Monday 18th

I am currently sitting at an internet cafe while Kolya is bored to tears. He is walking around in circles doing big sighs in my ears. He is now tired of his Leapster and he does not know how to use the internet so has nothing to keep him busy. We left the Liverpool hotel at 7:30 am and drove to some official office to get an official stamp on Kolya's official papers. This took a bribe of $50. We then arrived at the passport office at 8:15 am and the office did not open until 9 am and the nice lady who got $450 did not get to work until 9:20 am. By 10:00 we had Kolya's passport. We then head straight to the airport, which only has one gate, and purchase flights to Kyiv for $300. The man refused to take my Visa so I am now down to 550 grivna to my name and still need to pay the driver for the day. I tried to explain to Edward I need to hit a bank before getting on the plane if I am to pay the driver. Knowing him, it will be a last minute thing and I will be running for my flight. The next flight to Kyiv is at 3:45 pm. It beats the overnight train ride for 12 hours! If we can get a physical done by a Ukrainian doctor today then I can be at the US Embassy tomorrow when they open, but those chances are slim as I don't think any doctor will get us in today. So most likely, he will have his "exam" tomorrow and I will go to the embassy and the paperwork will be finished on Wednesday and I fly out Thursday am. I put "exam" in paranthesis as the doctor reads the report from the orphanage and "maybe" listens to his chest then asks for $350 and stamps his papers. Edward calls this a formality. I am guessing he does not take Visa either.
Then the US embassy takes my money also and we get to fly home for approximately $3000.00. This trip is beyond expensive. Don't get me wrong, it is very worth it, but the last time this much money flowed out of my pocket I was signing the mortgage papers on our house!
Today as we were driving to the passport office Kolya started to hyperventilate and turn green. I asked Edward to ask him if he felt bad and felt like throwing up. It was a double yes answer. I told Edward if Alexi did not want to clean up puke from the inside of his car he had better pull over. Edward and Alexi told him to open the window and hang his head out. Nice. It took about 45 minutes after we arrived at the passport office for Kolya's color to come back. Either the boiled chicken wasn't sitting well in his tummy or he had a case of the nerves. Of course the obvious choice is Alexi's driving. It is enough to make anyone want to puke!
We had dinner last night with the Matthews, the Parish's from Indiana and another couple from Minnasota. All three met at the orphange as the SDA is now sending all the Americans (it seems) to that orphanage. It was a great meal with wonderful company. Later Dan, Joyce, me and the Parish's all sat in a 100 degree (have I mentioned how hot and humid it is here? I thought so)hotel room and watched the footage we had taken on our camcorders. I had the goodbye party film and the 2 couples could not believe how nice Kolya's orphanage was compared to the one their girls are at. Their orphanage does not get as many cash donations and is run down. I know Dan wants a copy and so I plan on making copies incase anyone else wants them. I know the Field's and Garrett's will as their girls are in it.
Well Kolya is threatening to push all sorts of keys on this computer if I do not get off. I think I will have my hands full today with a bored child. Time to get some paper and encourage him to draw, he loves that!
See you all soon! Wendy and Kolya