Day 5 - Part II – Moving On

We were picked up at 3:00 as planned, right on time. Traffic was very congested through the old part of the city so we arrived at the SDA a few minutes past 4:00. We got out along with our driver, went again to the side door and stood in line behind one couple and a few coordinators. A few more couples trickled in behind us. About 4:40, they opened the gate and we all moved inside. About 5 minutes later, our coordinator arrived. This was a new coordinator; we had not met her before. We all introduced ourselves just as the first couple went in the office to get their paperwork. We were next and were called into a small office where a woman sat at a table with a notebook open in front of her and stacks of paper lined up on her right. She asked for our last name, pulled out our stack and verified our passports. She wrote a few things in her notebook and we signed on the right side of the page. By the X’s ya know. Done. We headed back to the car.  Robert snapped a photo of the SDA building, mainly the left side where we went in and out of the side door.  In back of the sign with the X and the down arrow, around that corner.

We waited for the head coordinator to join us as he was at the SDA filing a dossier for another family from our group (I heard it went well R!). As soon as he appeared, we headed for the train station. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at the McDonalds (yes I know, don’t say it...but it was the only thing at the train station!! And the head coordinator chose it, not me!!!). After eating, the head coordinator and the coordinator we just met went across to the station to buy tickets, they came back to McDonalds for us and then we boarded the train. Within about 10 minutes we were off. That was about 7:15 p.m. or so. Here is the inside of our compartment.

I don’t sleep well on airplanes and I found out that the same applies to trains! I read my book until about 11 and then I saw many hours on the clock thereafter. I figure I fell asleep after 2. And I was up about every hour thereafter as the train pulled in and out of stations. Robert slept fine. Imagine that...

I have another photo of Robert and me in our little compartment but after a night on the train, we really aren’t looking all that spiffy so I think I’ll spare both you and me the embarrassment!

Since I wasn’t sleeping, I thought a lot about what a trip this has been from a logistical standpoint. Bringing Alex on the trip to bring V home is going to be a trip of a lifetime, for both of us. One I will treasure forever, I'll get to spend some realy quality time with Alex. It’s going to be a hard trip but I know he’ll do fine. He’ll sleep on trains and airplanes. And he’ll just have to carry me through...sure miss him...take care of my guy Gram!