Hooray - we got the visa!

Randy just walked in the hotel room with Tyler's visa. We can leave tomorrow!

For the sake of a printer

The printer at the US Consulate is down, which means Tyler's visa didn't get printed. Which means we'll probably be delayed another day, or two. For the sake of a printer, we'd be leaving tomorrow.

Everyone woke up happy today

Perhaps it was the hot dogs and hamburgers we had for dinner last night, but I feel great today. I have an appetite for the first time in a week. In fact, not only did I eat breakfast, but I kept it all down. Hanoi is a much happier place to be when you're not dehydrated.

And as Randy said this morning, "only 48 more hours to go".

Hanoi Hillybillies

We have been doing our own laundry in the hotel room because we were losing clothes and getting other peoples through the laundry service. I lost a t shirt but got a really comfy mu mu, not a bad deal. We are coming into the home stretch and taking things a day, minute and second at a time. We are all imploding in our own special ways. Anna seems to be the most creative. We are shamelessly bribing, cajoling and filling her with all the junk food we can purchase. The locals love to see our lame attempts at parenting while Anna throws tantrums on the streets/restaurants/museums, etc. We should be wearing costumes to make it more intesting. Maybe next time we will put out a tip hat for some extra cash.

We did go to the Hanoi "zoo" the other day. I think it was 111 degrees with no breeze. The animals are in filthy concrete and steel cages and look miserable. There are really creepy and old carnival rides made for nightmares and severe head injuries. Anna decides to throw a world class fit, tyler is crying, laura and I are dripping sweat and being eaten by mosquitos and the locals (we were the only foreigners) decide that we are way more interesting than the animals. They all gathered round and stared, laughed, touched the children and other really helpful things. I decided it was not the time for a life lesson and saved the situation with 2 lolly pops, an ice cream cone and a pepsi. Amazing what a buck fifty can do. We continued throught the zoo and I saw a woman feeding wrapped taffey to the monkeys (see photo). I walked onto this scene and instinctively said "NO". The group poisoning this particular primate stopped, looked at me like a freak show and continued. I decided that I couldn't change the situation so I just documented it with photos and everyone was happy. Apparently the monkeys were accustomed to this as their cage was covered with empty wrappers.

A couple of closing thoughts/observations: cuban cigars really are the best, king size beds are perfect for a family of four, well done meat is not always a bad thing, exchanging $100 in US dollars for 1,670,000 Vietnamese is very cool, and baby poo should be considered a weapon of mass destruction. Hopefully we will be home on tuesday night.

More things we saw ...

We've actually done a lot more than shows up in the blog. Here are a few highlights -

-Water puppets. This was really cool. The puppets are in water and are operated by sticks under the water. There were puppet fisherman trying to catch fish, dragons chasing each other, a procession of dignitaries - just an amazing variety of puppets, all in the water.

- Fine arts museum. This was our favorite museum. It had an excellent collection of artwork from ancient art to modern day. We found it so interesting that the military showed up in many pieces of art. In fact, a good third of the artwork contained soldiers - fighting is such a part of their history and culture. And there was hardly anyone in the museum, so we had all the time to browse and enjoy.

- "Our restaurant". We found a great restaurant right near the hotel and it has become our spot. When we arrive the waitresses take Tyler and play with him until we're done eating. Tyler loves it! We've had eel, rabbit, crocodile, black fish (whatever that is), and lots of squid. It kind of feels like it's our own dining room.

Grandma, oh grandma, wherefore art thou grandma?

Our usually well-behaved, charming daughter departed with grandma. She's been replaced by a child who can have multiple fits in an hour. We gave up on discipline long ago, and are now just trying to indulge her and get through these last few days. If we had left this week, per our original schedule, Anna would have been fine. But, staying a full extra week is taking a toll on all of us. There's only so much to do in town, and in the hotel.

On the other hand, I had a fabulous massage this morning, at Randy's insistence. It really worked out the kinks of travel. I've decided that I'm getting one every day until we leave!

OK, just had to check in - the day got much better. Anna had a good day, and this time it was Tyler who was fussy. I'll take a fussy 7 month old over a fussy 4 year old any day!

The real reason we're here

Relief!

Finally, it's only 84 degrees - the coolest day we've had so far. I hate to brag, but I haven't sweated all day. We went down to handicraft street and shopped for the first time. (It's much better for commerce when your clients aren't dripping with sweat).

Here are some more photos of how we spent our summer vacation.

Ha Long Bay

There is good reason that Ha Long Bay is a World Heritage Site. And, this trip was first class. But first, the things that impressed us on the way. Our wonderful guide, Moon, was completely fluent in English and very knowledgeable about the country. We had one huge passenger van just for our family, and the driver didn't play chicken with the other cars. And the highway was well-paved, with not much traffic. The things you learn to appreciate.

When we arrived at the bay, we boarded a beautiful wooden junk, with only three other people on it. Then they paraded out some of the best food we've had on the entire trip - fresh prawns, stuffed crabs, stir fried squid, spring rolls. Meanwhile, we steamed thru these gorgeous rock out croppings, by a floating village, and took a dip in a quiet bay. The guide told us we could walk thru one of the caves - she didn't mention that the cave was better than Carlbad Caverns. The rock formations were fabulous and abundant, it really felt like we had entered another world.

Fantastic day!

here they are

the much anticipated photos

My parents have gone

It was with much appreciation (and some tears from Laura) that we bid farewell to our parents. They need to get back for the very special wedding of Jaya Narney. Originally, we we're going to leave first, and try to make the wedding too, but unfortunately we're still waiting for Tyler's visa.

Words can't explain how wonderful it was to have my parents here. They were like a breath of fresh air (in a stifling heat). They swept in and totally took care of the kids and us. And like us, they dropped everything and flew over with only a week's notice. Thank you, thank you.

the perks of staying in a nice hotel

You'll never guess who paraded through our hotel this morning - the Miss Universe contestants. Randy was giddy, and demanded that he hold the baby. The girls were truly gorgeous, and didn't look like they had spent two weeks touring Vietnam. In fact, they all looked like they spent two weeks in a beauty salon. Stay tuned, there's a ballroom gown photo shoot tonight.

Nothing makes you feel more ragged-looking, than 80 supermodels.

Feels like 111

I thought I'd check the Hanoi weather report just out of curiousity. Right it's 97 degrees, but "feels like 111". No wonder we're hot.

Anna has had enough

We've been gone almost two weeks now, and she's ready to go home. And we all are. It's so hot, muggy and noisy that every outing becomes part sight-seeing, part endurance contest.
As a result, we spend much of our time in our air-conditioned hotel. The other families who travelled here recently raved about Hanoi, so I'm wondering if we're perhaps missing something.

Anna has been a real trooper. She's endured endless plane rides, road trips, taxi rides. She's been really well-behaved, but she's getting grumpy and grumpier.

this aint no Chinese adoption

Well, Randy, Doug and Candace went off to the US embassy to file for the kids' visas. I wish them luck. We need a whole stack of paperwork, and we're not entirely sure we have all the right forms, as some are written in Vietnamese. This is so different from adoption in China. In China, we had a fabulous guide who was with us 24/7, she handled everything from the paperwork, to bargaining for pearls. Here, we are on our own. Our guide set up the appts., but then took off. We have to navigate ourselves and make sure we have all the right paperwork. We're relying on helpful folks who have adopted from Vietnam recently to email us directions and next steps.

Yesterday, we got Tyler's passport and medical check-up. However, getting the passport was a 45 minute ordeal, because apparently the officials couldn't find his passport, and no one spoke English. Then, we got lost getting to the medical clinic. Although we were only two blocks away, no one seemed to have heard of the clinic. After much running around, we finally found the clinic, Tyler was proclaimed officially healthy, and we were officially worn out.

Assuming that we have all the visa paperwork correct, then we just have one more appt. - the visa interview next Monday. And we take off for home on Tuesday. At last!

How I spent my summer vacation by Anna Templeton

Day 1 - Wake up. Eat a chocolate pancake and one sausage. Try to see the dead guy.
Day 2 - Wake up. Eat a chocolate pancake and one sausage. Try to see the dead guy.
Day 3 - Wake up. Eat a chocolate pancake and one sausage. Finally get to see the dead guy.

Today we finally made it to Ho Chi Minh's mauseolum and it was a great adventure. It is probably the most visted site in the country, and it's quite a production. First, the guards wouldn't let baby Tyler in, yet other babies were permitted. Go figure. Then, the guards wouldn't let Dad take his walker in, they insisted that he ride in a wheelchair instead. This turned out to be a blessing - we got to short cut the long line. Our less-than-enthusiastic escort would stop us and show us where to take photos, where to stand.Then, we got to the mausoleum, four guards came over and they carried Dad's wheelchair up all the stairs into the mausoleum. The mausoleum was really well done, it was silent, dimly lit room, with just one light shining on Ho Chi Minh. It was very reverent.

I'd post photos but Randy is out sightseeing with my mom and dad and the camera. Although it's much milder day, the kids couldn't handle any more heat, so we're camped out in the hotel air conditioning.

more hot happy Hadleys

another family shot

Hot, happy Hadleys in Hanoi

That's what we've taken to calling ourselves. (My maiden name is Hadley.) We toured the Old Quarter, or shall I say we sweated and swaggered thru the streets, dodging motorbikes and cars. We were on a 2 mile walking tour, but we bailed after about 1 1/2 miles overwhelmed by heat, noise, traffic.

Here is a photo from a more serene setting, an old temple on an island.

How long have we been here?

It feels like a century already. I believe it's been a little over one week. We're still not sure when we're coming home, but most likely this Friday or Saturday.

Two days in a row we've set out to see Ho Chi Minh lying in state, and two days we've flubbed it. Yesterday, the line was about 1/2 mile long. Today, the mausoleum is closed. So instead we went to the shopping mall - the non-air-conditioned, sweltering, tiny aisle shopping mall, where Randy bought an alarm clock with the words of a Styxx song.

Now we're sitting in our air-conditioned room - which is where we spent most of our afternoons.

Here's a clip of our happy boy.

Hot, hot, hot

Did I mention that it's Africa hot here? We go out on one sightseeing trip, and then scurry back to the hotel air conditioning. We're often dripping with sweat, staggering like zombies. In fact yesterday, we spent most of the day by the pool.

Tyler is feeling much more comfortable with us. He's much happier, and he's eating like a champ now. For a baby who's only had formula, he's ready to eat anything and everything we put in his mouth. He's eating more than Anna, (but that's not saying much!).

Oh, and the traffic. Thought you might like to see and hear it. This traffic is from a quiet side street. You should see the boulevards.

High life in Hanoi

Did I mention that we're staying in a fabulous hotel? It's kind of hard to go out sightseeing when your hotel is this nice.

Here are a few pictures from the hotel window. And us in the swimming pool. Tyler enjoys all water - hot, cold, you name it.

Yea, my folks are here!

We survived another grueling ride from Vinh back to Hanoi, just barely. We left Vinh at 7:15AM and didn't get to the hotel until 3PM. Fortunately that's the last drive we have to make.

But the great news is - my parents are here! Five flights and one taxi later, they were on the doorstep of our hotel. It's so wonderful to have them here. Here's a picture of my mom holding Tyler. We are pretty worn out and love having both a familiar face - and a familiar babysitter here! And, we have nothing to do for an entire week. Our next official appt. is next Wednesday. So, we have the whole week to spend with my parents.

Oh, on another note, we're not coming home as early as we thought, our paperwork won't be done. (Imagine our great pleasure at learning this after 7 hours in the car, with 8 people). We're hoping we'll only be a couple of extra days.

by the way

it's 3AM, the whole family is up and we're watching Indian MTV.

Some photos from today, or was that yesterday

Here are some photos from our "Giving and Receiving Ceremony". It was both touching and amusing. While the officials talked, our translators translated - every word on the form. One official ws talking on her cellphone. Then an orphanage official hands the babies to us, (we'd already had the babies for a day, so this was just a symbolic gesture.)


And some photos from the beach today.

More musings while the Internet is still working

We are in Vinh, which our guidebook describes as "an uninspiring place with just a few 'almost' attractions". We finally emerged from our jetlag fog today and feel pretty darn good. Well, almost over our jetlag -- the rest of the family was all asleep by 7 tonight. Randy has been getting up around 3 or 4AM and strolling around the city, watching it come to life.

Tyler, (I still want to call him The Duke) is pure baby. This baby is all head. He has tiny little body, but his head is so big it won't even fit in the hats we brought. Although he's seven months old, he spends most of his time eating and sleeping. I think he's probably sleeping more than usual because he's overwhelmed by all the newness - not only does have a new family who speaks a different language, he's been on a beach for the first time, in a car for the first time, in a restaurant for the first time, eaten a cracker for the first time, and the list goes on and on.

Our guide called us first thing this morning and said he'd take us to the beach. Little did we know that we'd be gone for 8 hours. But fortunately, he got us a room at a swank hotel, and we almost couldn't drag ourselves away from CNN and the air conditioning to go to the beach. The beach was a great diversion, Anna loved playing in the water.

People have been so friendly here. When we walk down the street we are quite the spectacle - 2 white people with 2 Asian kids. And Randy is usually carrying Tyler in his mini-me pouch (aka. Baby Bjorn carrier) which amuses everyone to no end. Everyone smiles and waves at us, and wants to hold the baby, or stroke Anna's cheek. It's wonderful feeling accepted and we don't mind being the daily entertainment.

Food has been a bit dissappointing - as I was expecting it to more like the culinary mecca of Thailand. Fruit is not nearly as abundant as I had hoped. There seem to be two types of resturants - hotel restaurants, or spit-on-the-floor restaurants. We've eaten in both and the food is about the same. Aside from noodle soup, I haven't really found anything that would be on a menu in a Vietnamese restaurant in the States.

I'll post some more photos as soon as I can recharge my camera.

Tomorrow, we drive 6 hours to Hanoi where we'll spend the next week. Or if traffic is bad, we'll drive 9 hours - 5 adults, 2 babies, and one 4 year old all in the same car. Wish us luck.

Introducing Tyler Duc Templeton

So sorry for the delay, I finally figured out how to get to my blog site. Now, I don't even know where to begin, there is so much to tell.

We have The Duke, and he is now officially Tyler Duc Templeton. The scene picking him up was surreal. We arrived at the orphanage after dark, after 30 or so hours of travel. (But we had it easy - the family from Arkansas who is travelling with us had travelled 40 hours already). We are taken to a dimly lit room, where we sit at a table and shake the hands of the orphanage director. A dozen or so kids we're surrounding us. Then, they hand us the wrong babies, but fortunately, we could tell from the photos which babies were ours. Then we were escorted to an outside table where we were supposed to drink beer and snacks with the orphanage director. I had a list of questions about the babies, but unfortunately didn't get real helpful answers. Except one - the babies definitely don't have a schedule, they eat and sleep whenever they want! Randy walked around and got tons of great shots of the orphanage and the other kids. The place was pretty dingy. However, the babies were well cared for - and got lots of attention. There were lots of girls and teenagers who doted on the babies. Then, as quickly as we arrived, we departed, and drove another hour to our hotel. And voila, we were a family of four.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Anna slept thru the whole orphanage trip. She woke up when we got to the hotel and I told her that she had a new baby brother. Her first comments, "he's cwoot".

Anna has been fantastic. The baby has bonded to her first. She dotes on him, entertains him, fixes his bottles, collects his toys. In fact, she wants to hold him so often, that we have to convince her that we need a turn to.

Let me post some photos and I'll do another entry shortly.

Stay tuned

Just realized that the small town where the orphanage is probably won't have a cyber cafe. So although we expect to get The Duke on Sunday (Hanoi time), we probably won't be able to post our news for a couple of days.

Oh, and thanks to my friend who noted that as the mother of The Duke, I am a duchess.

Wow!

Wow! what wonderful co-workers I have. With only a few days notice, they surprised me with a fantastic baby shower. Here I thought I was so prepared, and every time I'd open a new gift, I'd say - "Oh gosh, we need that". So, thanks to my co-workers, we are really prepared now.

Please don't feel like you need to send baby gifts - we really do have everything we need now!

Oh, and we got a call from our adoption agency, saying that after travelling for 20 hours, we are going to get in a car for 6 more hours and go straight to the orphanage. We're not wasting any time picking up The Duke.

Our bags are packed, we can count down the hours now.

Introducing Duc Minh Thu Pham

Well, after two years, and many ups and downs - we have a son waiting for us in Vietnam. Introducing Duc Minh Thu Pham. We haven't decided yet what we'll call him, so for now we're affectionally calling him "The Duke".





We've known about The Duke for several months now, but the adoption situation has been so bad in Vietnam, that we honestly didn't think that it would work out. He was born November 14, 2007, so is about 7 months now. I expect he's actually much smaller than the picture indicates.



So here's how I found out that we really did get The Duke ....


Last Friday, I was playing in the ocean at Tybee Island, when my girlfriend, Loree, said that Randy was trying to get a hold of me. I was on a long girl's weekend with 6 old friends from high school and junior high. As my girlfriends we're lined up in their beach chairs, I called Randy. When he told me we got official approval to travel, I said, "Are you sure?" Earlier last week we had also received a different "official approval to travel", which actually didn't mean we could travel. So I was bit a skeptical. When Randy finally convinced me that this was real, I said to all the girls "I'm going to Vietnam to pick up a baby" and a huge cheer erupted. And Loree immediately started crying.



At the same time, Randy was working a 24 hour shift in Olympia. So he was trying to arrange flights and visas during his job.

I got home Sunday night, and Randy had purchased tickets for Vietnam, leaving this coming Friday night. So, we've got a bit to do this week.



And this is my last week at work, for the whole summer. I'm going to take leave until Labor Day.

I hope to be able to update this blog while we travel, so you can get a first hand account of picking up "The Duke".



Vietnam, here we come!