A rock and a hard place

Well, our agency told us today that we will not be able to travel next week because they were not able to get our Consulate Appointment.  I am majorly disappointed.  Here are our 2 options:

Option 1:  The US Consulate assigned us an appointment date of Oct. 17.  Working backwards from this date, we would then be leaving on October 5.  We would have 3 days of touring in Beijing, followed by a week in Henan, where we will get Hannah Min, and then some time in Guangzhou, in the South of China, where the US Consulate is located.

PROBLEMS WITH OPTION 1: a)We will have to wait 4 weeks to travel.  b) October 1-7 is a major holiday in China, so we will be trying to visit the Great Wall and other sites in Beijing during peak tourist times.  In a country as populated as China, this is not a small detail.  c)The tail end of the trip will be during a major trade fare in Guangzhou.  Hotels are at least triple the price.  Many agencies don’t even let people travel during this time because it can be so crowded.

Option 2: The Consulate is open 1 day during the holidays, on October 6.  They will let us travel, leaving September 21, and returning October 8.  The good news is, we could meet Hannah 2 weeks earlier.

PROBLEMS WITH OPTION 2: a) The trip would have to be 3 to 4 days longer.  We are leaving D and K at home, so this is a major detail to me.  b)  We would essentially be ON OUR OWN from Oct. 1-6, without the benefit of our guide and planned excursions and activities.  I’m not sure that I am that brave. c) We will still have to pay hugely expensive hotel prices due to being in China during the holiday.

ARG!!  This is a bit difficult to swallow.  I am planning to call the Consulate myself and BEG for a late September appointment, but that is definitely a long shot.

If anyone reading this has traveled to China during China’s National Holiday, or during Guangzhou’s Canton Trade Fare, I would love to hear your input!!