Hello from CHENGDU, CHINA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Matthew's MOMMY here. It is 5:30am in the morning China time and we are dirt tired! After 30 hours of either flying or waiting to fly and 1 small meltdown from our princess darling, we are safe and sound in a city that is bustling with 12 million people in a square footage that YOU DON'T want to know! People are EVERYWHERE.

We ventured out at 11:30pm (china time), to see if we could get something to eat, but alas, NOTHING! We have no yuan, and NO one takes VISA! Nice! (not) So we got nothing to eat and went to bed on empty stomachs.

Our flights were good except for the Chicago to Beijing flight. We started off LATE, then we made some headway getting onto the packed plane and because it was STIFFLING at O'Hare airport, at the gate, then it was HOT on the plane, one of the older ladies sitting about 1 row up from us to the right, fifth seat, got sick as we were taking off. The plane ALMOST didn't take off. We ended up taking off about an hour late BUT........we had an AWESOME pilot! He made up the time in the air! YES! YES! Turbulence was definitely felt in the Beijing flight and MOST DEFINITELY felt in the Chengdu flight. (Almost hard to lose your stomach when you have nothing in it.) We did eat in the flights, but once we got to Chengdu, they just served CHINESE stuff! (ain't happening here, and Roy didn't either)

All-in-all, we did well and for Rebecca waking up at 2am, Wednesday morning and going until Thursday night, she did VERY WELL!!!!!!!!!!! Awesome little girl!

NOW......for the itinerary update, NO MATTHEW until Monday morning. No reason was given (as to why), but this is ok with us because of jetlag and wanting some "us" time so we aren't dirt tired for him to see us. Today we will have a half a free morning to eat breakfast, exchange money, get water and some FOOD! Then around 2pm we will go to the Dafu cottage. Don't ask me what it is! I have no clue but we're going there. Our guide Marina was waiting for us just outside the baggage claim area with a big sign that read, WELCOME MR & MRS IVERSEN. Couldn't miss that! She speaks EXCELLENT english! (or Chinglish as the Chinese call it) Our driver Mr. Wong, is an AWESOME driver!!!! If you have ever driven in China, DON'T! You have no lane markings that you HAVE to follow, the horn works, and the people on the bicycles? Well, let's just say they are there but don't have to be if the cars to them first!! In Chengdu, it is ALOT like Beijing. Very modern as modern can possibly be.

Yes we are tired, DONE with plane rides (Rebecca does NOT want to get on a plane for at least a week, which is about right, for when we will).

ALL OUR LUGGAGE GOT HERE and is in one piece! HALLELUJAH LORD! Thank you for your prayers people! Trust me, during those "turbulent" times on the planes, THANK YOU!

Ok, I end here......OH, the Prime Hotel, for those of you leaving for Chengdu soon, is nice! The bathrooms are outta this world! See through EVERYTHING! Including the walls! (you can pull a shade down.....thank goodness)

Until we meet again, today is Friday morning, 5:30ish AM in China! Matthew will be meeting us on Monday around 2pm.