 2 rooms on the 4th floor with a door in between. Nice rooms! Nice beds not too hard.
If we go to the basement of the hotel we’re in The World Trade mall. There we forund a Hallo Kitty shop. Very expensive.
We also found a restaurant with good chinese food.
Photos will come tomorrow, we’re too tired now and will go to bed! It’s 9:12 pm now and tomorrow we have sightseeing starting 8:30 am just after breakfast.
The temperature was -5 C today and it started snowing this evening.
