The End Is Near

Guangzhou was the final step of our adoption journey.  This is where the US Consulate is located, and where we had to present all our adoption paperwork so the kids would be granted visas to enter the USA.  Saturday, we were the first family from our group to arrive, since the others had to wait for passports to be delivered.  So we got to get our medical exams for Zach and Molly out of the way first.  You can imagine, that since this is the city all the adoption agencies come to for visa, and all these kids need these exams here, it is a busy place.  They both needed basic exams of height, weight, listen to heart, temperature, vision, hearing, check the area of the birth defect.  Then off to another room for ears, nose and throat to be checked.  Since Zach is over 2, he also had to have a TB test.  2 days later he had to go back to the clinic with Mike so they could check the results of the TB test.  Good news, it was negative.  Tuesday was our Consulate appointment.  We waited in a room with several other families and took the immigration oath, swearing that all the information we provided was true to the best of our knowledge.  We then handed in all our paperwork then it was time to go back to our hotel.  Wednesday our visa packets were delivered to us at our hotel.  These were not to be opened until we gave them to the immigration officer when we arrived back in the US.  Thur we left by van for a 2 1/2 hour drive to Hong Kong, where we spent the night in a hotel next to the airport so we could leave early the next morning for the flight home.  If you ever wondered if the US is the only place where prices are gouged in places like that- nope.  We spent nearly $90 (US) for 2 meals of hamburgers and french fries, and one order of a club sandwich and fries, and 3 sodas at the restaurant inside the hotel.  How ridiculas, but what can you do?  It was the only thing close.  At least it was fairly good.  At 7:30 AM we left for the airport to come home!!!!  a 15 hour flight brought us into the US, where once we went through immigration the kids became citizens.  Then we had a half hour flight home.