Friday was supposed to be a relaxing day. Get our final Chinese paperwork (Carter's passport and some more documents), pack, and fly to Guangzhou.
We thought we would be able to stick with 4 suitcases but quickly realized we would need to use the suitcase allotment for the new 5th member of our family. On the plus side Grandma and Grandma no longer had to lug diapers and snacks for us.
The large breakfast buffet throws a wrench into our lunch plans every day. The kids are ready to eat lunch and we are good to wait until dinner. We knew Friday would be difficult given our 2 pm departure from the airport to the hotel and the time of our arrival in Guangzhou (probably past bedtime and well past dinner time). [Our kids go to sleep EARLY ... well, at least the two oldest ones do].
Given this we tried to indulge the kids and get a quick lunch in the mall attached to the hotel. Lisa advocated for McDonalds given the time frame, but daddy refused on principle. This led to an aborted visit to our favorite noodle place when Bennett declared he did not want to eat there (usually would be ignored, but as I said earlier this was focused on the kids and a learning experience of not eating at the restaurant would not accomplish our initial purpose). We finally ended up back at the room with ramen noodles (not a bad choice overall given the kids favorite meal on our 2009 trip to China was the "picnic" in our Guangzhou hotel room sitting on a towel eating ramen noodles [their favorite, not ours!]).
Our plane was delayed on the previous leg, just like on our flight from Beijing to Nanjing. This led to our sitting on the tarmac for a LONG time after boarding. On the plus side they served dinner and it was pretty decent. On the glass half empty side most of the plane would have gladly ejected us without parachutes for parts of the flight between April & Carter yelling. Carter just turned two and is supposed to sit in his own seat on takeoff and landing. We had the pleasure of buying the seat for him that he WANTED NO PART OFF. Plus daddy was not happy when the princess declared she had to go Super Bad and started sobbing as the plane finally started taxiing (sp?) just 5 minutes after she had gone potty.
Mommy passed the wiggly one to daddy who managed to manhandle the extremely strong 2 year old in his lap for the takeoff and calm him down. Until takeoff and after a short time I settled for holding him standing up between my legs. Luckily the flight attendant remembered what works for ear pressure at that age and passed up a drink (bad parents - completely forgot what we used to do for Bennett in the past). The lollipop failed but the juice worked fine, except for almost spilling it before safely pouring it into the wonderful sippy cup. April had bad dreams from yesterday's events, did not sleep well, and was a tad cranky.
We finally arrived in Guangzhou, only to start having "opportunities" at the front desk of our hotel. Our guide had to leave quickly to rush back to the airport for the other family joining us from our agency for the last city, but worked with us at the front desk. Simple things such as requesting the mini bar fridge be emptied so we could put yogurt and drinks in for the kids without Carter playing toss with the bottles left on the counter top were ... just not that simple. Eventually they agreed to do this instead of using their solution - locking the mini bar.
The breakfast buffet here is only for 2 adults per room and kids are extra. I was given enough coupons for 2 kids. When I counted them and asked where the other ones where, I was told our travel agency had only arranged for 2 more and I would have to pay for the 3rd kid. Um ... let me think about this ... NO. 10 minutes later they decided Carter would be classified as a baby and would not be charged. Eventually we get to our room.
VERY LATE now.
Lisa puts the kids right in bed while I start arranging the suitcases. My dad and I rush out to get some water, beer, and soda (the necessary provisions as usual) at the 7/11 down the street. When I get back the kids are fast asleep, Carter has had a bath, and Lisa is trying to get Carter to go to sleep. My dad points out the ashtrays in our room and says he thought we had requested non-smoking rooms when I comment our room smells like smoke. It was now about 11 pm or so.
Given our experience last time in Guangzhou I had checked again and again with our travel agency that our rooms would be non smoking. Daddy not happy here. Or at himself for not double checking at check in (But hey, they might have just LIED like the White Swan Hotel did to us and our guide before at check in. But I digress).
Plus we both had missed the ashtrys in the rush to get the kids to bed and find their PJs. The rooms were very nice - separate BR and LR, fancy facilities, etc. Flat screen TVs in the BR and LR. Sliding door to close between the rooms. Except for the now very obvious smell of smoke. Great to have with kids, our love of the smell, and looking forward to our clothes and laundry soaking it up.
Back daddy goes downstairs. They offer to change both our rooms to a non smoking floor, but only K size beds are available. I arrange to do this the next day given the kids are out cold. The 2 twin beds are tiny, so the K bed for us with the crib for Carter might work out better.
After I go back to our room, Lisa and I reluctantly decide to switch rooms this night. My parents decide to stay put as they are ready for bed.
Back daddy goes downstairs. Sound familiar?
While waiting in the now long line, I recognize our Guangzhou guide (Grace) at the front desk with the other family. I join them, knowing I need Grace given the English skills at this hotel are not that good (not saying this is wrong, only that my Chinese is pretty non existent). The other family (a lady traveling with her sister-in-law and a 2 year adopted kid) finish up and head off to their room. After I say I will take them up on their offer and move now, they tell me there are no longer any non smoking rooms available. Picture a red flag waving in front of me.
I kept my cool, but was very clear this was not acceptable. But sir, the hotel is full, we can move you tomorrow, blah, blah, blah. The clerk(s) kept shuttling off to other people to discuss this situation. My standard line was this was not acceptable, they could go get the manager and he could handle it, but they were going to find a non smoking room for me NOW, as in tonight, no matter what type of room it was. They had to have one non smoking room. Period. Would not accept no. Sent them back to the manager again and again.
Oh sir, so you are willing to pay for an upgrade. We will see what we can find.
Um ... NO ... I am not paying a dime. But my LAME travel agency or the hotel is welcome to pay whatever it takes. I do not care. I just want my non smoking room that was confirmed. The rest is your problem.
More clerks, pauses, consults, etc. Eventually, I am told we have a room for you. I thank them and head off to check out the room.
Um ... I could deal with the new room ... I guess.
I do find 1 ashtray though. I go back to our room and ask Lisa to go up and check it out since she is more sensitive to smoke to make sure it smells okay to her. The bellhop comes for our luggage and I ask him to come back in 10 minutes when Lisa will be back. The maid comes to move the crib; I repeat my pantomine and plea. Over 1 hour later and numerous visits by a very patient bellhop, Lisa finally shows up with the bellhop. (Yes, we both brought our cell phones but since hers was sitting on the desk in the room that would not have worked too well.)
Picture it was sometime after midnight when Lisa went to check the new room out first, Carter has been loudly proclaiming he wants to play or eat or just yell, anything but go to sleep for hours now, we are both running on little sleep after a long day on Thursday with the orphanage visit, Carter got up early Friday morning, the kids drove us nuts on the plane and they were our kids, April has refused to walk and been very clingy most of the day, etc.
Lisa checked the new room out, loved it, and then tried to return to our old room which was ... where? She forgot our room #. Since she did not have a room key and was not with me at check in, this was understandable. After waking somebody up trying the wrong room by mistake, she gave up and headed downstairs. The front desk refused to give her our room number (did not get the full story but she had no ID), and would only connect her on the house phone. Of course they connect her to my parents room, who did not answer. Supposedly they connected her to our room, but the phone never rang. Finally, the front desk either caved or the bellhop stepped in (knowing "mama" was MIA), and the bellhop shows up at our old room with Lisa. Needless to say, I gave the bellhop a good tip.
We started the move way too late and after the battling at the front desk and Lisa's adventures it was well into the next day now. Plus I managed to get Carter to calm down and go to sleep but was unable to do much repacking (while awaiting mama's return) given I cannot put him down and the kids are sound asleep in the other room.
We pile everying on the luggage rack, Lisa takes Carter, I carry April, and Lisa convinces a delirious Bennett to stumble after us to the new room. April and Bennett get right back in bed and quickly out cold (I don't think April ever woke up). Carter decides it's time to play now and is fine until we go near the crib.
Lisa finally gets to sleep at 3 am and Mark chugs a beer and gets a few more things ready and follows at 3:45 am. We have learned that if we do not lay the kids clothes out the night before and have a backpack ready with the snacks, clothes, diapers and paperwork required for that day, that the day will quickly go downhill given the stresses of travel on the kids, not to mention Carter trying to make his own adjustments. And that is before you throw in a "Mommy, I need to go poop" or meltdown hiatus.
Carter decides he is all done sleeping sometime after 5am, but is happy to snore on daddy's chest in our bed as long as he is having his back rubbed. Eventually April and Bennett join the "all done sleeping" movement and we start the day. To be continued on Day 10 ...
Anyway, we ended up moving from a "Deluxe Room" with 64m (Eilteroom is 32m) to an Executive Suite on the Executive floor with 96m of space. "The gracious Executive Suite is designed to meet the demands of comfort and convenience for the distinguished executives. Equipped with modern mini-bar, business area and gym facility, this suite is also functional for convenient business activities, meetings and other requirements." Pretty cool. Much more livable for our expanded family for the next week.
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