The fire is heartless!!

Hi everyone,

So most of you should have got the first email saying we had landed in China all safe and accounted for. The website should now also be up and running if this first blog all goes to plan. Thanks J for all your help with the website depsite the Chinese emails - hopefully us squirlies should now have this sussed.

Ok, not all going quite to plan the Chinese lady has just been in to tell us the computers are to be shut down now. We've just managed to blag another 20 mins so this may be shorter than we had expected.

We get to Heathrow, check in and then I think nervousness and excitement sets in as we seem to be laughing at anything. Then me being me, I shout out that I can see Damon Hill standing over there. Gem has no idea what I'm talking about and starts turning round and round to see who I'm pointing at and then walks in to him!! brilliant!! a quick sorry to Mr Hill and we're off.

Fligth is boarding and we are told we've been upgraded. oh yeah!! thanks margaret!!! makes our journey much more comfortable but we dont get any sleep!!! much films, food and drinks followed by more flims, food and drinks before we land in China.

More forms to fill in at the airport - all relatively easy, get speaking to a girl called Jade - she's just arrived on our flight too and basically doing the same trip as us although the China bit is a planned tour thing and we head off to find our bags. It turns out some other girl on the flight has exactly the same bag as me. Oh dear!! I have visions of some girl taking my bag before I'm even out of the airport but all is well, both the bags are in our safe hands?? and now all we have to do is find the Chinese man with the sign.

Walk through arrivals and you are greeted with a million Chinese people all holding up name signs??? looking more unlikely that will find our man but turns out to be relatively easily. There he is in a brown hat and suit??? outside Starbucks!!! just like they said he would be. He speaks no English but me and Gem follow on.

First impressions are bizarre - its really smoggy and grey. spring is definitely not here yet and the whole city is preparing for the Olympics - construction sites are everywhere = equals small chinese men in yellow hats with spades.

I'm being kicked out!! lots more news to come. We're both a little sunburnt (sorry mums) even though it was only about 12 degrees but doing brilliantly. Back soon.

Amy & Gem
xxx