Yanmei - 3/3

This was our last day in Lanzhou. After another peaceful night and late breakfast we packed our belongings checked out and left the hotel just before lunch. We lunched at Tuesday’s restaurant on the north side of the river – the best of the restaurants.

THomas, Vita, Steed and the driver just before leaving for the airport

After the meal and photos of Steed and the driver with Thomas and Vita, we took the long trip back to the airport for a 15:30 flight, WH2115. After thank-you and goodbyes to Steed and the driver we hung around the lounge awaiting our flight. Yanmei took the flight totally in her stride – sat in her seat, read the newspaper, ate the meal and took the whole thing just as though she was a frequent flier.

Yanmei sleeping in the bus on the way to Lanzhou airport

BLAS and Christina were waiting for us at the airport and we drove through the suburbs and centre of a dark Beijing, to our new hotel – the Crowne Plaza. This was a top-class hotel and really downtown – next to the main shopping street in Beijing.

We checked into room 544, a large corner room with plenty of space. It was getting late so we decided to take club sandwiches at the hotel restaurant, before getting a fairly early night.

Yanmei took the move from Lanzhou without any visible problems. She toddles around the room and ‘speaks’ more and more. She smiles and seems comfortable and content, making natural visual and physical contact with all three of us. She doesn’t cry – but certainly does not appreciate being washed.

NEXT DAY (4th)