Yesterday's proposed expedition to the uncharted lands of Ashdown Forest fell short of expectations.... By about 18 miles. The pursuit of those mysterious, unwinged creatures, revered for their contemplative nature, phelegmatic snorts of wisdom and known locally as Llamas, will have to wait until another day. Despite carrying enough provisions for a trip to the Gobi, all terrain buggy and an old stone urn I bought 2 weeks ago and is too heavy to lift out of the boot, we never got passed Middle Farm at Firle.

Holly seemed on good form. Very bright and cheery: greeting each chicken, duck, guinea, rabbit, and every horse, sheep, goat and small child with a warm 'hello', before quizzing them expertly in toddlerese, we were enchanted with the golden child and blissfully unaware of the impending maelstrom A & E. Much like your meal at the restaurant, I imagine, until you noticed your bag was missing.

By lunchtime, Holly's breathing had become rather laboured and the edge had been taken off our fun by your news. And so we decided to postpone our trip to prove the existence of Llamas and head back home.

And just as well we did. By 5.30 pm Holly and Teresa were speeding off to hospital in an ambulance, with me and the urn in pusuit in the car. I got back home at 11 pm. And they are still there. It's 6.20 am on Tuesday morning and I'm hoping when I get back there shortly. I'm sure her breathing will have got better and she'll be more her old self. Yesterday she got very floppy and miserable indeed.

Glad to hear nothing too awful was lost. Of course I worried about stolen passports and credit cards. I suppose this just goes to show that even in familiar places with people you know well, you just can't really be sure how safe you are. So do take care to keep yourself and stuff like your passport and 'money' as safe as possible.

Mamma has expressed a yearning for a leather sofa. It's her birthday on 23rd June. 10 camel hides should do it. Any room in Tugi's bag?

Shall sign off now and head back to the hospital. I will send another message later today. Don't worry about Holly. She's fine in hospital. Love mum.

hi george. just spent ages looking at all your fantastic pics. looks great fun. we are off out today to a llama park with holly. we will send email later and let you know what she thought of it.

hey hey!
i love the website - its amazing! (sorry... couldn't resist temptation!)

Just caught up with all your latest pictures and messages. Hard to believe that your time in UB has come to an end, but you have so much to take with you - all those wonderful smiling faces - the peekaboo - the madness of the potty room - you made those moments happen. Your head must be fit to burst with all the wonderful sights, sounds, smells and extraordinary people that have been part of your life for the last few weeks - making you one of lifes real adventurers. Love the curly post braid hair look!!! Enjoy your wine (remember 1 glass of water to every glass of wine = less painful head the next day) Lots of love to you G.....xxx : )

Hi Georgina:
I have just spoken to your Dad - I think I woke him up - and he reminded me that you were about to depart for Beijing. I have had a look at your latest website pictures from the orphanage. They reminded me of a friend in New York who has adopted a 7 year old boy from a Russian orphanage in Siberia. Moving from that environment, much like Mongolia I would imagine, to New York city, must be quite traumatic. From what you say, there appear to be adoption programmes connected to your orphanage. Have you seen a lot of that happening?
We have started seeing more of your Dad and Annette, with occasional Sunday lunches. We've had one home and away fixture so far. You will know the Snow Drop Inn in Lewes, where I understand the snow literally dropped in about 150 years ago when a serious avalanche occurred. Your Sunday lunches will be a little different where you are right now, but you'll be able to find good British food (if you still have an appetite for it) when you get to Australia. In the meantime, you have a great opportunity to develop advanced chopsticks skills.
Enjoy Beijing and China.
Love, Stephen, Marian, Tom , Jo, Kelly and Puds.

Moved to tears by orphanage photos G, must be very hard saying goodbye to such adorable looking little characters, even the difficult ones. Their bedrooms do look very bleak, what irony that the colourful playroom used to portray an image to potential adoptive parents is bereft of children!. At least there is the hope that the lucky ones will go to a better life, but how desperately sad that they were abandoned by their own parents and how can anyone possibly choose which one to adopt?
Was pleased to see finger puppets arrived just in time, hope there were enough to go round. Good luck with your next journey, time to put into practise your chinese language! LOL Lizzie XXXX

The Takhi Horse looks awfully fun. I would like to ride on it with Chilli. Maybe you can bring that very horse to Australia with you along with the snow leopard. I went online today and youre set to 'away' but im assuming its not you and its some horrid person being horrid. Oh well.

any chance of sneaking the elephant from the restaurant into your back pack for me - it looked fabulous, I can just see him sitting by my front door! Have fun - love A xxx

hey G. Sorry havent spoken in while. Glad your enjoying your time out there. You really aren't missing out anything here!

Jx