Getting There - Arriving in Qianjiang!

At this point, with all I had been through, it seemed that someone really didn't want me to end up in Qianjiang. But I wasn't about to give up now, and besides, I didn't have much of a choice. I wouldn't have been about to turn around and go back if I wanted to. There is a Chinese saying that goes "po Fu Chen zho", which translates as "smash the cauldrons and sink the boats" . It basically means the same thing as caesar's famous words Alia Iactus Est! - "the die is cast".
I was committed, and there was no way else to go but forward. I was just wondering when I was going to start making headway.

Qianjiang finally appeared to us like shangrila through the mountain mist. But this wasn't a romance movie, because as each moment passed, nerves frayed more and more between cab driver and passengers. Luckily the woman in the front had calmed down, and became our warm friends when Kay explained to her our mission. She was offering to help us and show us around town if needed.

As we approached our destination, Kay called ahead and coordinated a dropoff point. Within a few minutes driving in town we stopped and I saw the familiar face of a previous orphanage director, Mrs. Lu. She was also accompanied by another former orphanage director, Mrs. Cai.

Our Fellowship of Weary Traveler bond was broken gladly by both sides when we paid our share to the taxi driver, and he was only too happy to speed on his way with the 2 other women waving goodbye.

The mist turned to rain as we sped off in a large nice new Honda Odyssey minivan. The director told us that they had borrowed it from the local government office especially for our occasion.