D-Day Invasion- "Strange"-ly Imminent!! TRIP REPORT IS UP!!

[All7OfUs]

That sounds more like a vacation than 10 hours at the border!!

I am glad that you are back and without any damages to anyone! I am looking forward to your report! Now: sleep well!!

Seriously, anything was better than that! I will say that the 4 days at the Lake was GREAT! Everything else on either side was in a word: difficult.

The graduation photos are uploading now, and after that, I will sleep very soundly, I know.

 

[winkers]

I'm so glad you made it home!! I've been thinking about you!

 

[All7OfUs]

I'm so glad you made it home!! I've been thinking about you!

AWww... I missed you too, Cherie! I will catch up on EVERYONE's threads over the next few days. Ugh, it's so hard to be gone for so long!

 

[jenbear123]

Hey!! So glad that you're back. I've been thinking: "I wonder where Liesa is?" I'm excited to hear about your adventures. I'm sure you need a vacation from your vacation, am I right?

 

[KatMark]

Get some sleep; we're just all happy to know that you are all safe and sound and back. We can wait for the report/photos.

 

[jenb1023]

Take your time catching up! I am still so behind! Just happy to know you are back home safe and sound!

 

[TrayRene]

Hi Maroo,

Wanted to let you know that I signed up on the Pepsi Refresh Project site and will vote for Give Kids the World every day.

 

[reelmom]

Glad you are back. I got worried for a while when we didn't hear from you. I know you told us that you would be gone for a few days and unable to post, but it still worried us. Continued prayers for your family for a smooth transition back to the states.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Liesa, welcome home!! It is sweet of you tot ake time to let us know you are all home safe and sound. AND good to know you had a chat with the kiddos in the states too.

We were praying buckets for you and sounds like at least we kept y'all alive!!!!

Very much looking forward hearling all about your travel 'adventures', shall we say?

Sleep well...talk soon!

(I am so happy you are home safe!!)

 

[Sleepingbooty]

In a nutshell "vacation" was a (small!) piece of paradise sandwiched between 2 slices of Hell.

Like liverwurst on moldy bread?

I'm so glad you're back! This place isn't the same without you! Can't wait to hear all the dets.

 

[maroo]

Hey Howdy HI!!!

Just finished dinner, and must say, that being home is the sweetest feeling E.V.E.R!!!!!


In a nutshell "vacation" was a (small!) piece of paradise sandwiched between 2 slices of Hell.

A full report coming up soon.

So glad to back ya'll!!

I promised myself I wouldn't stay up late tonight online, and get a good night's rest- for the first time in several days (if not weeks). Sleeping in fields in a car never provides a comfy sleep. But, I will start uploading to Photobucket right now. We'll see how far I get...."bulk uploader" is a crock.

Just so I don't keep you in suspense too long- the answer was:


A hiney-kicking 9 HOURS!

We basically spent the night sitting in the car on the Kyrgyz side, and another long spell on the sidewalk on the other. Thus, we are a day late arriving home.

A HUGE thank you to all who prayed for us, and for all your banter and well wishes while I was gone. I went back a ways, but got to a point that said STOP, so I did. To be honest, I feel overwhelmed at responding to all while I was gone, so just know that I read what I was allowed to, and nothing more.

So, I'll pick it up from here.

THANK GOODNESS!!

I am so, so glad to see you!!!



And Lauren and Lisa and all of them said to say hello and that they have been praying for you!

 

[maroo]

Hi Maroo,

Wanted to let you know that I signed up on the Pepsi Refresh Project site and will vote for Give Kids the World every day.

Thank you!!!!

 

[If U Had Wings]

Welcome back!!

 

[englishrose47]

My guess is 9 hours

Seriously welcome back Liessa you were missed !!!

 

[KatMark]

My guess is 9 hours

 

[JPFamilyMom]

welcome back

 

[All7OfUs]

***First off- A HUGE thanks to Glennbo who has my back covered in clever titles. I'm an "empty" writer these days.

Today was the day!!! The day we’d set out on yet another 1,800+ road trip. We’re always excited at the onset, but we should have clued in early on that this would be like no trip we’d ever taken before. If the problems with getting our passports would be any indication of the timbre of this journey, then we were in for some rough road ahead (pun very much intended).

12:00 PM came and went. Those elusive passports and visas of ours did not show up. 1:00,.., 2:00…, nope. We gave a call to the courier company, and were told they did not make it onto the first flight; “They’re on the afternoon flight”, we are told. That lands at 4:00. Surely we’d have them by 5:00. Wrong. 6:00? Nope. 6:45 PM they arrive at the door, and like a herd of turtles with ants in their pants we squish into the van and begin our long slog across the wide open steppe.

WDW vs. Driving across Central Asia: No visa necessary.

We had 20 hours in which to do a, what would normally take 16, trek. That would need to include some rest for the lone driver, and of course several pit stops and snack breaks. Could we do it?? What kind of heroic efforts would it take to accomplish something so totally insane?

As the kilometers and hours wore on, it became painfully obvious that this trip was going to take FAR longer than the usual 16 hours. One reason, in fact the main one, was this:

WDW vs. Driving across Central Asia: Yes, my flight could be delayed. 20 hours, not likely.

Construction on the new highway that will stretch from Eastern Europe to Western China (funded by the UN) kept shunting us off the existing road that can, at places, cease to be called a road at all. Avoiding the pot holes, or simply bracing oneself for the too frequent, but unavoidable, bone crushing jolts from crashing into them, was the name of the game.

WDW vs. Driving across Central Asia: Turbulence could happen, but is unlikely to re-arrange my insides.

The sun set around 10:30, and we were treated to a gorgeous sunset behind us- a blessing because that meant the sun was not in our eyes the last hours of driving.

From 7:00 until 2:00 AM we drove. When the driver (and passengers) could take no more, we pulled off in a wheat field to find what sleep we could. About the time the sun was casting a rosy glow over the Eastern horizon (the sun will now be in our eyes for several driving hours) the driver got cold and uncomfortable, so got up, and got us going again. We had caught a total of 2 hours of cramp-inducing “rest”

WDW vs. Driving across Central Asia: No sleeping in a wheat field, no cows to compete for space, and a pillow under one’s head.

The kids, as usual, are unfazed by this sort of insanity; in fact, it is odd how completely immune to circumstances most adults would consider utterly discomforting and stressful they are. See?

WDW vs. Driving across Central Asia: NO KIDS!!!! No, “I have to go to the bathroom.”

There were a few things occasionally to keep us entertained along the way:

We never get tired of seeing the variety of yurts…

The kids LOVE to count the cars on the passing trains (still!)…

And where the highway briefly ducks into Kyrgyz territory is always an exciting thing…

And who doesn’t love a herd of sheep or cows driven by a bona fide shepherd?

19 hours later, about 2:00, we knew for sure we’d be missing the awards ceremony we were shooting for at Andrew’s school. We texted him to say that we’d make it in time for the picnic afterwards around 4:30- which ended up being just peachy. Andrew didn’t win any awards, so we were totally ok with doing the best we could have done in grueling circumstances. The last stop we made about an hour outside of the city was to “freshen up”. That , is a term I use loosely, since we had slept in the car, not seen water to wash for over 20 hours, and had completely skipped dinner, breakfast and lunch – 3 meals that consisted of cookies, chips, juice boxes and almonds. We put on new clothes from our suitcases, washed our faces with the drinking water, and threw on a layer of deodorant. I mean, who wants to give a stinking first impression to their son’s classmates and their parents having never met most before?!

WDW vs. Driving across Central Asia: I still have to use deodorant.

Just before loading back up, Zachy spied this amazing creature. Prophetic warning of things yet to come?? You be the judge.

Next up… That’s One Small Steppe for (a) Man

 

[jordanyosh]

I LOVE driving, but that drive would've been the death of me.....

 

[Flossbolna]

If the circumstances weren't so bad for this trip, I would say what an interesting journey. I love the pictures, especially the one with the sunset!

Your kids soud like great travel companions! But I guess they got it from their parents - both of you must have quite a taste for adventure and the ability to tolerate difficult situations. Otherwise you most likely would never have chosen to go to Blankistan. They just aren't as tired of it as you are.

 

[All7OfUs]

I LOVE driving, but that drive would've been the death of me.....

Driving on road trips is actually pretty fun, given REAL mini-marts along the way, bathrooms other than trees (or sometimes not), and paved roads.

If the circumstances weren't so bad for this trip, I would say what an interesting journey. I love the pictures, especially the one with the sunset!

Your kids soud like great travel companions! But I guess they got it from their parents - both of you must have quite a taste for adventure and the ability to tolerate difficult situations. Otherwise you most likely would never have chosen to go to Blankistan. They just aren't as tired of it as you are.

To be honest, the things we saw ARE very interesting, but they are far apart. The majority of the scenery is just wide open, empty space. If the road hadn't have been so bumpy, I could have done a lot more writing and such.

Our kids ARE amazing travelers. The really seem to take circumstances in stride, and just deal with stuff. Then again, they don't understand that at any time along the road, corrupt or mis-informed police could throw us in jail at any "just because". There is a true-life horror story coming up in the segment later on about our border crossing. Think the movie "Terminal".