Today we were sworn in today on behalf of Isabela. As soon as she gets her stamp on her passport on US soil, she will be a citizen. She was also honored today by the chief of the consulate for having her birthday yesterday. We are all packed and ready to come home. It's 11:30 PM now here, and our wakeup call is at 4:15. Better get to bed...
Thank you all for following our blog, and if you didn't send us an email or post a comment, please do so so that we know who all was following the blog.
Ray, Leslie and Isabela
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Day 12 - Isabela's First Birthday
What a great day! We spent the day relaxing but we did take a walk to the market shopping area, AGAIN. We are now wondering how we are going to pack all of our purchases. Ray and I never have a problem finding things to buy. Ha! The other day our guide Alyson took us to a mall to purchase pearls but with 45+ people it was difficult to look and decide what to buy so we went back today when is was less confusing.
After dinner, we invited all of the families to the hotel dining area for birthday cake. Alyson made arrangements with the hotel yesterday. Isabela had fallen asleep at dinner. We weren't surprised since she only napped for 30 minutes today. I know they say you are never to wake a sleeping baby but we did. She was happy after she saw her big birthday cakes. Daddy bought her the cake with the heart and pink flowers. It was delicious, a sort of sponge cake with very creamy icing. Everyone was very happy to attend and they all loved her birthday dress. The camera flashes were going off like crazy. You would have thought she was famous or royalty.
Tomorrow is our last full day in China. Stay tuned.
After dinner, we invited all of the families to the hotel dining area for birthday cake. Alyson made arrangements with the hotel yesterday. Isabela had fallen asleep at dinner. We weren't surprised since she only napped for 30 minutes today. I know they say you are never to wake a sleeping baby but we did. She was happy after she saw her big birthday cakes. Daddy bought her the cake with the heart and pink flowers. It was delicious, a sort of sponge cake with very creamy icing. Everyone was very happy to attend and they all loved her birthday dress. The camera flashes were going off like crazy. You would have thought she was famous or royalty.
Tomorrow is our last full day in China. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Day 11 - Rest & Presents
Today was a low key day. Isabela and I got caught up on some much needed rest. Ray went shopping across the river to the market district. He brought back gifts for both his girls, including a couple nice dresses for Isabela when she gets older and a fashionable pair of pink cowboy boots. In the afternoon, we took the babies over to the White Swan Hotel for a photo shoot. The White Swan is another very popular hotel that supports families adopting children. We had the option to stay at either hotel. We think we made the right choice staying at the Victory. The other place has a nice lobby, play room, and a great view of the Pearl River but the rooms are a lot smaller and no internet access. Couldn't live without that!
We have a great video and some pics posted of the girls on the famous Red Sofa. All the families get their photos taken here while in Guangzhou. Isabela in on the end in a chinese pink tu-tu and a pink barrett. She was good and didn't cry. She shows her feelings on her face and has many expressions. She is much more active than the other girls.
We have some pics attached of Isabela with the waitresses from La Dolce Vita. They can't leave her be when we're there. They want to hold her, feed her, and play with her. Isabela seems to have that effect on people everywhere we go, as you may have noticed in some of our pictures.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's post, it's Isabela 1st birthday. Our guide Allison made arrangements with the hotel to deliver a birthday cake to our room for tomorrow as a surprise to us. It came in a beautiful box with a card, candles, and plates attached. We can't wait to open it. Daddy is also getting her a special cake from a bakery he found across the river. We want to have enough cake for the entire group because we're going to have a little party tomorrow after dinner at the hotel.
Below our image slideshow is a short clip of us trying to get a picture of 9 baby girls on a couch at one time. Quite entertaining to watch the action.
We have a great video and some pics posted of the girls on the famous Red Sofa. All the families get their photos taken here while in Guangzhou. Isabela in on the end in a chinese pink tu-tu and a pink barrett. She was good and didn't cry. She shows her feelings on her face and has many expressions. She is much more active than the other girls.
We have some pics attached of Isabela with the waitresses from La Dolce Vita. They can't leave her be when we're there. They want to hold her, feed her, and play with her. Isabela seems to have that effect on people everywhere we go, as you may have noticed in some of our pictures.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's post, it's Isabela 1st birthday. Our guide Allison made arrangements with the hotel to deliver a birthday cake to our room for tomorrow as a surprise to us. It came in a beautiful box with a card, candles, and plates attached. We can't wait to open it. Daddy is also getting her a special cake from a bakery he found across the river. We want to have enough cake for the entire group because we're going to have a little party tomorrow after dinner at the hotel.
Below our image slideshow is a short clip of us trying to get a picture of 9 baby girls on a couch at one time. Quite entertaining to watch the action.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Day 10 - Shopping at the Market
Monday was our big shopping day. We headed out with our group but took a taxi back to the hotel so that we could stay several hours longer. You'll see in the pics how busy the streets are at the market district. It was a sea of people and the shops were very close together. We got good merchandise. We had lunch at McDonalds. Isabela likes to go shopping and is very patient. She learned today to sleep in her new stroller. What a great help that will be.
Emma, the little girl in the pic looking over the seat, is 4 years old. She was helping me make my shopping list on the way to the market. She is as smart as a whip. She can even spell.
I wanted to also mention that Chinese New Years is approaching. The Chinese Lunar Calendar is 2,640 years older than ours and never begins on January 1st, nor does it begin on the same date each year. It can begin any time between January 21st and February 18th, depending on the date of the New Moon in Aquarius. Each year is named for an animal. Every 12 years this cycle begins again. The Chinese say that the animal ruling the year you were born will influence your life. In 2009, Chinese New Year begins January 26th and will be the year of the Ox. The streets are filled with red lanterns, paper dragons, and lots of mandarin orange trees. The trees symbolize good luck for the new year. Isabela, born at the beginning of 2008, is the year of the Pig.
Although we have met alot of new friends, we very much miss our friends and family from home and would love to hear from you if you are reading our blog.
Emma, the little girl in the pic looking over the seat, is 4 years old. She was helping me make my shopping list on the way to the market. She is as smart as a whip. She can even spell.
I wanted to also mention that Chinese New Years is approaching. The Chinese Lunar Calendar is 2,640 years older than ours and never begins on January 1st, nor does it begin on the same date each year. It can begin any time between January 21st and February 18th, depending on the date of the New Moon in Aquarius. Each year is named for an animal. Every 12 years this cycle begins again. The Chinese say that the animal ruling the year you were born will influence your life. In 2009, Chinese New Year begins January 26th and will be the year of the Ox. The streets are filled with red lanterns, paper dragons, and lots of mandarin orange trees. The trees symbolize good luck for the new year. Isabela, born at the beginning of 2008, is the year of the Pig.
Although we have met alot of new friends, we very much miss our friends and family from home and would love to hear from you if you are reading our blog.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Day 9 - Church and Zoo
Isabela almost sat through her first church service. Her new name is squirm-worm. We thanked god for our precious new baby girl and a safe journey home. She is very active and likes to be busy when she's awake. I'm thankful she sleeps through the night and naps regularly because when she is awake Ray and I are hustling. As Ray and Isabela were outside of the church waiting for the service to finish, Ray met a lovely young girl named Charity (see pic below). Charity wants to be Isabela's pen-pal in the U.S. Isabela is quite a charmer, everyone wants to be her friend and hold her. The shop owners give her lots of little free toys. I'm sure they would like us to buy something, but still a sweet gesture.
The little boy in the pic is Isaiah. He has been through a lot in his young life. He has known his adoptive parents for over a year through email and telephone and has kept their pic under his pillow. His English is superb. He has the greatest personality. He also has a great story, but out of respect to his family, we won't post it. Make sure to ask us about it and we will gladly tell you. Warning - It's a tear jerker.
We visited the Guangzhou Zoo today. It was a little smelly but aren't they all for the most part? Isabela had her first ice cream cone and loved it. She has never had anything cold before so it was a new experience for her. In the orphanage, the bottles are prepared with scalding hot water and formula. We were sure it would burn her mouth but somehow it doesn't. In fact, the babies won't drink it unless it's very hot. It took us a while to feel comfortable with giving her the hot formula.
One of our new things today are playing peek-a-boo. The funny thing is, she does the peek-a-boo not us. She puts a towel or shirt over her head then pulls it off and laughs. She also loves when we summersalt her backwards and forward on the bed, she just cracks up laughing and wants more. The first night we gave her a bath, and she did not like it. But now she loves it. She splashes the whole time, and even loves it when we pour water over her head and across her face. She was very active today and really didn't get a good nap in. But even though she was up at 6 AM, she made it all the way to 9 PM.
The little boy in the pic is Isaiah. He has been through a lot in his young life. He has known his adoptive parents for over a year through email and telephone and has kept their pic under his pillow. His English is superb. He has the greatest personality. He also has a great story, but out of respect to his family, we won't post it. Make sure to ask us about it and we will gladly tell you. Warning - It's a tear jerker.
We visited the Guangzhou Zoo today. It was a little smelly but aren't they all for the most part? Isabela had her first ice cream cone and loved it. She has never had anything cold before so it was a new experience for her. In the orphanage, the bottles are prepared with scalding hot water and formula. We were sure it would burn her mouth but somehow it doesn't. In fact, the babies won't drink it unless it's very hot. It took us a while to feel comfortable with giving her the hot formula.
One of our new things today are playing peek-a-boo. The funny thing is, she does the peek-a-boo not us. She puts a towel or shirt over her head then pulls it off and laughs. She also loves when we summersalt her backwards and forward on the bed, she just cracks up laughing and wants more. The first night we gave her a bath, and she did not like it. But now she loves it. She splashes the whole time, and even loves it when we pour water over her head and across her face. She was very active today and really didn't get a good nap in. But even though she was up at 6 AM, she made it all the way to 9 PM.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Day 7 & 8 This and That
It's now Saturday, January 17th. Friday we had one offical appointment then we just toodled around. We took some of the other families to the market district to browse. Ray was our tour guide. We really got to see some Chinese culture, how they live from day to day. It was very crowded and busy. You can find just about anything from pipe fittings to pearls. I (Leslie) had some problems with the smell and dust in the air. We passed a dental office on our route. It was open-door, meaning, there was no door and wide open to the outside. So glad Ray decided to crack his tooth BEFORE we came to China. This part of the province is very different from the part we are staying at. Our area is clean, new, with flora and fona, very nice shops, and good restaurants, no litter. In fact, the Italian restaurant is the best Italian food I've ever had, honestly.
Today (Saturday) we took Isabela for her passport photo and mandatory medical exam. The Doctor said "very good". She is 21.8 lbs and 28 inches. Both places were within walking distance not far from our hotel. The medical facility was very clean and professional. The nurses wear pink uniforms. The entire group of 15 families went but surprisingly, it didn't take very long. We have more paperwork to complete this afternoon. This has become my job since Ray is not a fan of paperwork.
Isabela is progressing daily. She eats like a champ! Now standing, crawling, sitting by herself, holding her bottle. It won't be long before she is walking. We bought some new outfits today. There are shops on every street. It's hard to resist all the baby clothes.
Today (Saturday) we took Isabela for her passport photo and mandatory medical exam. The Doctor said "very good". She is 21.8 lbs and 28 inches. Both places were within walking distance not far from our hotel. The medical facility was very clean and professional. The nurses wear pink uniforms. The entire group of 15 families went but surprisingly, it didn't take very long. We have more paperwork to complete this afternoon. This has become my job since Ray is not a fan of paperwork.
Isabela is progressing daily. She eats like a champ! Now standing, crawling, sitting by herself, holding her bottle. It won't be long before she is walking. We bought some new outfits today. There are shops on every street. It's hard to resist all the baby clothes.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Day 6 - Chen Temple and Yuntai Botanical Garden
Back on the bus at 9:00 a.m. It was about 20 minutes to the temple, just enough time for Isabela to fall asleep to be awaken again. With the appointments and tours, it's difficult to keep her on a schedule. She is a good sleeper so Ray and I have been getting our rest which is a good things because when we're awake we're on duty.
More Chinese food for lunch today, actually it was Cantonese food. It was good but Chinese everyday is not our cup of tea. We welcomed the pizza dinner last night.
Isabela is learning new things from us and we from her everyday. She is a delight to care for. All the families and children our adjusting wonderfully. We, the families, get a lot of attention everywhere we go from the Chinese people, young and old. They stop, look, laugh, and express their happiness.
That'll probably be all for today. We are on our own for dinner tonight, and will probably have Italian food at a restaurant that another family visited yesterday for lunch.
Just got back from dinner. The name of the restaurant was La Dolce Vita. When we walked in, there was a big stone wood fired pizza oven on the left, a burly Italian dude with a pizza paddle in his hand, yelling something in Italian to the guy in the other room. Then a third Italian guy comes out and joins the conversation. The pizza was some of the best ever. And the homemade Gelato was awesome. I have to say that this was more authentic Italian than I've had anywhere in Pittsburgh!!! We loved it and will go back at least once or twice more.
Hope the weather isn't too bad at home ;-)
More Chinese food for lunch today, actually it was Cantonese food. It was good but Chinese everyday is not our cup of tea. We welcomed the pizza dinner last night.
Isabela is learning new things from us and we from her everyday. She is a delight to care for. All the families and children our adjusting wonderfully. We, the families, get a lot of attention everywhere we go from the Chinese people, young and old. They stop, look, laugh, and express their happiness.
That'll probably be all for today. We are on our own for dinner tonight, and will probably have Italian food at a restaurant that another family visited yesterday for lunch.
Just got back from dinner. The name of the restaurant was La Dolce Vita. When we walked in, there was a big stone wood fired pizza oven on the left, a burly Italian dude with a pizza paddle in his hand, yelling something in Italian to the guy in the other room. Then a third Italian guy comes out and joins the conversation. The pizza was some of the best ever. And the homemade Gelato was awesome. I have to say that this was more authentic Italian than I've had anywhere in Pittsburgh!!! We loved it and will go back at least once or twice more.
Hope the weather isn't too bad at home ;-)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Day 5 - Apply for Passport
Wednesday, another nice, sunny day. Not much happening today. We had an appointment to apply for the Isabela's passport. When we travel to these appointments we are transported by a private bus, which our adoption agency pre-scheduled and pre-paid. The bus is nice and gives us the opportunity to sight-see. We don't have to take a taxi unless we want to go to the Carrefour(Similar to Target)ourselves. By the way, the Carrefour is our least favorite place. It is crazy with people bustling back and forth. Fortunately, we don't have to go there very often. The language hasn't really been a problem, thanks to our guide Alison. If she weren't here that would be a different story. Most of the people speak English. Alison is with our adoption agency, she is Chinese and lives in China with her husband and two children. She is a lovely person and excellent at her job. Dealing with 15 families, who are foreigners, adopting children, half are first time parents, makes her an angel. What a rewarding job she has.
We also went to the park/playground. There was a very nice, young couple in the park having their wedding photos taken. Their professional photographer asked Ray and I for our permission to take a family photo, we agreed as you will see in the pics. There are many brides and grooms in the parks getting their pics taken. The brides are all beautiful.
Isabela is training Ray and I quickly to her schedule. Parenting teaches you patience and most of you know that for me (Leslie), that's an accomplishment. Ha! She has a wonderful way of relaxing me and making me feel calm, again if you know me, also an achievement.
We also went to the park/playground. There was a very nice, young couple in the park having their wedding photos taken. Their professional photographer asked Ray and I for our permission to take a family photo, we agreed as you will see in the pics. There are many brides and grooms in the parks getting their pics taken. The brides are all beautiful.
Isabela is training Ray and I quickly to her schedule. Parenting teaches you patience and most of you know that for me (Leslie), that's an accomplishment. Ha! She has a wonderful way of relaxing me and making me feel calm, again if you know me, also an achievement.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Day 4 - Adoption Is Official
It's Tuesday. Isabela slept through the entire night, woke up this morning around 6:30 a.m. Ray and I were up every hour of the night to check on her. I was so glad to see her in her crib and that it wasn't a dream. The "parent instinct" developes quickly. This morning we traveled back to the Civil Affairs office to finalize the adoption of Isabela. We promised to love her, educate her, and never mistreat her - obviously. After our naps, we are off to the park and to shop for baby clothes and shoes.
A few things we're learning about Isabela. She loves to watch everything happening around her. She is very pleasant and loves to be held and cuddled. She is bonding with Ray and I equally. She is not walking yet. Has two teeth on the bottom and several on the top. Today she has become more interested in her toys. She does not like to get a bath or have her clothes changed, she cries. We're working with the formula. She loves apple juice and congee (Google it!!!). She likes to suck on her middle and ring finger and likes to cross her fingers upside down.
Wanna see one of our videos of Isabela?
A few things we're learning about Isabela. She loves to watch everything happening around her. She is very pleasant and loves to be held and cuddled. She is bonding with Ray and I equally. She is not walking yet. Has two teeth on the bottom and several on the top. Today she has become more interested in her toys. She does not like to get a bath or have her clothes changed, she cries. We're working with the formula. She loves apple juice and congee (Google it!!!). She likes to suck on her middle and ring finger and likes to cross her fingers upside down.
Wanna see one of our videos of Isabela?
Monday, January 12, 2009
Day 3 - "Gotcha Day"
Currently it's 1:15 PM and we have to meet at 2 PM for our 20 minute bus trip to the Civil Affairs office to get Isabela. I got up at 5 AM and Leslie was up by 6. Very tough to sleep with the excitement and anticipation. We walked and walked today. Shopped, talked to many, many super friendly Chinese people. They stop you on the street to ask you where you are from and to just talk. They are so nice. They are very happy that American families are here to adopt children.
Gonna drop off the net for now, but the next time I type it will be with our new daughter in our room :-)
The Chinese Legend of the Red Thread
"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but never break."
When the Chinese match parents with children, they have certain individuals who get in a room and use the Red Thread to determine which child should be with which parents.
The Pader Legend of the Orange Wardrobes
When I got up in the morning, I was looking through my wardrobe, and for once in my life, it was clear what I was supposed to wear - Orange. I had a pair of socks with orange stripes, and an orange shirt in my hand and said to Leslie, "Isabela wants me to wear orange today".
We left the hotel on a bus at 2:30 today. After a 30 minute drive, we arrived at the Adoption Center for Quangdong Province. We were in a huge room with maybe 30 other couples from around the world (not all in our group). At one end of the room were elevators, and 1/3 of the way around the room from the elevators was a side room with a curtain over the archway. The nannys would bring in the babies from the elevator, and rush across the side of the room to the curtained off room. We watched as numerous babies were scurried across that trek to that room as almost every parent in the room was watching and wondering, "Is that my baby?".
The curtain parted, and someone forgot to put it back. Both Leslie and I were staring across maybe 50 feet at a little girl sitting in the corner of that room, in an orange outfit. We both thought "Wouldn't it be very interesting that after my orange wardrobe thing this morning if that was Isabela?" It sure looked like her, and we were fairly certain that it was. It would have been quite a coincidence as there were maybe 30 other babies in that room, and what were the chances that she was the only baby in our direct line of site, and that she had orange on.
We were one of the first families to be called, and sure enough, there is baby Isabela, in her orange outfit!!!!
And thus goes the Pader Legend of the Orange Wardrobes.
After maybe 2 hours, we were back on the bus and back to the hotel. We had 15 minutes to regroup in our room and then head out to dinner. Dinner was maybe a half mile walk to a Chinese Family Style Restaurant. Very good, and very interesting as there were so many new family members at the table. Talk about a crash course in everything baby!!!
Isabela was very good and very patient at the Civil Affairs Office. We entertain her by letting her look into the mirror. Then she was clucking because we were chewing gum, likes to imitate us. She also likes to be held. Isabela is always watching everything and listening to everything. When other babies are crying, she is watching them, until a bird goes by, or a waitress walks past. She doesn't like the sound of a chair sliding across the floor, but she loves our music. We weren't quite prepared for the whole food thing, and we were told that the babies were very picky as to what they ate, but she ate almost anything that we gave her. The only times we heard her cry were for 20 seconds, twice when the chairs were slid across the floor making an aweful sound, and the whole time she was sitting in the bathtub getting a quick bath. Very quick!!! ;-)
She fell asleep on my chest in maybe 10 minutes at 7:40 while I hummed to her, and it is 5 AM now and she has slept all night. Although I can't say the same for us. Although she hasn't made a peep all night, aside from the sucking on her finger noises, we were up countless times just to look at her. We are amazed at how much she has taken to both of us in less than half a day. I'm reminded of a quote from the movie "Where the Heart Is" - "How can you love someone so much that you've just met". Well, we don't know the answer to the question, but we now know what it feels like to ponder the question.
So, here are some pictures of our first moments with Isabela.
Gonna drop off the net for now, but the next time I type it will be with our new daughter in our room :-)
The Chinese Legend of the Red Thread
"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but never break."
When the Chinese match parents with children, they have certain individuals who get in a room and use the Red Thread to determine which child should be with which parents.
The Pader Legend of the Orange Wardrobes
When I got up in the morning, I was looking through my wardrobe, and for once in my life, it was clear what I was supposed to wear - Orange. I had a pair of socks with orange stripes, and an orange shirt in my hand and said to Leslie, "Isabela wants me to wear orange today".
We left the hotel on a bus at 2:30 today. After a 30 minute drive, we arrived at the Adoption Center for Quangdong Province. We were in a huge room with maybe 30 other couples from around the world (not all in our group). At one end of the room were elevators, and 1/3 of the way around the room from the elevators was a side room with a curtain over the archway. The nannys would bring in the babies from the elevator, and rush across the side of the room to the curtained off room. We watched as numerous babies were scurried across that trek to that room as almost every parent in the room was watching and wondering, "Is that my baby?".
The curtain parted, and someone forgot to put it back. Both Leslie and I were staring across maybe 50 feet at a little girl sitting in the corner of that room, in an orange outfit. We both thought "Wouldn't it be very interesting that after my orange wardrobe thing this morning if that was Isabela?" It sure looked like her, and we were fairly certain that it was. It would have been quite a coincidence as there were maybe 30 other babies in that room, and what were the chances that she was the only baby in our direct line of site, and that she had orange on.
We were one of the first families to be called, and sure enough, there is baby Isabela, in her orange outfit!!!!
And thus goes the Pader Legend of the Orange Wardrobes.
After maybe 2 hours, we were back on the bus and back to the hotel. We had 15 minutes to regroup in our room and then head out to dinner. Dinner was maybe a half mile walk to a Chinese Family Style Restaurant. Very good, and very interesting as there were so many new family members at the table. Talk about a crash course in everything baby!!!
Isabela was very good and very patient at the Civil Affairs Office. We entertain her by letting her look into the mirror. Then she was clucking because we were chewing gum, likes to imitate us. She also likes to be held. Isabela is always watching everything and listening to everything. When other babies are crying, she is watching them, until a bird goes by, or a waitress walks past. She doesn't like the sound of a chair sliding across the floor, but she loves our music. We weren't quite prepared for the whole food thing, and we were told that the babies were very picky as to what they ate, but she ate almost anything that we gave her. The only times we heard her cry were for 20 seconds, twice when the chairs were slid across the floor making an aweful sound, and the whole time she was sitting in the bathtub getting a quick bath. Very quick!!! ;-)
She fell asleep on my chest in maybe 10 minutes at 7:40 while I hummed to her, and it is 5 AM now and she has slept all night. Although I can't say the same for us. Although she hasn't made a peep all night, aside from the sucking on her finger noises, we were up countless times just to look at her. We are amazed at how much she has taken to both of us in less than half a day. I'm reminded of a quote from the movie "Where the Heart Is" - "How can you love someone so much that you've just met". Well, we don't know the answer to the question, but we now know what it feels like to ponder the question.
So, here are some pictures of our first moments with Isabela.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Day 2 - Walking, Shopping, & Massage
Today we were on our own to do whatever we want. We walked around our hotel area a little and did some shopping, then we crossed the river and walked through a wholesale food district - which had some very strange things like dried seahorses, dried baby stingrays, tiger claws, tiger feet, and so much strange stuff that we had no idea what it was.
We then walked back near our hotel and found a Chinese Spa. We both got 2.5 hr foot, back and body massages, which included an herbal foot soak. Total cost was about $18 USD each. Can't beat that. It was awesome. Now I'm ruined forever. Not sure I could bear to pay $60 for an hour back in the US.
We met up with our group for the first time around 5 and went to dinner at a place called Lucy's. It was just ok, not very good. More like a touristy restaurant. After that we took a taxi to the Carrefour. It's like a Macy's level Walmart. Cost was 11 RMB to get there and 9 to get back. At our hotel we exchange $1 for 6.5 RMB (Chinese Yuan). We really didn't see anything we wanted at the Carrefour and just headed back to the hotel for the night.
Tomorrow (Monday) is what they call "Gotcha Day". We will be meeting and bringing back to our hotel Isabela at around 2:30 PM our time (Which is 13 hours ahead of US Eastern Time). We are extremely excited and inpatient for the big moment.
Some pictures below...
We then walked back near our hotel and found a Chinese Spa. We both got 2.5 hr foot, back and body massages, which included an herbal foot soak. Total cost was about $18 USD each. Can't beat that. It was awesome. Now I'm ruined forever. Not sure I could bear to pay $60 for an hour back in the US.
We met up with our group for the first time around 5 and went to dinner at a place called Lucy's. It was just ok, not very good. More like a touristy restaurant. After that we took a taxi to the Carrefour. It's like a Macy's level Walmart. Cost was 11 RMB to get there and 9 to get back. At our hotel we exchange $1 for 6.5 RMB (Chinese Yuan). We really didn't see anything we wanted at the Carrefour and just headed back to the hotel for the night.
Tomorrow (Monday) is what they call "Gotcha Day". We will be meeting and bringing back to our hotel Isabela at around 2:30 PM our time (Which is 13 hours ahead of US Eastern Time). We are extremely excited and inpatient for the big moment.
Some pictures below...
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Night 01: Arrival in Guangzhou, China
Highlights of the trip:
But, we finally made it. Got into Tokyo an hour late, and our plane to China should have taken off right about the time we landed, but they waited for us knowing we were coming in late. Luckuly our luggage made it and our ride was still there waiting for us at midnight.
We sort of talked the group into staying at the Victory Hotel instead of the White Swan, and we are so happy with our room. Very big, very clean, and very professional staff. Here is a slideshow of our room (Click on the slideshow to start it playing):
More to come for our first day in China!!!
- Sitting on Runway in Detroit waiting for a contract de-icer to de-ice our plane while snow is pouring down around us. Maybe a foot on the runway?
- Sitting on the runway while the plane starter that didn't work is replaced.
- Worrying about missing our 45 minute connection after sitting on the grown for 65 minutes.
But, we finally made it. Got into Tokyo an hour late, and our plane to China should have taken off right about the time we landed, but they waited for us knowing we were coming in late. Luckuly our luggage made it and our ride was still there waiting for us at midnight.
We sort of talked the group into staying at the Victory Hotel instead of the White Swan, and we are so happy with our room. Very big, very clean, and very professional staff. Here is a slideshow of our room (Click on the slideshow to start it playing):
More to come for our first day in China!!!
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