Aug. 13

When will Uncle Mark and Cousin Brian arrive? That was the big question. We knew that their flight from LA had been delayed significantly due to a computer glitch that affected more than 20,000 people. We had reason to believe that their flight which was scheduled to depart at 11:50 p.m. on Sat., Aug. 11 actually departed at 7:07 a.m. on Sun., Aug. 12. We believed the flight would still last 16.5 hours. But the airline was telling us the flight would arrive between 4 and 4:30 p.m. That didn't make sense.

Meanwhile, we had to worry about our U.S. consulate appointment. Although we didn't actually have to go to the appointment (our guide Lee handles the paperwork), we did need to be in the room from 10 a.m. to noon in case there were questions, in which case she would call. So we got the girls up around 7:45 a.m. for breakfast.

Scarlett enjoyed congee, oatmeal, yogurt with bananas and rolled oats, and milk. Sienna started off with yogurt with banana, some Chinese noodles and a piece of french bread, but she quickly turned her focus to two new foods: baked beans and scrambled eggs. Peter and I had our usual breakfast favorites, too.

We made it back to our room by 10 a.m. I traded e-mail messages with my mother and aunt to get the latest information on the plane delay. Then I realized that I had never tried to use my Vonage V-phone from the White Swan. (It hadn't worked in any of the other hotels.) I put the small stick into my computer and the software popped up. I dialed my mother's phone number, it rang about two times and the next thing you know, I was speaking to her! Not only that, but I was using a local Pennsylvania phone number, so the call was completely free (rather than a penny per minute if I had used our Florida phone number).

My mother finally had a chance to hear the twins blabbing in the background. Sienna even put the earpieces in so she could hear my mother. She repeated some basic words for her, too, such as Baba, Mama, Shu Shu, hello and ni hao. We then called my aunt, and she spoke to her as well.

We determined that if the boys didn't get in until 4:30 p.m. that it would be too late for them to do the river cruise and that they should instead take a cab directly to their hotel. But if they arrived at 1 p.m. (which it seemed that they should), that they should take a cab directly to the White Swan. My aunt said my cousin would be calling her on his cell phone when they landed, and that she would give them my hotel phone number, room number and Vonage phone number.

Peter and I had to vacate the room around 12:30 p.m. so that the housekeeper could come in. We took the girls for a stroll around Shamian Island. And, of course, we dropped off more laundry. We tried desperately to find "squeaky shoes" for the girls, but apparently they don't come in a size big enough to fit a three-year-old.

We came back to the room and the housekeeper wasn't finished yet. So we went downstairs to the Swan Room which is a big playroom filled with toys. Both girls enjoyed playing there, but it was obvious that Scarlett was a bit more tired than her sister. After about 20 minutes, I took Scarlett upstairs with me. I needed to get back on the computer so I could see if a phone call was coming in from my brother and cousin.

The housekeeper was still cleaning the room, but I explained that Scarlett and I needed to come in anyway. She was almost done. She emptied a waste basket and gave us more toiletries and left. I noticed on my "call history" that Brian had called twice (and left messages).

Rather than listen to the messages, I quickly dialed his cell phone number and he answered. He passed me to my brother. Mark informed me that the two of them were in a cab and heading for the White Swan. He said they had yuan and could pay for the cab, but he asked me to stay at the computer in case they called again.

Then Peter and Sienna arrived at the room. Before Peter could go down to the lobby to meet the boys, they knocked on the door. It was about 3:30 p.m. when they arrived at our room. They had all of their luggage with me. My brother had a heavy duffle bag filled with items I had "ordered" from Target (via my mother) plus old copies of USA TODAY.

I made sandwiches and other foods for the boys and gave them Sprite. They weren't sure if they were hungry or tired. They just said their bodies and minds felt confused. We opened one of the jars of baby food my mother had sent. It was pureed turkey. Scarlett loved it and wolfed it down!

Interestingly, the boys new less about the cause and nature of the plane delay (from their personal experiences) than I knew about it from reading an online account by the LA Times. They said they had to sleep on the floor and that there were people everywhere. There were security guards monitoring the longline at McDonald's. Ham and cheese sandwiches and cans of Coca-Cola were distributed to the stranded passengers.

When they finally boarded the flight, they waited 90 minutes before they took off. And to make matters worse, my brothers personal in-flight entertainment system didn't work, while Brian's worked "intermittently." After all the anguish I had gone through to finalize the purchase of their tickets (a simple transaction you would think, but it wasn't), it really didn't surprise me that they had to endure all of this additional bother.

After catching up, we got ready for the Pearl River cruise. We all went downstairs and boarded the bus shortly after 5:30 p.m. While we were on the bus, I realized that I hadn't brought any diapers or wipes for Scarlett. Fortunately there was a 7-11 across from the boat dock, so I ran over to get the necessary supplies. She already was in need of a change before we even boarded the boat.

Even though this was to be a "river cruise," the Pearl River apparently mixes with the ocean. I'm told the water is salty. I could see the boat bobbing up and down, so I decided to take a Dramamine because the pills take 30-45 minutes to take effect.

The medicine definitely worked. I could tell as we boarded that I would have had a horrible time if I hadn't taken the pill. Fortunately the other five people in our party were handling the small "waves" with no problems. I selected a table in the center of the boat (to minimize the rocking sensation) even though it was reserved for another group. However, that group probably was excited to instead have our window view.

Peter was about to take Sienna to the restroom when he discovered that she had had a big, wet accident that affected her panties and shorts. (She absolutely refused to use the bathroom back at the hotel and the one at the boat dock was unsuitable.) So he put her in a diaper which didn't fit at all. Oh, well.

As soon as the boat left the dock, the buffet dinner was ready. Peter got food for the girls and me, and Mark and Brian were able to easily find items they liked (including Pepsi). Sienna enjoyed eating rice and noodles. Scarlett didn't eat much because she had had her fill of the turkey dinner before the boat ride. Peter had a hearty meal of vegetables, rice and noodles. I had some noodles and vegetables. The celery was particularly good. We then had watermelon for dessert.

We kept going down the river and we weren't sure if we were going to turn around or else meet the bus at a different dock. Peter asked our guide how much more of the trip remained. (We were just passing our hotel, and I was about ready to swim to shore.) She said that we were "three-thirds of the way back." Peter quickly replied, "So we're there." Brian and I looked at each other and burst out laughing uncontrollably. (I think she meant three-fourths of the way there. I felt guitly for laughing because I wish we could speak Chinese half as well as our guide speaks English.) Soon the boat turned around and the pace picked up considerably.

After a 90-minute ride, we were back at the dock and ready to disembark. But now it was raining very hard. We ran into the terminal and waited for the bus. The rain poured even harder. We shared umbrellas and got to the bus.

Back at the hotel, the boys phoned home (as it was now a more reasonable hour to make calls to the States). They had to answer the most common question of "What time is it there?" This is a question that answers itself. At this time of year, whatever the time is on the East Coast (9 a.m.) it is exactly 12 hours later here in China (9 p.m.). And we are 12 hours ahead rather than behind.

Peter went downstairs with the boys and their luggage to help them catch a cab. The girls had had a bath and were in their pajamas and ready for bed. No one had had a nap today, so we were exhausted! It took 30 minutes for them to get a cab to take the boys to their hotel.

Peter stopped by the gift shop/laundry and apologized that we hadn't come in for noodles. He dropped off some more items to be cleaned and came back to the room. Scarlett and I were asleep, but Sienna was still awake. He put them in their respective cribs and went to bed.

I slept until 5:25 a.m.! That is a new record for me on this trip! I felt refreshed!!!