Guangzhou (Friday and Saturday)

LOVE!

We made it to Guangzhou very late on Friday evening. It was about 1:00am until we got from the airport to the hotel and settled into bed. Once gain, the kids were amazing. They have been patient and flexible and a joy with which to travel (seriously for real…no exaggeration). We have been incredibly busy since arriving here and our access to the Internet quite spotty, so I haven’t been able to post much. Guangzhou is a city of about 12 million people and the heart of it has the essence of Las Vegas. The landscape is very different than what we found in previous Chinese cities and since it is in the south, it is much warmer and significantly more green. We are very glad to shed the layers and jackets and enjoy temperatures in the mid-60s. It is more international and diverse. Another noticeable difference is that they don’t allow scooters on the road, so the traffic seems much less chaotic than in other areas of the country. 

Saying good-bye to our Taiyuan guide, Shelly

Lexi had an early medical appointment on Saturday morning. While we would love to say this was thorough and we ran our many questions by the doctor, that really wasn’t the purpose. She was merely getting cleared for immigration so that she can come back to the states. They checked height, weight, hearing and the basics and sent us on our way. She did not love the experience. No one seemed at all concerned that she weighed 6.9 kg. We already have a great team lined up for her in the U.S., and once we get home we will begin the long process of getting her healthy. 

After the medical exam, we made a quick trip to Wal-Mart to pick up a few items that we were missing. They have many of the same things as American Wal-Mart, but it isn't nearly as large. 

This step-less escalator reminded me of IKEA. 

We were all exhausted after out late travel night, so Saturday afternoon consisted of long naps for everyone. That evening we reunited with our Great Wall group for dinner. It is so special to see all of these families now with their kiddos. What a wonderful bunch and it has been fun to get to know everyone.