This chronicles our very very long trip home.
The night before, mom and Jackson snuggle at the hotel.
Dad takes the subway route to cross the street and pick up dinner.
Thai food from The Banana Leaf. Yum!
Back at the hotel our new friends the Vicks are ready for departure.
We left Guangzhou at 6am, took a big van to the border with Hong Kong, then switched to
a smaller van to to go through the border and on to the Hong Kong airport.
We waited a few hours in Hong Kong then boarded the plane to Seattle.
Meanwhile, back home, everyone celebrated Matthew's 26th birthday!
Many hours into our journey, Susan noticed that the plane was going the wrong direction.
After making it two hours past Tokyo, the plane turned around and headed back to Japan.
No announcement was made until we were almost to Tokyo, then they told us the plane was
having problems and we would not make it to Seattle. We landed safely in Tokyo and folks
came on board to fix the plane but could not do so until a part arrived the following day.
The Americans on board were allowed to take a 90 minute bus ride to another airport where
they would board a plane to Los Angeles and be there by nightfall. The Chinese passengers
(including our newly adopted son), however, would need a visa to travel more than a mile from
the airport so we were taken to a nearby hotel and asked to return for instructions at 9 am,
Susan and Jackson
(notice how the Americans are going the opposite direction: home)
Our glorious accommodations near the hotel.
Uh oh, Toto, I think we're not at the Garden Hotel anymore!
We reported to the airport at 9am.
They had a plan for us to be home!
Two flights: first to JFK in NYC, then on to Richmond
Great! Only one catch. The plane to NYC leaves in 8 hours.
Our 31 hour trip is now a 54 hour trip. Ultra-marathon.
We spent countless hours exploring the Narita International Airport.
So much fun!
The Ronald McDonald House is everywhere.
Narita
The observation deck. We observed and observed.
Air Susan?
Okay.
Finally getting close to home. Like any marathon, the last few miles are the hardest.
