Not Off the Face of the Earth

Friends and Loved Ones,

Some of you are probably thinking that we were at the top of the world and may have kept on going right off the face of the planet. Rest assured that hasn't happened. We have taken a week to get adjusted, get healthy, and for Maya to adjust to her new surroundings and to the 12 hour and 15 minute time difference. Let me just say that we are conquering the above slowly, but surely. Every day we seem to overcome a new feat, establish a bit more normalcy, and make some progress. Let me update you on some of the highlights. I do want you all to know that pictures are forthcoming. We can post as many as we want now that she is back in the country!

Last Friday we finally made it out of the hotel and to the airport after a morning of some opposition to that. I went to check out of the hotel and the debit card that we transferred the money to pay for the hotel into would not go through!! We are supposed to catch a shuttle to the airport in 15 minutes and no money to pay for the hotel. GREAT!!! I felt the anger rushing up inside of me like a volcano. This Khilawea was getting ready to go off on some body - yet there was no one around who deserved the eruption, though it may have made me feel better. Why so angry? Well, because we had gone IN PERSON to make these arrangements at our bank before we left and were assured there would be no issues. "What to do? What to do?" Two credit cards and a pile of US dollars later...plus some calculations of exchange rates and we were checked out only to notice the very shuttle that we were scheduled to be on pulling away from the hotel - WITHOUT US!! From volcano, back to civilized Marc, back to volcano again. "No need to panic here Marc.....we can take a taxi....and...uhmmmm two other taxi's for all of our luggage - I DON'T THINK SO. Plan C, or D, or whatever new plan we were on - talk to the lady that I had spoken with last night about the shuttle we just missed. We were there, and it left early, not our fault right?....RIGHT". A simple conversation and 15 minutes later and we had a private car ready to go - A PRIVATE CAR WITH NO DRIVER. Not to worry - they were asking around the hotel we were told. What does this mean, I wondered to myself? Asking what? If someone had a permit to drive, could drive a stick, knew how to get to the airport, what? What could be the problem? It isn't as if someone were volunteering for a mission impossible - at least I hope not! About that time here comes the lucky driver, and the guy who located this person with a proud grin from ear to ear. We loaded up and off we went. The first English words our driver said to us were, "ahh Maoists!" Sure enough we happened on some more of those "friendly" political demonstrations and had to go around. Finally we made it to the airport. Checking in and going through security is something that I am sure we couldn't experience anywhere else on the globe minus a time machine. It was primitive and yet we made it safely to our destination without issue. There we had about forty minutes to leave one area of the airport, go back through security into a different part of the airport and still make our plane. This had me worried, but without reason, because the airline we were flying, unlike domestic airlines, actually care about and take care of their passengers. They would have even kept the plane back to get our luggage on board! AWESOME! Maya was great through all of this. It was time for the long flight. After changing seats with some nice gentlemen, we were in a cozy corner of the plane, perfect for 15 hours to contain miss Maya. We continued this flight without issue. Maya was a perfect little angel who never cried or caused a single problem.

Back in LA! We know our way home from here. It doesn't matter what happens now, we are HOME FREE! We took a moment to celebrate as we took our time getting off the plane there. Onto immigration. It didn't take long before we realized we were back in the good ole US of A for better or for worse dealing with our wonderful government who wants to love and take care of us poor citizens in such blissful fashion. There were two men working in the area where we needed to be. I say they were working, but I know that I can accurately attest that they WERE in fact in the area. Two and a half hours later and we had our documentation to leave LAX. After our last experience at LAX, we knew that we didn't want to wait for the shuttle to pick us up and take us to the hotel. Yes, it was free....and.....need I say more? So, we went to the taxi stand. The cab drivers didn't want to take such a big pile of luggage so the taxi jockey called for a van! After a brief argument with the driver about where we were going and why we didn't take the shuttle, we were on our way to a drug store and then to the hotel. Hot showers, and Pizza Hut! We felt like prisoners who were being granted our last wishes!

I share all of these things with you because although at the time, I could find no humor in them, it is quite funny reflecting back on these things. I hope that you get a chuckle out of some of these events. But, the most important thing is that it made it so much sweeter to come home to all of you. The best part of our return home trip was seeing the large crowd of family and friends who were waiting for us just past the gates at the airport here in Springfield. What a wonderful homecoming welcome it was. We were so touched by everyone who was there. Thank you all so much for all of your love and support. Remember pictures coming soon. Have a wonderful day everyone.