Interesting "factoids" for other APs who will travel here:
1. The dollar is worth nothing in London. Eat before you go. :-)
2. Toilet paper in Bishkek (at least at the Silk Road) is what Kevin refers to as "exfoliating paper". You get a smooth bottom as a bonus. :-) Bring your own if that will bother you.
3. The food isn't the same here. You can order the same thing and it won't taste anything like it does at home -- except Diet Coke and Coke Light, which is a blessing as I didn't know what I'd do without Diet Coke.
4. Learn Russian for "No." You will thank me later.
5. If you can swing it, upgrade your tickets. 8 hours gets a bit cramped in coach.
6. People smoke here - a lot.
Tomorrow, we meet "The Princess" with the cute pucker. I can't wait to touch her and hold her. I'm so excited and need to be sleeping but my body isn't adjusted. I'm sure if I lie down I'll go to sleep. We were happy that Skype works well here and that we have wireless. We will only be able to visit "The Princess" every other day so the other days I've GOT to get some paperwork done.
Josh has been a trooper considering his is SO out of his element right now. TV is in Russian, cheeseburgers taste bad and his time is off. Add to that he's getting a sister and WHOA!!! He's is sleeping well now, which is what I SHOULD BE doing.
Oh well... I think I'm going to call someone back home as I'm having phone withdrawal.
Kevin just blew something up. We had an adapter for our battery charger, but apparently we needed a converter as well. Hmmm.. I'm not sure what all is blown up, but it was loud.
I continue to get these feelings in my stomach like a roller coaster ride has just dropped me free fall from about 1000'. It comes, goes and leaves -- every time I think about meeting her. As I looked out my window this afternoon, there was a woman just a piece away doing her laundry with a hose pipe and some rubber tubs. She had a little girl, maybe 2 or so, with her. When she turned around, I saw that she was pregnant. She looked so young. I saw the run-down house she walked back to. This could have been Ellie's mom -- not literally, of course, but her life. How very hard these people have it here. We are such a blessed country and so awfully unappreciative. It was hard for me to go back into the bathroom and use $15 Oil of Olay moisturizer and think of what we were paying to stay in this hotel after seeing her.
I read from another AP who is in country that in this country it is good luck for a dog to cross your path. Last night, on the way to the hotel, one ran out in front of us. Today, Josh spotted one in front of us at lunch. God's little reminders that He has it under control. Now, if He could do something about the food here. We ate (not really, but...) at a restaurant at the Beta Mall. We had cheeseburgers, chicken burgers and fries. Trying to be all positive, I didn't say anything about the fact that mine tasted "funny". I figured it was the chicken. The fries were a little "off" too, but, hey, that's ok too. Then I noticed Kevin wasn't really eating his and neither was Josh. It wasn't bad, really, just made my stomach a bit queasy and for lack of a better word was off. We bought some bread and jelly and have peanut butter so we'll eat some of that if need be. As Kevin said, "We've gone from the Amazing Race to Big Brother." Only Kevin.
We are reminding ourselves that this is a once in a lifetime experience and that it is the culture that has presented us with the daughter we have so longed for. How can that be anything less than perfect? So, we've vowed to live on jelly bellies, PB&J and granola bars until we can find better food. We're asking the coordinator tomorrow. I'm excited about the souveniers I saw at the Beta Store. We are holding off until the end for that to make sure we don't have any unexpected expenses. I love the craft work that I've seen here. I'll post more photos tomorrow of our travels here.
For now, I'm off to sleep in anticipation of meeting "The Princess" tomorrow.
View from hotel window
View from hotel window
Woman washing clothes -- with daughter
Little girl helping mom with washing
Our hotel
Josh, "I'm not tired" on the plane
Kevin and I watching a movie
Our room -- Kevin and Josh
Our bedroom
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