Travels of Deep Kick Girl

So good to be home...

2005-12-27T17:49:00.000-08:00

Well we've been home almost a week now. I don't know where the time has gone.

We arrived at Sydney Airport at 10:00 pm on Thursday night to a cast of thousands. It was wonderful to see our family and all our friends who were able to make it to the airport. Really it was above the call of duty since it was so late at night I hadn't expected anyone but family to come out. It was really special though to see everyone and share our happiness. Thank you so much to those who were there... and apologise for being so dazed and confused. I really felt like there was no connection between my brain and my mouth so I just couldn't form the words I wanted to say.

We struggled out with our mountain of bags to find that my dear dad had a surprise for us... a new car. Most dads would bring a teddy bear for their new grand-daughter - my dad brings a car. It just added a new layer of shock to my already shocked brain. There it was, a shiny, brand new Honda Odyssey with the baby seat installed all ready to take us home. Crazy! But wonderful!

During the next few days we tried to re-adjust to life at home. It was so good just to be home, in our own home, with our own familiar things around us. Just to cook in my own kitchen, wash in my own laundry and shop in my own supermarket... those simple tasks we take completely for granted... they were all put into a new perspective for me.

Marianna has settled in beautifully, enjoying her new room, her new cot, highchair, etc. She seems to know she belongs there.

We had a simple family Christmas lunch at our house (thanks to my beautiful sister and mum who brought all the food - we just contributed the house). It was so nice to spend the day with family. Then Boxing Day at my dad's new apartment. Again, it was lovely day... even though I couldn't eat anything - we've had a stomach bug sweeping the family, starting with Jason, which leaves you very sick for a few hours then very weak and lethargic for 24 hours.

We've managed to visit a few friends in the last few days to show off our gorgeous daughter. She is very social and seems to enjoy meeting new people and getting out and about.

I am keen to establish a proper routine but it is difficult until the silly season is really over. At the moment Jason's mum and her friend Doug are staying with us and we are doing lots of socialising so it's hard to get the whole family into our normal routine. Really we probably won't get into it until the school holidays end in late January.

I won't be writing in this blog anymore as our journey is officially over. I have my normal blog which most of you know about. If you don't know that blog but would like it (you poor unfortunate people, really you should get a life... LOL!) please email me at blanter@ozemail.com.au and I will be happy to share it with you.

Until our next journey... goodbye and thanks for reading!

In the immortal words of Michael Buble...

2005-12-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

Another aeroplane
Another sunny place
I’m lucky I know
But I wanna go home
Mmmm, I’ve got to go home
Let me go home
I’m just too far from where you are
I wanna come home...

I couldn't have said it better myself Michael!

But seriously, I want to send my best wishes to Dave, Mel, Seb and Stacey who are anxiously waiting to travel to Colombia to bring home their gorgeous new daughter Valentina. I hope that she is recovering quickly and that you will be with her soon. We're thinking of you.

It's Tuesday late afternoon and we are the business end of our big trip. After this I will head back to the hotel to finish packing and relax. We will be picked up at 8:30 am tomorrow and our flight leaves at 12:25 pm. Bring it on!

Yesterday afternoon, after my last post, we wondered around central London. Jason was going to go on the Beatles tour but decided it was too hard to leave me with both children. Will is being less than obedient at the moment and even with both of our constant attention he is constantly in danger of tripping over or running into people - long story.

We found a small carnival of rides in the middle of the theatre district and Will enjoyed an hour or so of rides - including on a giant chicken on the Merry-go-round. Then we got the tube to Knightsbridge and Harrods. Oh my god, what a place. Really it's just like a very very upmarket David Jones but because Christmas madness is upon us it really is like the depths of hell... a very expensive hell. We didn't go everywhere because there simply wasn't room to move but we did see a very plain man's jumper for £360 and pheasants in the meat section of £57 / kg. While it looked outrageous to me there certainly was no shortage of willing shoppers handing over their hard earned. We wanted to have afternoon tea but there were queues for the queues for all of the eating counters, including Krispy Kreme... sheesh!

So just got some souvenirs (one bag full = one week's wages) and decided to walk back to our street to have an early dinner at the steak house down the road. It was a great walk, apart from Will complaining about being tired and wanting to go to the hotel not go out for dinner. We enjoyed a very nice dinner steak dinner for about three times what it would have cost us in Sydney and went back to the hotel to relax. Jason then decided he wanted to have a beer in a "real" British pub so he went off down the road - where he met three Aussies and a guy who used to play guitar with the Rolling Stones (???).

This morning we slept in or at least lazed around since we didn't have any sort of schedule (for the first time since we've been in England). At about 9:30 am we went down the road for a big (all day) breakfast at the very English cafe (staffed entirely by Eastern European young girls, a lot of that here). We got two giant plates of chips, sausage, bacon, egg, baked beans and half a big baguette. I shared mine with Will and still barely got through it.

Then we walked down to the Musuem of Natural History which is only about two blocks away. It was a great way to spend a few hours. Will particulary loved the moving, roaring model of the T-Rex and had to go back twice to see it. Then we walked through Kensington Gardens, past the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, which was very peaceful and nice - not exactly what I may have designed, but still very nice. Then we continued all the way through the Gardens into the city to the Hard Rock Cafe (Jason's pick of course). Despite myself I had a great time. There is memorabilia everywhere and I liked seeing guitars owned by The Ramones and The Sex Pistols. The food was also really good and Marianna sat happily in the high chair playing with her plastic spoon and bopping to the ear splitting music. No visit (to anywhere on our trip) would be complete without a stop at the souvenir shop and this was no exception.

So here we are... at the end of our crazy, wonderful, tiring, exciting, amazing trip. I can't really believe we've survived and haven't killed each other and are still on speaking terms. We've even managed to have some wonderful, memorable times along the way.

A few memories of England:

* The COLD, the mind-numbing, bone-chilling COLD.

* The best hot chocolate ever, with whipped cream and a Flake, enjoyed in a tiny, quaint Portsmouth cafe in a cobble-stoned back street on our first misty afternoon. Oh, heaven.

* Chichester Cathedral... really beautiful.

* Portchester Castle...

* The London Eye...

I feel all things considered we've done really well to see a lot in a short amount of time with two children in tow. While everyone we came across gave us yet another list of things we REALY SHOULD see or SHOULD HAVE seen I think we've seen quite a lot. We've been lucky with the weather - no rain - which has allowed us to be out and about everyday, despite the cold.

I can't wait to get home and see the photos and watch the video, maybe then I'll feel I've actually lived this trip but at times it has been an out of body experience.

Goodbye England... hello Sydney, Australia. Have you ever seen Sydney from a 747 at night?

Bring on Global Warming I say!

2005-12-19T04:01:00.000-08:00

I really don't know how people live here! I mean it is bloody freezing. Today isn't quite so bad but yesterday was just ridiculous. I had on a long sleeved t-shirt plus a cardigan plus my fuzzy wuzzy super warm cardigan (which is as warm you ever need on the coldest day in Sydney - on it's own) plus my suede jacket plus hat plus gloves plus scarf and I was still absolutely freezing. I felt like the Abominable Snowman or the Staypuff Marshmallow Man (for the Ghostbusters fans).

We did the double decker bus tour of London yesterday and despite the cold it was really great. We got off at the London Eye and had a "flight" on that. It is really spectacular. It was a very crisp clear blue-sky day so we got to see for miles and miles. Fantastic. Then we got off and took a ferry ride up the Thames River to the Tower of London. Again, very enjoyable and a beautiful view.

The problem with London is there are literally too many things to look at, it's top heavy on the beautiful, historic buildings department. You need a swivel head to see everything as you go past.

We didn't go inside the Tower of London but had a walk around the outside. We then caught our bus again and finished the tour. It was very enjoyable and sitting on the warm bus was just what we needed as we were all tired by then.

We got back to the hotel, regrouped, put Marianna in her stroller and went for a walk up to Kensington High Street. It was very busy and crowded so we turned around and found a little Italian restaurant for an early dinner. I have to say prices here really are horrific. I try not to do the maths but it's hard not to feel like we're being ripped off left, right and centre.

Anyway, this morning we went to the Australian High Commission and got Marianna's visa. All very easy, no fuss. Our last beaurocratic step. Since then we've been wandering around London. We had a Cornish Pasty for a late breakfast in The Strand and now we're at an Internet Cafe just near Traflagar Square and Nelson's Column. Amazing that old and new combine here so effortlessly. Jason is going to do the Beatles Tour this afternoon and I'll probably head home with the kids.

Jason says he doesn't recommend travelling to London with a 6 year old. Will has had his "testing" moments but that's to be expected I suppose.

Anyway, we arrive home on Qantas flight QF 30 on Thursday 22/12 at 9:35 pm. However, if anyone is thinking of coming to the airport please check with the airline as our plane will probably have to take off from Heathrow and then refuel again at another British airport due to the petrol tank fire here at Heathrow.

Can't wait to get home! Thanks to everyone for your comments. They've been great. See you all soon!

Last stop... London...

2005-12-17T08:52:00.000-08:00

Here we are in London, well, South Kensington to be precise. We packed up our zillion bags and had a lovely drive down the M3 to sunny London this morning. Where we're staying is very nice, lots of beautiful old buildings and trendy shops and restaurants. Haven't done too much exploring yet as Jason took the car back and was gone most of the afternoon and I had laundry to do. Took the kids for a walk around the area but it was bitterly cold so we couldn't walk too much.

To recap... On Thursday we picked up Jason's cousin Diane and her friend Pam and we all drove to Chichester to visit Diane's other daughter Carrie. Carrie and her boyfriend are renovating a houseboat at Chichester "marina" (not a marina as we would know it) and it was really interesting visiting the houseboat and going across the canal on a little raft thingy (for those of you who know how "adventerous" I am, you would laugh at my face when faced with this prospect). Then we drove through some very lovely "typical" English country roads (narrow with dense hedges on either side and quaint cottages peaking from behind the hedges, occassional pub around the corner) to her current house. This was a lovely place called Dolphin Cottage - again very typically English (Jason had to duck not to bump him head on the doorways and lightfittings).

Carrie put on a lovely lunch for us and then we set off to visit Chichester proper. This is a lovely historic town and we visited the very old (11th century?) Chichester Cathedral. Beautiful and amazing. Then we had a very quick walk through the town which was beautifully lit up for Christmas, with a quick stop to buy JB another little pressie. As it gets dark here at about 4:00 pm our days are always cut short.

Thursday night we went around to Jason's nanna's for a final family get together. All the aunties and uncles (except for Stephen who we saw on the weekend and who lives too far away) came over and we had a very nice evening. It was sad to say goodbye as we know we won't see them for some years (who knows when really).

Friday we picked up Jason's nanna and took off for Surrey to visit his cousin Glen. It was mean't to be a straightford journey of less than 1 1/2 hours but due to heavy traffic took more than 2 hours. It was lovely to see Glen and his wife Mim and their two boys. Of course Will took straight off to play with their toys and we had a cuppa while we decided what to do. We ended up going into their local tiny town for lunch at The Crown which is apparently one of the most haunted pubs in England. We didn't see the headless ghost (I'm sure they have more a problem with legless people, rather than headless ghosts) but we did have a nice lunch. Then we again headed off to visit a beautiful old country house set on huge parklands with deer. Will was very happy to see some reindeer but we couldn't hang about too much as it was so cold I couldn't believe it and the wind was bitter. So we said goodbye and headed back to Portsmouth.

Now it's Saturday late afternoon and I've popped down the internet cafe (luckily there are plenty around here) before we have dinner. We're going to have a famous London curry tonight. Hopefully tomorrow won't be quite so cold and we can do some exploring. I'm looking forward to pottering about Harrods as it is only up the road from here.

You'd think I'd be tripping over internet cafes...

2005-12-15T03:10:00.000-08:00

...but they are as rare as hen's teeth around here. It really is a problem to keep in touch at the moment but I've finally found one here in Portsmouth, near Jason's grandmother's house. Jason, Will and Aunty Jan have gone off to go up in the Portsmouth Tower thingy (which we ran out of time to do yesterday). So Marianna and I have gone for a walk around the shops and found this net cafe tucked away in an optometrist shop (???).

We've had a busy few days. Tuesday Jason's Aunty Jan and her husband Barry arrived and we spent most of the day driving around having a look round the place with them. Barry has a GPS which makes it very easy to get around - it literally tells you "100 yards turn left", "at the roundabout take 2nd exit" - quite cool. We visited and walked around Portchester Castle, parts of which were built in the 11th century, so it was pretty special. It's all a ruin now except for the church which still has Sunday service. It was absolutely amazing to walk around such an old place, you could almost hear the ghosts talking to you.

Then we came back to Nan's house and Jason's Uncle Martin and Aunty Sue and her husband Mike arrived. We spent a few hours chatting with them but had to leave as Marianna was getting very tired.

Wednesday (yesterday) we spent the day on the Portsmouth historic waterfront. We took the hovercraft over to the Isle of Wight and came straight back. It was cold and foggy so we didn't feel like hanging about. But at least we can all now say we've been on a hovercraft and been to the Isle of Wight. Then we strolled around, had some lunch at the fanciests Nandos I've ever seen and then Jason took Will on a tour of the HMS Victory (they both loved it) and Barry had a tour of the Mary Rose. Us girls just pottered about and I bought some nice books about Portsmouth to take home.

By the end of the day Marianna was getting very tired and cranky. She is teething and quite grumpy compared to her usual happy self. So Jason dropped me and her back at the hotel and he and Will went to have dinner with Yvonne's old friends Bob and June. They live very close to our hotel and they all went out to The Seagull (one of the MANY pubs around the place) for a steak dinner.

Marianne did not have a happy night though. She was very restless, drinking a bit of her bottle, falling asleep, waking up grumpy, having a bit more of her bottle but not wanting to sleep again, on and off all night. I was very bleary eyed when we awoke this morning.

Anyway, now she is sleeping in her stroller so all is well. This afternoon we are going with Jason's cousin Diane to meet her other daughter Carrie and have lunch at a pub in Arundle. Tomorrow we are driving to Surrey to visit with Jan and Barry's son Glen and his wife and two boys. Glen came out to Australia about 8 or 9 years ago and had dinner with us and Peter and Maureen. So it will be nice to catch up with him after all these years.

Well, not too long now before we head home. As much as I'm enjoying myself here I really am feeling quite desperate to get home. I want my own things around me and to start getting into a good routine with Marianna. I can't wait to see all the smiling faces when we get off the plane.

Here we are in Merry Olde England...

2005-12-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been an interesting few days... where to start...

The day we travelled from Bogota to London was a nightmare, pure and simple. Definitely the worst day of my life, well certainly in the top 5.

It started with our bags being searched at Bogota airport. Jason's carefully packed souvenirs were a mess, Marianna was screaming, it was hot, it was horrible... Then we were stopped and searched, passport checked, etc at least another 4 or 5 times at that airport. At the immigration checkpoint where we handed over Marianna's paperwork the girl took forever, calling over another girl, looking at us suspicious... I was getting very stressed and worried. There was even a seperate bag search at the Iberian Airlines gate.

Finally we flew out and the flight itself was OK. Marianna and Will slept most of the way. I didn't of course but I did get to watch Must Love Dogs so that was something.

We expected a 2 hour layover in Madrid (HUGE airport, by the way) but the plane was delayed... and delayed... and we took off about 3 1/2 hours late. Then we had to circle and circle Heathrow Airport, landing at about 6:30 pm instead of 2:30 pm. It was horrendous. We were all so tired, Marianna was very restless and getting hungry. Will was tetchy, bored, annoying, just horrible.

Getting out of the airport was no problem at all but then we were hit with the freezing cold outside. We had to push our 130kgs of luggage through the crowds to the Budget Hire Car bus stop, wait for the bus and then it took over 30 minutes in the HORRIBLE traffic to drive 1 km to the Budget place. Then they tried to give us a smaller car. Jason just went along with them but I chucked a wobbly and demanded the car we had booked and paid for and finally we got it (after hanging about for over half an hour). Marianna was getting to be a very cranky girl by now. She was hungry but I had no water left and no clean bottles. I thought we'd stop at a petrol station so I could get organised but we got on the Motorway and there wasn't a petrol station for about 20 odd miles. Marianna screamed and screamed. It was just awful.

Finally we found one of those huge service stations with all the mod cons. Got fresh water for Marianna and she was happy with her fresh bottle and KFC for the rest of us. It's amazing how much better everyone feels when tummys are full and the baby is sleeping instead of screaming.

Another 50 miles down the road and we found our hotel and suddenly we were all cosy in our lovely hotel room, warm and comfortable, with beautiful beds and a heated towel rack.

After passing out, too exhausted to sleep even, we awoke the next morning to a crisp sunny British winter day. It was gorgeous. A proper English breakfast (with TEA, how I missed TEA) made us feel very human again and we were off to find Jay's grandmother's house.

Can't stay on much longer at the moment but suffice to say we LOVE England and we LOVE Portsmouth. We are having the most wonderful time. The weather has been lovely - crisp clear sunny days (a balmy 8C today). We love the old buildings and the quaint shops and cafes. It is just wonderful. So far we have spent some time with Jason's grandmother Peg and her friend John and Jason's uncle Stephen (who came down from Birmingham) and his two lovely teenage children Emily and Joe. Today we have spent the day with Jason's cousin Diane and her friend Pam. Everyone has been wonderful to us and we couldn't be happier. I'm in serious danger of looking at real estate.

Write again soon. Love to everyone back home!

Memories of Colombia

2005-12-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

At every set of traffic lights throughout Medellin and Bogota (and I assume other major cities in Colombia) there are people selling stuff. Fruit - beautiful fresh fruit from the farms (strawberries, cherries, mangosteens??, plums), mobile phone accessories, Christmas decorations... the list goes on. At the toll booths on the mountain road leading to and from Medellin many men sell packets of homemade local delicacies - sweets and most importantly what they call pork rind - pork crackling to you and me. This is a national delicacy and I am amazed that anyone lives past 30. It is quite literally packets of deep fried pork skin, salted, and very delicious (and I'm sure 99% fat and cholesterol). Vicky's husband bought us a couple of packets and of course I had to consume 90% of both packets within two days. I was disgusted with myself but what can you do when that delicous crackling is calling you... " Kathy, we're so crunchy and delicious. You know you want us... come on, don't just sit there...".

The most memorable thing I saw "for sale" at a set of traffic lights was puppies. Yes, a litter of gorgeous Chow Chow puppies - golden brown, chocolate brown and gray. Their mum was sleeping under a tree on a blanket and a couple of guys were shoving handfuls of puppies through the window at us. Of course my crazed mind automatically started trying to work out how we'd get a puppy home from Colombia (and as everyone knows we are the worst pet owners in the universe and should not even be allowed to consider the possibility of another pet, let alone a puppy from Colombia). Luckily the lights changed and Vicky sped off. Saved again!

Another important memory from Colombia is women and clothes. Especially in Medellin, but also in Bogota, women, ALL WOMEN, dress amazingly well. Not just well but in skin tight clothes, even those who shouldn't. There must be some legislation in place which bans women wearing baggy t-shirts, worn out tracky daks, or anything which isn't designed for 15 year old anorexic prostitutes. It is 90% skimpy, skin tight and skin exposing. Even middle aged and older women wear cut off tops, super slinky jeans and stiletto shoes. It is unbeleivably. I have felt like the world's biggest DAG the last few weeks. My simple attire of jeans, t-shirts and sneakers just doesn't cut the fashion mustard around here. Even poor people dress better than me. However, when I tried to buy some more stylish tops they didn't seem to make sizes for lard-arses like myself. A few shops stocked an Extra Large but even that was so tight on me it looked painted on (and that isn't a good look). Don't get me wrong, most of the women look fantastic. Their clothes, shoes and handbags MATCH. They wear tasteful accessories which match their clothes. They generally look elegant and very well groomed. I just can't imagine that much dedication to looking good, day in, day out. Who has that sort of stamina? I am just happy if I can put on something clean and comfortable, make up is just for special occassions, and stilettos... forget about it.

Some pictures...

2005-12-07T04:24:00.000-08:00

Marianna visiting her carers and her friend, the other Mariana, at La Casita.

The little angel sleeping.

Los loco chicos!

Vicky, Marianna, me and Will on the cable car in Medellin.

Cold showers...

2005-12-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

This morning I got up nice and early to have a long shower and wash my hair. Seemed like a good idea at the time. As soon as the conditioner was in, the hot water stopped. I waited, hoping it was a temporary problem, but the hot water did not return and I had to finish my shower (including the hair rinsing) in cold water. One of those moments when I tried to count my blessings and think about the people in the world who are less fortunate than myself and would LOVE nothing more in life than the opportunity to have a cold shower.

We have spent a pretty lazy day hanging around Los Palmas waiting for Mauricio to come to take us to ICBF. He came at 2:30 pm and by 3:30 pm we were back with our Certificate of Compliance. So we are now officially finished with all beaurocratic stuff. No more waiting, no more signing, no more getting out passports.

Our only other official thing is in London when we go to get Marianna's Australian Visa. I am hoping since we're going to the Australian Embassy things will go smoothly - at the very least we'll all be speaking English!!!

If you have noticed I have spelt Marianna's name with two NN's. Something went wrong during the legal process and since our lawyer was checking all the paperwork we only glanced at it along the way. Thus Mariana has become Marianna. I first noticed when I was filling in the paperwork for her British visa. I looked at her passport and looked again. I then went to the file and looked at her new birth certificate. All with two NN's. Shit!

Jason and I talked about it and decided it was probably easier all around to keep the two NNs and just get on with it. There's always something, isn't there!!

A few thoughts on Colombian driving. It's hell on earth! I will never again about traffic and/or driving in Sydney (well, until I'm on Epping Road during peak hour while construction for the tunnel is going on next time or I'm on one of the Harbour Bridge approaches on a Friday night). The traffic here is somewhat organised chaos. It's like they get their driver's license and then promptly forget everything they learn. Indicators are NOT used (I think it may be illegal to use them). Horns are used constantly. Lane markings are only used a very vague indication. Basically cars go everywhere, anytime, with very little regard for what other cars are doing. You want to go somewhere, you just go and hope that the cars around you stop or at least slow down. As a passenger it is nerve wrecking. Each trip involves at least a dozen moments where I'm sure we're all going to die. Often Jason and I giggle nervously as yet another near miss occurs and our driver doesn't bat an eyelid. You have to experience it to believe it.

Colombia is just like Australia, except sort of broken. They have mostly the same shops, giant shopping centres, giant supermarkets, giant home centres. Everyone is upwardly mobile or trying to be. Apartment buildings are going up like weeds all over Medellin and Bogota and we have been told a two bedroom apartment in the good suburbs of Medellin cost around US$800,000 - who can afford that here? Apparently lots of people, they can't keep up with the demand. There are furniture shops everywhere and according to Vicky the Japanese minimalist style is in at the moment - very bizarre.

You drive past glue sniffing beggars curled up in blankets in the middle of the road and minutes later you are passing exclusive appartment buildings with swimming pools, tennis courts, full time security and Christmas lights and decorations in every window.

The shopping centres are chock full of very finely dressed people shopping up a storm. You can't get a car park. There are expensive, new or nearly new cars in every parking spot. The cafes and restaurants are full of people eating and drinking. People are buying jewellery, clothes, shoes, homewares wherever you look. It is hard to reconcile the two sides of what you are seeing around you.

When I say Colombia is just like Australia but "broken" I mean the cities look like any Australian city but everything is just a little "off". A little dirtier, a little less maintained. Whereever there is construction it is chaotic with much more manual labour and mess. The roads are all potholed, the buildings sort of crumbling around the edges. The pollution is chronic, with road fumes really almost unbearable. But then in Medellin, in the dirty heart of the city, you have the beauty of Botero's beautiful giant bronze sculptures gracing the public square. There really are so many contrasts.

Today I feel far from home and desperately wanting to be home. I really feel "rootless" (stop that, those with a dirty mind!). Home seems like it is so far away and that I haven't seen it for a very long time and will not see it for a long time to come. Strangely, last night as I was doing washing in the laundry room here at Los Palmas I suddenly missed my washing machine so much I had tears in my eyes. Isn't it funny how such mundane things can stir up such strong feelings. I would have given anything to put my undies in my own washing machine and then to hang them out on my own Hills Hoist in my own backyard.

Anyway, enough of my pathetic musings, Marianna has just woken from a late afternoon nap and wants her bottle before our dinner is served. I have to say, yet again, what a wonderful baby she is. She is happy most of the time, chatting and smiling. She loves to stand up while we hold her hands and we do our little "get down and boogie" dance. She loves it. She is starting to learn to crawl but only manages to go backwards. She does a mean push up - possibly a career in professional aerobics?

The British Embassy... oh joy!

2005-12-05T13:29:00.000-08:00

Last night was quiet. A "homely" dinner here at Los Palmas, then bed. Our room is tiny but cosy. Will has a tiny kid's bed and Mariana is in a mini-cot. Our bed is less than comfy though. It probably isn't even a double size and poor Jason's feet are literally hanging off the end. It is also quite lumpy so I spent half the night tossing and turning trying to find a comfy spot. I think possibly we've got the dud room because the place is quite full. Anyway, apart from the bed we haven't escaped the all night music. There was a party going on in the street and it didn't stop until dawn. Ouch!

Bleary eyed we awoke and got ready for the day. Right after breakfast Mauricio came to take us to the British Embassy. The traffic here is different but just as bad as Medellin. After the usual security checks we were given a number to wait for the cashier at the Embassy. After waiting forever we found out we didn't have enough pesos to pay for the visa (I had misread the instructions - doh!) and they wouldn't take payment in any other form - are we living in the 21st century or what??!! So we went back downstairs to look for an ATM but luckily Mauricio had some extra cash which he lent us. So back we went and got back in the end of the queue!!! I wasn't a happy vegemite.

Then finally we paid and had to wait again for our "interview". Jesus, we only wanted a tourist visit for our baby. Do we look like terrorists or drug trafficers? So then it's our turn to be interviewed by Mr British Beaurocrat. It takes him 5 minutes just to figure out we can speak English and don't need the interpreter. He asks all sorts of dumb-ass questions - like do we have a photocopy of Jason's grandmother's passport. What the hell??? I have a good mind to write to the Queen to complain... right after I write to the Interncontinental to complain (the complaints list is growing).

At least he took pity on us and said he'd get the visa done straight away so we didn't have to come back to pick it up. Lucky, since we'd already been there for 3 hours!!!

When we finally came outside Mauricio said the letter at ICBF wasn't ready and we'd have to go there tomorrow. Just as well as we were all exhausted and thoroughly p'd off.

We returned to the hotel just in time for a very nice lunch. We then pottered up the road to Pomona (the Woolworths like supermarkets here - which ofcourse remind us of home). Since then we've been hanging out, reading, watching a video (George of the Jungle - only G rated movie you need to have a cold shower after).

So tomorrow ICBF and then a trip to the old city and the gold museum.

Congrats to Lleyton and our Bec on baby Mia. We love to hear news from home - especially important news!

Here we are in Bogota!

2005-12-04T15:43:00.000-08:00

The last few days have been great. Saturday morning Vicky took us to the once-a-month art and craft market in the city. It was awesome. Never mind the Black Market this is so much better. It is chock full of stalls for jewellery (hand made by weird hippy/rock chick/goth people) and hand bags and all sorts of stuff. I spent every cent I had and could have bought twice as much but I had to draw a line.

As it was we have bought two new small suitcases (one to replace mum's onboard bag - sorry mum it fell apart after the first flight - and one new one). So we are now travelling with SEVEN suitcases and one stroller. Total weight: 130 kg. AWESOME!

I can tell you we had some fun packing last night and this morning.

It was sad having our last meals at the hotel this morning. There were a few people we were very sad to say goodbye to. Especially one waitress, Andrea, who really took a shine to Mariana and would talk to her for ages each morning at breakfast (I can tell you she would have got her butt kicked big time on "My Restaurant Rules" but in Colombia service is a little more relaxed).

Everything went well at the airport. It took a while to check in and for Vicky to convince them not to charge us for excess baggage. We were booked into economy (sheeeesh!) so our luggage was limited (certainly not 130kg). When we got on the plane we were upgraded to Business Class anyway - obviously they realised we were not the sort of people who flew cattle class!!!

Mariana was an angel (as always). She flirted with the man next to me, then drank some of her bottle and promptly went to sleep. Since we were only in the air for a total of 25 minutes she only managed a short nap. When we arrived the poor porter (who was tiny) had to cart around all our luggage (Jay gave him a generous tip) and we were met by Mauricio (a very cute young man who works for Las Palmas) who whisked us - and our mountain of luggage - away in his van (lucky that!).

So we arrived, checked our comfy room (Will loves his "little" bed) and we met the other families here. Two American families, a few Scandanavian families and our old German friends from the Intercontinental. We've just enjoyed a very homey dinner and the children are playing beautifully.

Tomorrow Mauricio is taking us to the British Embassy first thing and then to ICBF to get our compliance certificate. So we may be finished with "official" business tomorrow (unless there is some hiccup) and then we'll have 2.5 days to check out Bogota and - dare I say - do some more shopping!

Next stop Bogota...

2005-12-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

Well, it's Saturday and our second last day in Medellin. We're sad and excited about leaving. Today we're going to the art and craft market that's only on once a month in the city. Looking forward to picking up a few gifts.

Yesterday we hit El Tesoro again (that place is so cool) and had a nice meal at Crepes and Waffles (we're addicted) and then Will had a couple of hours in the play area. He even went on the giant bungy thingy (where they attach you to these giant elastic bands over a trampline and let you bounce - he loved it but I couldn't even watch - Dodo, it's like the one at Darling Harbour!).

Then we did some more shopping (I'm getting sick of typing that) and I have another pair of boots (don't even ask!) and some nice junk jewellery and a little pressie for my gorgeous sister.

We have new upstairs neighbours in the hotel who like to engage in a bit of horizontal folk dancing every morning at 5:00 am. This morning was SO LOUD, Will woke up and asked what the noise was. Jason told him frogs (it did sound like a frog) and Will was very worried where the frog was and how it was to get out. We ended up with a long and hilarious discussion.

Anyway, next post from Bogota.

The last few days...

2005-12-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night we went out for dinner to celebrate the granting of Mariana´s Sentencia. There is a restaurant across the road which boasts a horse (caballo) show. We went over but the shows are only on Saturday nights, so we just enjoyed a lovely dinner. Note on Colombian food: the serves are huge - like double what we might get at home, especially the meat servings. We were able to take enough home in a doggie bag for Will and I to have dinner the next night. Anyway, the girl who is the marketing manager there (Alexandra, who said she was 36 but looked 22 max!) was very helpful and as we were leaving showed us where the horses were doing some display and training work. The Colombian horses are called Pasafinos and they are unique in the way they move their legs - straight with very tiny movements, I´ve never seen anything like it. The horse we were watching was worth US$1,000,000 - WOW! They also had some very beautiful white Spanish horses. It was wonderful to see these beautiful animals.

On Wednesday morning I took Mariana to get her Passport then we returned and got all the documents from Maria Jose. We gave Vicky and Maria Jose "vouchers" from the hotel salon for manicures and pedicures. They are very inexpensive but we thought it would be a nice little special gift to say "thank you" for their wonderful help, support and friendship.

Then we got all the presents ready and went to La Casita for the final goodbyes. This was a very special visit. We had lots of time to speak with Claudia, Cecilia (the social worker), Marie Adelaide (the gorgeous young psychologist) and some of the other ladies. They were wonderful, so warm and full of information. They were happy to give us a photograph of Mariana´s birthmother which is very special for us and for Mariana.

Will took off with all the older children and they were instant friends, he even had lunch with them in the dining room, which he said was delicious. The children went mad over all the toys we brought - all the cars and trucks for the boys and the Barbie dolls (latina) for the girls (luckily there were only 3 older girls, as we only had 4 Barbies).

We also brought lots of lollies and biscuits for the kids which they also loved. It was fantastic to see their happy faces. As always it was hard to leave because all the children touch your heart and you want to give them all a home and a family.

There were only about 6 babies in the pristine Babies´Room. One was 2 years old and blind and maybe had other disabilities. I wonder what will happen to this poor little fellow. There was another girl called Mariana who is about 10 months old and absolutely gorgeous - with the biggest, round brown eyes you´ve ever seen. A sweetie! Vicky wasn´t sure why she still didn´t have a family. I hope she, and all the other children, find one soon.

Thursday we had our usual relaxing morning and then went off with Vicky to do some shopping. We had lunch at El Tesoro at a place called Crepes and Waffles. Wow, I´m addicted. It is fantastic. Really good food (heavily into the crepes and waffles, as the name suggests) with unbelievably low prices - my Beef Stroganoff Crepe (DELICIOUS) was 9,000 pesos (or US$4.50). Vicky and I shared wild berry waffles for dessert - SO GOOD. So good infact we´re going back this afternoon.

Then we had to courier a package of papers to the Oz Embassy in Chile and then Vicky and I went off to see her friend to buy some jewellery. Since there are presents involved I won´t go into details - enough to say I got some beautiful things (which then involved a trip to the bank to take out a ridiculous amount of pesos - I have to remember to convert back to dollars so I don´t scare myself too much!).

Now it´s Friday. I´ve spent the morning at the salon getting a hair colour, manicure and pedicure - all for $50! The three kids are relaxing and after Mariana´s nap we´re back to El Tesoro for a bit more shopping, another meal at Crepes and Waffles and some fun for Will at the children´s playground (he LOVES it!).

Bye for now.

We have Mariana's passport

2005-11-30T06:34:00.000-08:00

My goodness things move fast around here. Maybe we could send some Australian public servants to Colombia for some lessons on how to serve the public. I'm so amazed.

Vicky picked up Mariana and myself at 6:30 am. By 8:10 am we were back at the hotel with Mariana's Colombian passport. Scary!

We're now having a little break before heading to La Casita for the final goodbye, giving of gifts, asking of questions, visiting of children, etc. Can't wait.

Congratulations David and Melani...

2005-11-29T12:44:00.000-08:00

... Sebastian and Stacey. We got your text message in the middle of the night but we didn't mind, it was wonderful news. We are so happy and excited for you all!

We'd love to see a picture of baby Valentina if you have one so please email it along when you can. An email with all the info would also be great.

Can't wait to celebrate with you in person! Love you guys!

We're OFFICIALLY Mariana's parents!

2005-11-29T12:38:00.000-08:00

As we were kicking back relaxing by the pool at lunchtime Vicky turned up and said "we have to be at court at 2:30 pm to sign your Sentencia". What! We weren't expecting it until at least Wednesday so we were quite surprised and excited and just overwhelmed, really! So fast.

We shared a quick lunch with Vicky, then up to our room to freshen up and put on some "court clothes" and back out into the city heat.

It all took about 2 minutes. We signed the papers, chatted with the lovely ladies in the court office who all "oohed" and "aahed" over Mariana - well, she is the most gorgeous baby in the world!

Then back in the car with Vicky and here we are. Still can't believe it. We've been in the country less than 14 days. We only saw ICBF last Wednesday and our file was accepted by the court last Thursday. So in court 3 and a half days. Wow! We were in Court 8 - for the record.

So now Marie Jose will arrange the birth certificate this afternoon. Tomorrow morning Vicky will pick up Mariana and myself at 6:30 AM (yikes!) and we'll get Mariana's passport. At 10:00 AM we are going to La Casita for a proper visit and a bit of a party with the other children. We are really looking forward to it. Should be great.

Thursday and Friday we'll relax, maybe shop a bit more. Saturday morning Vicky will take us to the once a month HUGE market in the centre of town. We're really looking forward to that. Sunday morning we'll relax and pack and then we're off to Bogota and the next stage of our amazing and wonderful journey.

Phew! What a day!

2005-11-29T12:26:00.000-08:00

Monday was a great day... very busy. We started with a taxi trip to the local train station and then a train trip to the north to catch the sky rail. Note to CityRail: Come to Medellin, Colombia to see how a REAL train system runs. We were so impressed with the railways - stations are clean and spacious, trains are clean, modern and spacious, fares are very cheap, people are polite. The sky rail is a new thing they've built which travels through the poorest northern suburbs. It is hard to describe but you sit in small, glass enclosures which hang on cables and travel up a very steep hill, stopping at a few stations up to the top and then back again. We passed over what Vicky described as the poorest suburbs of Medellin. While they were poor they weren't at all depressing. People obviously have a lot of pride in their homes and their area. The homes might be odd looking and lopsided but they are spotlessly clean (we saw many houseproud residents sweeping, mopping, washing and gardening). The streets are also clean and children play in small parks and in the streets. The government is building parks, playgrounds and gardens underneath the sky rail path.

After this very enjoyable trip we stopped at the infamous Black Markets. Let's be blunt there is a lot of stuff and it's cheap.. but it's too much for me. I just can't cope with the crowds, the amount of choice and the pushy salespeople. As anyone who has been to a restaurant with a long menu with me knows - I just can't make a decision. When there are 20, 30, 50 shops selling gold and silver jewellery how am I to know which is good, what I want, or what the hell is going on. I just go into meltdown mode. My brain frazzles. All we ended up with was a bottle of Dolce & Gabana's Light Blue (which Vicky recommended and I liked very much) for US$35, a pair of Timberland shoes for Jason and a pair of gold hoop earrings for moi and a tiny pair of gold and emerald earrings for Mariana (when she is older).

Very much overheated and overloaded we went back to the hotel for a quick cooldown and clean up and we were off again. This time we went to San Diego (probably my favourite shopping centre) for a very nice lunch upstairs. Then some souvenir shopping (t-shirts, Christmas ornaments, etc). Then, as we were on our way to the supermarket a quick stop at Bosi, with Jason coming away with two more pairs of shoes. Insanity!

We had Mariana's photo taken for her passport (and a cuter passport photo you've never seen!). We stopped at the supermarket for some supplies and some things for La Casita. Then we were off again, this time to the notary (not sure what these papers were but Vicky said they were important). Then our last stop - the private hospital for Mariana's Yellow Fever shot. Considering she was overtired, hungry and very hot, she handled it beautifully - one small cry of surprise and then she was over it, back to her happy self.

Overall it was a very busy day but we got a lot done and saw a lot of Medellin. It was fantastic.

Some new pics

2005-11-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

Our princess!

Ready for some serious souvenir shopping!

Will and his new friend.

Getting ready for lunch at the "Levis" restaurant.

You can't stop the music, nobody can stop the music...

2005-11-27T06:57:00.000-08:00

... the bloody music! It just won't stop. Every night (just about) there is some function at the hotel and bloody loud music. Last night there was some huge wedding. I heard the wedding march being played in the early evening and said "aaahh, a wedding" at 2:00 am when the wedding band was still blasting out the Colombian wedding hits I wasn't feeling so romantic about the wedding, in fact I was cursing the happy couple with a plague of fleas in their armpits.

To add to the music the car alarms just don't stop either. There has been a particulary wonderful one which went off for A WHOLE HOUR STRAIGHT on Friday night and then on and off all of last night. It was a nightmare. I really look like death warmed over this morning and feel even worse! Despite how the nice the hotel is I am going to write a complaint to the management before we leave (YES, Jules I AM!!). It just isn't fair.

Anyway, yesterday (Saturday) we had a very enjoyable day driving up to the mountain area near Medellin for some souvenir shopping and a wonderful lunch (more steak!). Aila - you'll be interested that this cafe is sponsored by Levis. All the staff wear Levis t-shirts and there are signs all over the place advertising Levi.com, etc. The food was great (Jason's ribs were yummy as was the chocolate brownie Will and I shared for desert).

Then we just drove around for a while, sightseeing. It really is beautiful countryside and we really enjoyed seeing some of the tiny villages still looking very much like they would have a few hundred years ago. What's amusing though is that all these modern condos are being built just behind all the old shops and houses; so you have this row of buildings straight out of a history book and right behind them rows of modern, ticky tack box houses, just like you'd find on the new building estates around Sydney. Weird!

Vicky told us a lot about Medellin, the country and how people live. Many people who live in the city have small farms in the country where they go on weekends. It was lovely.

It was raining when we returned so we just veged around our room all evening - trying to watch Meet Joe Black and having it drowned out by all the "fabulous" wedding music.

Today is Sunday and a quiet day at the hotel. Mariana had a bit of a fever overnight, but no other symptoms, so I'll be keeping an eye on her today. Tomorrow we're seeing the doctor to get her Yellow Fever immunisation so if she's not better I'll have him take a look at her. Tomorrow will be a big day with the doctor's visit, Mariana's photo for the passport and a visit to the Notary (not sure why?). We're also going to do the cable car ride up to the mountain top and stop at the Black Market.

Wednesday we have our return visit to La Casita - to drop off presents, ask more questions (hopefully get a photo of Mariana's birthmother - apparently they are better with this now), see her cot and her room, etc, etc. Hopefully the Sentencia will also be signed and finished on Wednesday. Then Thursday we can get her passport and relax until Sunday when we fly out.

Our revised travel plans are: Leave Medellin Sunday 4/12; leave Bogota Thursday 8/12; fly to London via Madrid; then return home to Sydney 22/12 at 9:45 pm - so I won't expect anyone but family (it's not exactly a friendly time). That's how it's looking now, hopefully there will be no bad surprises this week.

I'll post some more photos soon. Thanks to everyone whose been writing - blog comments and emails. The PC here is so slow I don't have time to write back to everyone, but we are thinking of you.

Just quickly...

2005-11-25T12:08:00.000-08:00

We have been told today that our Sentencia should be signed next Wednesday. That means we'll definitely be finished here in Medellin by end of next week. We are trying to change our flight to Bogota for Sunday 4/12. Then we'll need 3 days or so there and we can fly onto London.

At this point it all depends on what flights are available, etc. It's the holiday season so we may be restricted by what is available.

Hopefully by Monday we'll know our updated travel arrangements.

Apparently we are going through in record time. So far so good.

More shopping, more eating, more relaxing...

2005-11-25T05:56:00.000-08:00

Please don't hate us! All the fun and relaxing is starting to get a little boring. Yesterday we had an easy morning by the pool and then hit El Tesoro with the other American couple Jean Claude and Dina and their little fellow Christian.

El Tesoro (the treasure) is the newest centre and very close to the hotel in the Las Palmas district. They don't have so many shops but they do have three levels of rides and fun stuff for children.

We walked around (this centre is not very busy) and bought some more stuff - two pairs of Bosi shoes for Will (fabulous Colombian brand), some clothes for Mariana, a top for me and one for Jay, I can't remember what else. We also had a nice lunch and bought some Dunkin' Donuts to take home to the hotel.

We were all very tired and hot and sweaty by the time we got back.

Today will hopefully be nice and quite around the hotel. Tomorrow Vicky is taking us for a big day of sightseeing, souvenir buying and lunch in the mountains so we want to be rested for that. We are really looking forward to it.

No news on the "process", all going well however we may be finished by the end of next week. Hopefully we'll know more early next week.

Have a great weekend everyone. Lots of love from Medellin (that's Med-e-jin - if you're from here and Med-e-IN - if you're from somewhere else).

Update

2005-11-24T06:33:00.000-08:00

The last two days have been very busy. On Tuesday Jason left me with the children and hit the shops for some "man stuff" shopping. It was easy being with Will and Mariana by myself as we spent the morning by the pool - Will swimming with his girlfriend Casey. Mariana dosed in her stroller. When it got too hot we went up to the room for some more relaxing.

Jason came back with a new outfit - shoes, belt, shirt, pants. All beautiful Colombian made stuff, top quality, for just over AUS$150. I'm sending him to that shop for another go.

Then we had dinner with Sue, George, Casey and Sydney as it was their last night. Will and Casey were really getting on like a married couple (we suggested they just needed a mortgage and a couple of credit cards and they'd be set). They were so cute together. We had a "hot rock" dinner at the poolside restaurant and it was DELICIOUS! Then they gave us some of their food leftovers from their room and we said goodbye. So sad to see them go (but good for them as they have been here quite a while).

Wednesday morning we had to be ready early to go for our ICBF appointment. I was a little anxious. After we climbed the seemingly 400 stairs to the ICBF office we waited to see the Protector of Minors. Finally we went into the office for our meeting with Vicky and Marie Jose. It all went well except this woman is very formidable (dare I say she came across as a stern drag queen?!). She didn't crack a smile the whole time and seemed determined to ask deep and meaningful questions. She even found something in some of the DoCS' paperwork which said that only people between 28 and 31 (???) were allowed to adopt in our state. Not sure if this was translated wrong or what but I felt as if she were suspicious when we told her that wasn't right.

Anyway, it didn't last that long (15 minutes) and we were out again and heading for our Medellin sightseeing trip. It was wonderful. Vicky drove us around the city, telling us a little about this building and that. We stopped outside the world's largest brick cathedral and Jason took some photos (Mariana had fallen asleep in my lap).

We then headed to the Botero museum. I'm not that much of an "arty" person but I really was in awe. I love Botero's work and seeing the huge paintings and sculptures before my very eyes was so special. I particularly love one called "Los Noches" (The Night) which was very dark with lots of little develish creatures flying over the city at night. I could have spent all day but of course it wasn't so much fun for the children (all three of them). So we looted the souvenir shop and moved on.

It was getting very hot by then (the hottest day we've had so far). We drove up the mountain to the replica old village and the scenic lookout. Jason and Will went up to the lookout while Vicky and I enjoyed a cold drink and Mariana slept in her stroller. Then we strolled around the little village and bought some souvenirs, including a traditional peasant outfit for Mariana for when she is older.

Vicky then drove us back to the hotel where I got Jay and the children settled in to the room, had a quick freshen up and set off for my solo shopping trip. We went with the Peurto Rican couple who are adopting Juan Enrico from La Casita, Juan and Amy. They went off while Vicky and I had a quick lunch and a chat. Then I gathered my courage and went shopping on my own, agreeing to meet Vicky in two hours. I did quite well, given my distinct lack of any meaningful Spanish. I bought a magnificent pair of hand made Colombian black boots (really they are stunning), a pair of super soft black loafers and a gorgeous pair of pink Mary Janes for Mariana. I also tried on some tops but really I couldn't find anything suitable for someone over 15 and larger than a size 8. I will write more about the way people dress in Medellin later.

Finally, exhausted, I returned to the hotel where everything was calm (I WAS a little worried). We bathed and fed Mariana and put her to bed, then ordered room service dinner (it's always so good and very reasonably priced).

Today we are going to have a quite morning at the hotel and then have an expidition to the newest shopping centre nearby which has three levels of children's rides - shopping and fun for Will, who could ask for more.

Saturday Vicky is taking us to the moutains to see more traditional villages, do some souvenir shopping and have lunch at the "famous" steak restaurant.

Keep those messages coming, I love to read the notes from our friends back home!

There's something about Mariana...

2005-11-24T06:24:00.000-08:00

* The first thing everyone notices is her eyelashes. They really are amazing. Not only are they very long, dark and thick but they curl at the outer edges of her eyes - just as if she's had them curled with one of those eyelash curler thingies. Everyone comments on them.

* She is a very easy going baby. There really wasn't any transition between La Casita and us. It was like she took one look at us, realised we were here family, thought "they'll do" and just got on with it.

* She is very easy to care for. Apart from the first two nights she has slept through the night. We have a routine of giving her a bath - which she LOVES - at about 7:30 - 8:00 pm, then some skin lotion, nappy and pjs and she snuggles up for her bottle. As soon as she's finished we'll put her in her cot on her back with her blanket. Dramatically she throws one arm over and falls immediately asleep on her left side. It is breathtaking how fast she falls asleep - blink and she's asleep. She then wakes at about 5:00 am for a bottle and nappy change and goes back to sleep until 7:30 am (we usually wake her by 8:00 am so we can get on with our day).

* During the day she has some little naps in the morning and usually a big sleep (3 hours or so) in the afternoon.

* She is happy just about all the time. If she starts to whinge or cry you know she's hungry.

* She loves being out and about in her stroller. Looking around at the shops and the people, sitting out by the pool or the restaurant. She makes eye contact with everyone and charms all who comes near her. She also loves driving in the car and wants to look out the window.

* We are all besotted with her. She is a beautiful, gentle baby. We are so very lucky she is ours.

What is it about Ernie?

2005-11-22T05:52:00.000-08:00

As some of you know Will has an Ernie doll which has been with him since day one. We brought it with us to Guatemala and they have been inseperable since then. Will loves this battered, falling apart doll to death. His eyes are faded white disks, stuffing is coming out where his nose used to be and he has been through the washing machine a zillion times.

Mariana has taken a strange liking to this haggered old Ernie. Despite all the brand new, age appropriate, developmentally stimulating baby toys we have brought for her, if she catches sight of Ernie she just wants him. So last night when we were doing some shopping we found a "baby" Ernie. It's just like the regular Ernie but it's a baby and it's very soft and even cuter than the original Ernie. She loves it, fell asleep clutching it last night... it is SO cute. Will is happy because now they each have their own Ernie. We asked him last night if he wanted to keep his old Ernie or get a new one, he thought about it for a few moments and said he wanted to keep his old one. Sentimental, just like his dad!

Yesterday we did the court thing in the morning. Very quick and painless. Our lawyer Marie Jose is lovely, looks after us wonderfully. We signed the Power of Attorney and some other papers, showed our passports and we were done. Aparently we have got one of the "good" courts, i.e. not one of the two slow courts. So all is well.

We were told we have our ICBF appointment on Wednesday morning at 8:15 am. That's a big step so we're looking forward to getting it done. Then the official court period begins when that report is lodged.

We've had four trips in taxis yesterday and I can tell you there are rollercoasters at Disneyland which aren't half as scary. Wow, you know you're alive when you've been in a Colombian taxi. Especially last night when our taxi driver took us to the wrong hotel (after our shopping trip) and didn't seem to know where the Intercontinental as. A little scary for a moment. Our friends were waiting for us and they were all a little freaked out.

Anyway, breakfast time. Love to everyone back home and everyone taking the time to read our little blog.

A little bit of progress

2005-11-21T06:35:00.000-08:00

It´s Monday morning and we have a little bit of progress. At 10:30 am we´ll be picked up and taken to the court to sign the power of attorney and lodge the court papers with our lawyer Marie Jose. We´ll then wait to hear when our appointment at ICBF will be - hopefully in the next couple of days.

Last night we went out for dinner at the wonderful restaurant across the road from the hotel with two of the other adoptive families here at the hotel - Sue and George with their 4 year old Casey and their new baby Sydney and Dina and John with their little man Christian. Will and Casey are best of friends now (especially since Casey is the proud owner of a portable DVD player and they watched Shrek while they were meant to be eating their dinner). Speaking of dinner it was fabulous. Honestly the steaks are so great my blood count is going to be through the roof by the time we get home, I´ve never eaten so much red meat.

You would think we would be putting weight on but we´re actually loosing weight. I think it has something to do with the fact we´re only eating 2 meals a day. We only ever have lunch OR dinner, not both. If we have lunch we can´t fit in dinner and sometimes we´re not hungry at lunch so we have dinner only. It´s not a bad system. I think I´ve lost 4 kgs so far.

As you can see we´ve figured out how to upload photos. Jason is taking photos with the video camera so it´s working out OK. I will try to post some photos every few days.

Bye for now.

Some more photos!

2005-11-21T06:31:00.000-08:00

Mariana, ready to go out for dinner.

Excuse the cleavege, it´s lunchtime.

Some photos

2005-11-21T05:18:00.000-08:00

Meeting Mariana at La Casita.

Will enjoying some fun in the sun (six hours and counting!)

Relaxing by the pool.

Mummy, we missed Funniest Home Videos AGAIN!

2005-11-20T05:13:00.000-08:00

That is how I was woken this morning, with Will whispering urgently in my ear at 6:30 am. Then he said: So it must be Sunday. That´s how he orients his week, with Funniest Home Videos.

It´s Sunday morning Medellin time. We have had a very restful night, with Mariana only waking once for a bottle at 2:30 am. We´re heading for yet another delicious buffet breakfast, it´s a hard life!

Yesterday was spent relaxing (some more) and then Vicky picked us up in the afternoon to go shopping at one of the local giant shopping centres. Pretty much like WBJ but more interesting somehow (I guess because it´s new to our eyes). Of course I went a little crazy in the children´s wear shops with lots of lovely new things for Mariana and Will. We´ll need to go back once or twice or... since there are many many wonderful looking clothes and shoe shops for us adults too. I may be coming back with a few pairs of shoes and boots (JB you´d be in HEAVEN). I like the fact that many of the things (all the children´s clothes) are locally made here in Medellin and the prices are very reasonable.

We returned home at around 6:00 pm, exhausted and enjoyed our evening routine of bath and bottle for Mariana (straight off to sleep at about 6:30 pm) and then a delicious room service dinner. Everything tastes SO good and it´s hard not to indulge since prices are very reasonable (Jason´s Salmon dish with prawns last night was only US$11.50). Will is eating his way through the burger menu.

The good news is we bought a Nokia charger for the phone and it works. So we´re back in mobile contact if it´s urgent. Texting is good because it´s only about 60 cents a message.

Anyway, nothing happening today. More relaxing... don´t hate us too much. Tomorrow we should hear when we meet the Protector of Minors at ICBF which is the second official step and then the application can be lodged with the court. Hopefully we´ll get a fast judge and get through smoothly and quickly.

Thanks to all those leaving messages and sending emails, I don´t really have time to reply individually at the moment but we all really appreciate your messages and we´re thinking of everyone.

Lots of love from beautiful Colombia.

We´re back...

2005-11-19T06:24:00.000-08:00

... and yes, David, we have our girl... and what a beautiful (bonita!) girl she is!

It has been an incredible 48 hours. We met Mariana on Thursday morning at La Casita de Nicolas at reception hosted by the ladies of La Casita: the older sponsors (beautiful old ladies, gracious and stately), the director, the social worker, the psychologist, the lawyer, the other lawyer... a cast of thousands. But we only cared about one thing... meeting our beautiful daughter.

She was brought out in the dress we brought, with a cute little pink bow on her head. She was calm and very curious, looking all around, taking everything in. I just couldn´t stop smiling, my only emotion was joy. Of course our camera ran out of power at the most inopportune time so we only have three photos of the occassion. Jason got out the video though so we have some good footage.

There was no looking back. She was happy and content the moment she put in my arms and was happy to go out into the big world. In the car she looked around everywhere, trying to take in everything at the same time. We took her shopping for some basics and then back to our hotel room to wind down and get to know each other.

She is eating and sleeping beautifully, so far so good. Really nothing at all to complain about. She wakes up smiling (just like her big brother) and only cries if she is hungry. She loves having a bath, loves playing with Will and her toys... she is just a happy girl.

Yesterday we spent the day by the pool. Will swam, Jason swam, I played with Mariana and read my book. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch outside (I don´t know what they feed their cows but the steak tastes bloody amazing!). Then Mariana and I went up for a nap while the boys swam some more.

In the afternoon we went back out to the pool and met some American couples here adopting from the other Medellin orphanage. One couple is adopting a girl called Sidney (how cute is that?). There are a few German couples here too but apart from smiles and nods we don´t really communicate (who started the war anyway?).

I tried to get on the internet PC here all day yesterday but I couldn´t. It was crazy. There was some sort of conference going on and the place was chock full of very busy and important looking people. The comuter room was busy all day and into the evening. I gave up trying about 7:00 pm. Also, our mobile phone is totally out of charge and the charger won´t work through the power adaptor. We will try to buy a Colombia Nokia charger next time we go shopping. The other bad news is that we fried our digital camera. Somehow the charger, through the adaptor, overheated it and we think it´s totally dead. We´ll have to check it out when we get home. Boo hoo! We´ve bought a couple of disposable cameras for now.

So the best way to contact us is through either of my emails or through the blog right now. I will check it at least once a day (as long as I can access the computers).

In general, we are having a fantastic time. The people are wonderful. The hotel is great (we´ve finally been moved to one of the suites with a kitchen and it´s perfect for us). There is a tv channel which shows all the good comedies in English, so in the afternoon and evening we can veg out with Seinfeld, Frasier, Friends, Scrubs, etc. Very comforting when you´re far from home.

I can´t figure out how to load up photos just yet so you´ll need to be patient.

Love to everyone, we´re not missing anyone yet, but I´m sure we will be soon!

If it's Thursday morning, it must be Medellin...

2005-11-17T06:25:00.000-08:00

I have never been this tired in my entire life. Having traditionally been an 8 hour a night girl I have suddenly plunged into insomnia hell. I can't remember the last time I slept for more than one or two hours (it's been at least a week). Jason and I keep asking each other what day it is.

Well, last night we arrived in Medellin after a very very very long day of travelling. We were picked up before the crack of dawn, driven through the dark freeways and overpasses of LA to LAX and endured the hell of check in. Finally, zombie-like, we boarded for our FIRST CLASS flight to Miami. Don't know how the Americans define first class but I'll take good old Aussie Qantas Business Class anyday. Can't complain though, I'm sure no-one cares. The seats were comfy (though very old), the food was great (those fresh baked chocolate chip cookies they brought out before we landed were terrific - are you reading this JB?).

A comment on our flight across the US. It was bloody fantastic. The best flight in terms of scenery I've ever experienced. We must have passed every possible geographic landscape which exists. Mountains, rivers, deserts, swamps, forests... Incredible. I would doze off briefly, open my eyes and yet another glorious landscape was unfolding before my eyes. Luckily it was a crystal clear day so the view was unobstructed.

Then as we came closer to Miami we came across what I can only describe as a city of clouds. We flew over this majestic diaorama of clouds, perfect cotton wool white clouds. There were mountains and valleys and tunnels... all made of clouds. So beautiful it was literally breathtaking... I will remember this flight as long as I live.

Then we rushed around Miami airport chaotically trying to figure out how to re-check in. It was madness but in the end very simple. Through Will we also made some friends... a mother, teenage daughter and four year old son who were Medellin natives, now living in LA, and travelling to Medellin for some medical help for the daughter. The daughter was fourteen but looked older than the mother, who was simply stunning, like a model. The son, Steven, was stir crazy like Will from all the flying, so the two of them raced around the airport lounge and drove all the business passengers nuts.

The flight to Medellin was great. The food was amazing. I love having my order taken on board, like in a restaurant. We had a pre-dinner drink with HOT nuts. Then a green salad with artichoke hearts and a warm bread roll served with the BEST butter I've ever tasted. Then a prawn (shrimp) and scallop risotto which was devine. Finally a icecream crumble thingy which was yum but really just too much.

Getting out of the airport was a little chaotic as we were just exhausted but once out we were in the capable hands of our guide and instant friend Vicky. Loading our huge pile of luggage into her car, we managed to fit us, Vicky and her husband in as well. It was like one of those phone booths that 50 people pile out of. Because we flew in late (after 8:00 pm) Vicky took us to the local hotel - Los Palmas - which was very nice, though the pillows on the bed were ridiculously hard and square.

We were able to shower and collapse into bed where we watched the end of a Yahoo Serious movie with Spanish subtitles (somewhat bizarre yet comforting to hear those broad Aussie accents so far from home).

We were awake at 5:00 am as Will fell out of bed. Then we couldn't go back to sleep so we dressed and went down to a light breakfast at 6:00 am. By 7:00 am Vicky and her husband were back to take us to Medellin proper. A Peurto Rican couple are also adopting a baby from La Casita and they travelled with us.

The drive into Medellin was amazing, picturesque but also dangerous in a "life flashing before your eyes" sort of way. Glad I'm not driving, that's all I can say. Lots of armed patrols on the roads, soldiers, police, private security.

The Intercontinental is on the outskirts of Medellin, at the top of the mountain as you drive in. It is a beautiful hotel. Something important must be going on as there is a massive amount of security present and TV crews.

We are going to be taken to La Casita at 10:30 am. It is now 9:45 am. We will meet Mariana and take her with us. We will officially be a family of four at about 11:00 am. Then our lawyer will come to the hotel to see us this afternoon. I can't imagine us having much energy after that. But from tomorrow Vicky has a lot of sightseeing and shopping in store for us. Bring it on, I say. But first let's meet our gorgeous girl and fit in a little sleep.

PS A man in the lift said "Congratulations on winning the soccer yesterday". We stared at him blankly and then went "Oh, my GOD! We won???!!" How did that happen? Anyone care to send us a brief overview of the game which we shouldn't have won? Does that mean we are playing in the World Cup next year? Amazing!

Taking Will to Disneyland seemed like a good idea at the time...

2005-11-15T19:02:00.000-08:00

What a day... it ended well but I really thought there were moments when I could have quite happily throttled my son. We take him to Disneyland... he spends the whole morning whining, not wanting to go on any rides... but only after questionining me a million times about whether each and every ride is fast, scary, etc. The only ride he wanted was the teacups thingy and that was shut!!!

At the end of the day Jason more or less physically dragged him onto a few rides, including the Buzz Lightyear one, and suddenly he loves rides and can't get enough. Of course this is the time we want to head back to the hotel so he's still not happy!! Yikes!

However, the day ended well with a delicous dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. Gee that place is FUN! I wish we had one Sydney.

Now we're all tired and heading up to bed (early). Our shuttle is picking is up at 4:18 AM for our 7:08 AM flight to Miami.

Hi to all those who've taken the time to send emails... I've enjoyed reading them. Thanks!

Beunos noches, amigos. Next stop, Medellin ... and Mariana!

We're in LA...

2005-11-14T12:04:00.000-08:00

Well, the first leg of trip is complete. We are in LA. The weather is glorious, our hotel is just down the road from Disneyland and there is Joe's Crab Shack (for those who know the "hilarious" story from our first trip to LA) sharing our hotel's carpark.

Our flight was fantastic. Flying business class is really the ONLY way to go! Note to self: don't get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day and never fly cattle class again! The food and service were very good, the SkyBed very comfy and the movie selection decent. The only thing which spoiled things for me were the two dickheads next to us. They were the typical business men with an expense account. They got drunker and drunker and louder and louder as the flight progressed. While everyone else in the cabin quietly watched a movie or tried to sleep, these two bozos talked shit, laughed loudly (like only drunks can) and generally annoyed the living daylights out of me. It took all my self restraint not to launch myself across the aisle at them and shove the shove their wine glasses where the sun don't shine...

Deep breath... enough about that. Despite the comfortable seats/beds I couldn't sleep. While Will and Jason slept quite well I tossed and turned. I was relaxed, I just couldn't shut off that final 10% of my brain which kept turning over useless information.

It took a long time to get out of US Customs but not much longer than in 2000 (i.e. pre September 11). I especially liked the cute sniffer dog that came around with his equally cute handler.

Now I'm sitting in the business centre at our hotel catching up on emails and, of course, my blog. Jay and Will have gone to Disneyland for Day #1 (I will join them tomorrow for Day #2). As luck would have it we are directly across the road from a large Target. Despite having high expectations I have to say it's just the same old crap as our Target - possibly marginally cheaper. I have however come away with "Elf" on PSP disk for Will and a couple of nice T-shirts for moi!

As I said tomorrow is more Disneyland and Wednesday we travel ALL day. Starting with a 7:00 am flight to Miaimi - flying FIRST CLASS - and then a direct connection to Medellin, Colombia arriving at 8:00 pm. All going well our gorgeous Mariana Grace will be in our arms and in our care from Thursday morning.

Stay tuned.

Ladies and gentlemen... we have a date!

2005-11-09T19:55:00.000-08:00

Here I was thinking we had about a week to go ... when I get a phone call saying "Are you ready to go on Monday?" ... Monday! Monday! We can't go on Monday! That's only 3 days away. We have things to do, people to see, stuff to organise, BAGS TO PACK! Holy cow, how can we be ready in 3 days!

My brain is racing with all the things we need to do. Luckily I've got myself pretty organised this week. We have our bank draft ready, we have our US$ and Pounds ready, we have packed the presents for the orphanage, Mariana's clothes are all washed and just need to be packed... I've even bought enough dog and cat food to keep our animals going while we're away (the neighbour's daughter will be feeding them).

But there is still SO MUCH MORE to do... So, I can't chat now. Next entry will probably be from Anaheim LA where I'll be writing after an exhausting but wonderful day at Disneyland!

The final countdown...

2005-11-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

Well, we're about a week away from flying out for our big adventure. Hopefully we will know in the next day or two what is happening and when we'll be going. Our plan is still to spend about three days in LA (Disneyland, Target, etc.) en route to Medellin, Colombia. For that to happen we'll need to fly out of here on the 15th or 16th of November. We need to arrive in Medellin on the 18th/19th of November.

I've been shopping up a storm the last week. I seem to go on many shopping trips and always I forget something or realise I need more of something when I return. I've also been doing a fair bit of internet shopping (ah, what did we do before the internet?!). It's scary how much STUFF a tiny baby needs... and we aren't even starting from scratch (having saved a fair bit of stuff from Will's baby years). The whole bottle thing is a bit frightening - I hope I can get the sterilising thing right. Will survived, so I'm sure Mariana will too!

I do love shopping for baby clothes. Though I really do have to make a wholehearted effort at not saying the word "cute" so much, as in "isn't that cute?!", "that is SO cute!", etc.

Anyway, I better get back to work. I have so much to do before I go I'm actually taking work home (anyone who knows my work ethic would be laughing out loud at this point!). It's going to be a crazy week. Wish us luck!

Hopefully my next post will have our actual departure date.

We are a family of four!

2005-10-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

I am overjoyed to announce that after 37 months, 13 days "in process" we are finally a family of four (or we soon will be). On the evening of 24 October, 2005 we got THE CALL. Jason and I are to be parents again and Will is going to be a big brother! Yipee!

Our beautiful daughter Mariana was born on 26 May, 2005 in Medellin, Colombia.

We may be biased but we are quite convinced she is the most beautiful baby in the world (sorry if you have the most beautiful baby in the world - I guess there's room for two...).

We are just over the moon and can not wait to give our little angel lots of kisses and cuddles.

She is obviously very healthy and happy and well looked after and we are so incredibly grateful to La Casita de Nicholas in Medellin for loving her and taking such wonderful care of her.

We don't have concrete travel plans right now but we should have by early next week. We hope to travel in about three weeks time.

I will keep this blog updated with our travel plans and of course while we are away. So keep checking back to see how things are going.

Get set, folks! We are about to travel...

Just Starting...

2005-09-05T23:17:00.000-07:00

Deep Kick Girl isn't travelling anywhere yet... but I'm hoping to soon.

Check back soon to see if we've started our fabulous adventure.