We started our day off at eleven by going to the Turkish embassy to see about travel visas so that we can stop in Istanbul on our way back. Flights go through Paris, Brussels, Istanbul, Addis Ababa, and Johannesburg. Johannesburg to Atlanta is a 17 hour flight--no thanks! Addis is not really somewhere we feel comfortable stopping with the kids at this point. Brussels and Paris are out, because the kids have to have Schengen visas in order to visit, and those take a long time to obtain. So...Istanbul it is, as long as we can work it out! So far, so good. We waited for several hours at the Turkish embassy while my mother worked with the vice consul on the visas. (The Turkish embassy has been so speedy and efficient, by the way!) By the time she finished, both Godson and Shekina were asleep on me in a private waiting room.
After leaving the Turkish embassy, we went to a grocery store called City Market and then on to its adjacent food court for chicken, rice, tomatoes, potatoes, and plantains, all of which Godson and Shekina were gaga over. Godson really had a good eating day today, a big change from yesterday, our first day with him. Yesterday he wouldn't drink or eat a drop, and we had to use a medicine syringe to feed him Pedialyte like a tiny baby bird! This morning, he started his day off with baby cereal, a bottle of formula, and a Dannon fruit pouch. Way to go, Godson!
The clowning and tricks we saw with Shekina yesterday were only a flash of what was to come, and still I'm sure we haven't seen all of it. She played several tricks on me today (not in a mean-spirited way), and she loves to chatter away and laugh. She LOVED sitting in the grocery cart and getting pushed around the store by Papa Skip. She also enjoyed Madagascar 3 on tv in the hotel, flipping the channels on her own, and pretending she needed to go to the bathroom in order to flush the toilet. Koko Vickie is THRILLED that, unlike Mama Anna, Shekina seems to show a propensity for organization and neatness. Kina puts everything back in its place, folded up Godson's pjs perfectly (without being asked) this evening, straightens up our pile of shoes--wow! We are so proud of this extremely bright, conscientious young girl. We have no doubt that Godson will show us interesting personality traits as well once he is well. Right now, he mostly clings to me, cries whenever I try to put him down, and sleeps a lot. Poor G. He's getting much better though, thank goodness! Tomorrow will be an improvement from today, and so on and so on.
We spent much of our day today in traffic. I have NEVER seen anything like the traffic in Kinshasa. People follow zero rules. Drive on any side you like, cut people off, drive head on into traffic, double park, stop in the middle of an intersection...now imagine this times 12 million. That's how many people there are in Kinshasa. I've never seen such chaos. Unreal!
Well, both kids are snoring now, so I'd better snuggle down in the hotel's camouflage sheets, watch coverage of the crisis in Egypt, and call it a night. Thanks to everyone for your continued interest and support.
Sincerely,
Anna, who changed a diaper alone for the first time today and succeeded! 
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