Our time in Zhengzhou was coming to an end....and it was time to pack up and fly to Guangzhou. Zhengzhou was such an interesting city! It seemed as though there were more scooters than people, and we were finally getting used to the constant honking and travel noise through our hotel window. We also saw a really amazing wedding ceremony from our hotel window too! I can't really describe it other than: marching band, parade of cars, and fireworks. It was very loud.
~ Here's a video of us walking through Zhengzhou
....and to explain what I was talking about.... We were given tags to wear in public stating that we adopted our children. The guides told us to wear them in case anyone tried to question us about having a Chinese child. ;-) This was probably our first outing with the kids alone, so we made sure we had our tags!! And good thing, because people were not afraid to come up to you and ask questions. We didn't know any Mandarin so I just showed them the tag. Just smile and nod, smile and nod.
....and to explain what I was talking about.... We were given tags to wear in public stating that we adopted our children. The guides told us to wear them in case anyone tried to question us about having a Chinese child. ;-) This was probably our first outing with the kids alone, so we made sure we had our tags!! And good thing, because people were not afraid to come up to you and ask questions. We didn't know any Mandarin so I just showed them the tag. Just smile and nod, smile and nod.
So, we loaded up all our gear, our new baby, and headed to the airport! I was really concerned about how it would be flying with Eli. He loved riding in the bus, so I figured he would love the airplane. Well...he cried almost the entire flight. I could tell he was tired and there was just no way to get comfortable in our laps. He likes to lay down! Luckily, the flight wasn't very long and we were in Guangzhou in no time. A new city and a new leg on our journey. First stop in Guangzhou.... the new hotel! Now... we opened a Marriott card during our adoption process and got about 100,000 points for opening a new card. This allowed us to book a suite at The China Marriott Hotel. I had no idea what to expect. But when we walked into our room, I just shouted "Bless the suite, Bless the suite". It was amazing!! Basically a small apartment with room to move around. Our last room was pretty tight and Eli never left our bed. He loved having the extra room to spread out a little bit.
Over the next few days we explored the new city. Guangzhou was much more "Americanized" There was a Starbucks in our hotel, and a McDonald's right across the street. There was also some good shopping very close by too! We took a tour of a local Temple, the Chen Family house, and the Pearl shopping district. We also took a cruise on the Pearl River.
The Chen House was really beautiful! So much intricate details went into building these ancient structures!
~ The Chen House~
This is the Pearl River Cruise. The entire city is lit up along the River and the boat turns around at the Canton Tower. The Canton Tower is the 3rd tallest tower in the world. It was just beautiful !
Our favorite place in Guangzhou was Shamian Island. We actually spent 2 of our free days there. It was just a beautiful place to walk around, shop, and have lunch. It really reminded me of New Orleans. A quiet, peaceful, New Orleans. We had lunch at Lucy's restaurant and ate a very delicious "American tasting" hamburger. I don't suggest trying Hamburger's anywhere else. They are not right, haha!
~The famous Shamian Island Statues~
Over the next few days we explored the new city. Guangzhou was much more "Americanized" There was a Starbucks in our hotel, and a McDonald's right across the street. There was also some good shopping very close by too! We took a tour of a local Temple, the Chen Family house, and the Pearl shopping district. We also took a cruise on the Pearl River.
The Chen House was really beautiful! So much intricate details went into building these ancient structures!
This is the Pearl River Cruise. The entire city is lit up along the River and the boat turns around at the Canton Tower. The Canton Tower is the 3rd tallest tower in the world. It was just beautiful !
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Our favorite place in Guangzhou was Shamian Island. We actually spent 2 of our free days there. It was just a beautiful place to walk around, shop, and have lunch. It really reminded me of New Orleans. A quiet, peaceful, New Orleans. We had lunch at Lucy's restaurant and ate a very delicious "American tasting" hamburger. I don't suggest trying Hamburger's anywhere else. They are not right, haha!
~The famous Shamian Island Statues~
It was finally time for our Consulate Appointment. This was our last step in the paper chase to bring Eli home !
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| Looking Handsome |
This was our entire group before we all had to part ways. It was so incredible traveling with a group and making some lifelong friends!
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