LIONS AND TIGERS AND TAXIS OH MY!!!!!

Today has been fun filled starting with Bailey and I venturing out by ourselves to one crazy experience trying to flag down a taxi. Just us two girls ventured out. We feel very safe here as people are always smiling and willing to help. Anyway, the traffic is undescribable and here comes this van right at us honking. They appeared to be security guards (or at least played the part) and they are unrolling their windows. Of course, I think we are going to be arrested for crossing the street when we weren't supposed to. Oh no, that is not the case at all. One starts screaming out the window "Oh BYOOTIFULLL Girl" I wave back and he yells, "no, not you, the young one". It was so funny. But, it freaked Bailey out enough that we hurried back to the motel. So now when we go out she thinks her dad needs to be with her. Go figure-

This afternoon it was raining and we decided to get out of the room and go to a super market so our guide writes a note to the bellman to get us a taxi with the directions on it. We get to the market fine. (four stories with the first one being a mall and the grocery store at the top. Luckily you just hold onto your cart while going up the escaltor. The fish department was interesting. Live fish that people were picking out and handling then throwing bak in the tank, eels, turtles and toads. The smell was horrible- more than I could stand. (worse than the smell of lutefish- you Norweigions know what I am talking about!) we decide to come back to the motel and an english speaking worker tells us where to stand to get a taxi.. remember that it is RAINING. We go to the designated spot, and the wait begings. A man feels sorry for us so he giave Bailey is umbrella. steve is desprately trying to flag down a taxi but they were all full. Another man who spoke a little bit of English tells us that he will help us get one and he walks out in the middle of the street with busses, cars, bikes, fruit and vegetable carts, and mopeds alll zooming by. I could not beleive my eyes!! He doesn't have any luck so he sends his friend up the street to try and find an empty taxi. (you must remember that it is still raining.) Now his friend is out in the middle of the road as people are honking and swerving to avoid hitting him. The first helper started chasing after a taxi. then someone tells us we are not standing in the right spot, so we move and the helper comes with us. He happens to have a cell phone so he called our guide and steve talked to her on the phone. She was on the other side of the city, so she couldn;t help us and tells him to wait another half and hour! By this time Bailey is about ready to have a melt down because she is wet and cold and hungry. just then, the friend up the street literally stopped a taxi by chasing after it and the taxi comes to where we are. I have never been so releived in my whole life. Our shoes and coats were soaking wet. So after 45 minutes we got a taxi and the helpers would accept no money. If it weren't for them we would still be there. Mass chaos is the only word I can use to describe it- we have laughed about the situation all afternoon. And we are so thankful to the two men that helped us. And to think that Ellie missed it all because she was asleep on my shoulder. She had a snow suit on and a blanet over the top of her so she was the only dry one. quite a day!

Everyone is doing great. We are seeing more of Ellie's personality each day. She is so cute we can hardly stand it! She has 4 teeth on the bottom, 2 on top and 2 more are coming through.

Until tomorrow-
Gretchen