Great Wall & Summer Palace

Finally....

I've always wanted to see the Great Wall in person. I know this trip was not about seeing the sites, but this was one site I really wanted to see. When we were ready to book our flight to China, we had planned to tour Beijing first. Then the fiasco with our US paperwork hit, and we thought about cancelling the Beijing trip. But I just couldn't let it go. I said there's no way you can visit China & NOT see the Great Wall!

We visited the jade factory first! What a neat place. Wish I was a millionaire as I would have purchased a LOT! Instead I opted for a pendant & bracelet for Kalia (which I'm going to wear for awhile til she's older....see how that works! :) The pieces were stunning, and it was reflected in the prices! A jade bangle was going for around $1200!!!! WAY to rich for my blood! Some of the bigger pieces such as this ship were going for over $10,000!

After that we headed to the Great Wall. Oh my God!!!! It was breathtaking! Dan (with Kalia strapped on) & I climbed to the 3rd tower. Definitely got my workout in today! And I know Dan did! The steps are all different heights & sizes....VERY hard to climb without a baby strapped on. There were some steps that were so tall I had to lift my leg so high that my food was hip-height! But the views....and just to say you've been on the Wall....definitely worth it! Going down was definitely the hardest....especially for Dan as he couldn't see around Kalia to watch his steps real good. Once at the bottom I looked back up & couldn't believe I was actually here. Amazing!

From there we went for some lunch. Kung Pao chicken, veggies & Coke again. We told Joe we liked chicken, so I guess he thinks Kung Pao chicken is safe! It was very good though.

Next we went next door to the pearl factory. Awesome place! We were not told we would be visiting and we don't carry a lot of money with us (and the credit cards are left in the hotel safe), so unfortunately we didn't get to purchase a lot....a necklace for Kalia when she gets older & a bracelet to wear in the next year or so. I would have liked to purchase a lot more, and we made it known to Joe that he should have told us we were going. I was very disappointed!

Our last stop of the day was the Summer Palace. Beautiful Park! I felt bad. There was a storm rolling in & the temperature dropped quite a bit and the wind picked up. Unfortunately I didn't have anything warmer to put on Kalia. I usually have a sweater &/or blanket with me, but I forgot them both...go figure! She didn't seem to mind, and I tried to keep her out of the wind and bundled in the Snugli, so maybe that helped.

Anyway, it was a really pretty park with the beautiful arched bridges and, of course, the marble boat that the Emperor used during his summer trips out there.

When we were done there we headed back to the hotel. We opted out of going out to dinner. Instead we decided to just walk around near our hotel. There was a KFC & McDonald's close by (we ended up eating McD's), a large mall, a pedestrian market & a Haagen Daas shop where we stopped to get some desert! Mmmmmm....

This was our last night in China! Tomorrow at 11:30 we meet our guide one last time & head to the airport for our flight home. I'm sad to be leaving China...the birth country of our daughter...but MORE than ready to be going HOME! I'll take all the prayers I can get for a safe trip home and an easy transition for Kalia once there. Crossing all body parts that the flight goes well and that she rests for at least some of it! See ya'll soon!

Oh my goodness...we're pooped!

But we survived....kinda!

We're so very tired, but what a fun day!

After a late night arrival & check-in, we crashed & got about 6 hours sleep. After breakfast (which is a yummy mix of American & Chinese....more American I think...croissants, cereal, scrambled eggs, smoothies, COFFEE!!!, etc...) we met Joe in the lobby & headed off to tour Tianamen Square & the Forbidden City.

I had my doubts as to how we were going to do this. We had tours scheduled for ALL day. Kalia was going to need a nap. I wasn't sure how well she would sleep in the carrier. I seriously contemplated sending Dan while Kalia & I stayed back to rest. It wasn't until we woke up this morning that I decided to give it a try. I figured if she got too bad I'd just take a cab back to the hotel.

So, around 8:00 we headed off to see some of the history of China. Wasn't really much to Tianamen Square. I know it's the site of many historical gatherings/protests (remember the Protests of 89 ), but other than that... I really enjoyed the Forbidden City, though. There were many, many, many different levels into the City. This was to protect the Emperor. They had these really big urns that collected rain water. Our guide said these were to help put out fires. Can you imagine trying to put out a fire with the water from an urn?

Anyway, it was pretty interesting. Kalia fell asleep about 30 minutes into the tour. Dan was carrying her in the front carrier, and his back was killing him. She woke up about the last hour of the tour.

We then headed off to the Hutong for a lunch provided by one of the families there. That lady could cook! And she does all of her cooking outside (the kitchen is outside).

Her "house" consisted of 1 room that included a sink, table & bed. The toilet & kitchen were outside. The home was spotless!

Oh...back to the food! She made kung pao chicken & some sort of pork dish (absolutely delicious!), fried tofu (none of us cared for this), some sort of salad type dish (Mmmm), dumplings (yum!) & oranges & cookies for desert. Way more food than the 4 (and a half!) of us could eat. But man was it good!

Dan also got to have his first taste of Chinese beer. Between him & Joe (the guide), they managed to polish off 2 big bottles (but don't worry, the bottles may be big, but the alcohol content is very minimal).

I was so proud of Kalia during lunch. She sat on her stool, which had no back, without wiggling & falling off, the entire time. She was very good. At the end of the meal I gave her a couple drinks of my Coke, which she loved! She didn't get many sips, I'm sure not enough in her opinion, but she enjoyed what she got. She thanked the lady for the yummy meal with a dirty diaper. Yep...had to change her diaper in the middle of her floor. Luckily I'd brought a light blanket that I layed down, and the lady didn't seem to mind :)

After lunch we took a short bicycle tour of the hutong. It's amazing the conditions these people live in...and yet they're so very happy. Just goes to show you don't need material possessions to provide happiness. Our driver was having a great day, and tried racing all the others.

After our busy morning, we headed back to the hotel for a short rest. I tried everything to get Kalia to lay down for a bit (I really would have liked to take a nap myself), but she was having none of it! So we just lay quietly on the bed & relaxed.

The Acrobat show was the last item on the agenda today. It was a good show, but not worth $30 per person, in my opinion. Those acrobats are amazing, though!

I was so proud of Kalia. She is just a go-with-the-flow kinda gal! I'm trying hard not to overwhelm her (of course I'm not having much luck....I think it will have to wait until we're home), but she always does good. She started to get crabby during the show a bit (but I think most of that is just b/c she doesn't like to sit still), and then on the van ride back to the hotel. I think she needed some "down" time before bed.

We're all getting ready to zonk out now. It's been a long day, but a fun one! Tomorrow...the Great Wall, Jade Market, Pearl Market & Summer Palace.

YunTai Gardens....and off to Beijing

Our last day in Guangzhou....and I still had shopping to do!

First though, we were to meet Bob in the lobby at 8:30 to visit YunTai Gardens. Pretty park...lots of pretty landscaping...and some odd (out-of-place) statues. It was nice to get off the island and see some of the city on the drive there.

Kalia wasn't diggin' the sun being in her eyes (and wouldn't keep a hat on), so we gave this a try (it didn't last long either, of course, but I thought it was cute!)

There were lots of school children there today. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures, but they all looked like they were enjoying their day outside the classroom. We enjoyed our time just walking around. Kalia did well, but hates the sun in her eyes. We found a way to solve that problem...

We headed back to the hotel so Kalia could take a little nap. I had packed most everything the night before, but needed to throw in a few more things. I also had a couple more things to pick up (and an extra suitcase to carry it all in!). ***NOTE TO THOSE TRAVELING...China domestic flights allow as many carry-ons as you want, but you can only check 1 bag (up to 44 lbs.) per paid ticket*** We ended up carrying on a 2 backpacks & 2 carry-on suitcases, along with Kalia. HEAVY load, but at least we got everything on without having to pay (important for this el cheapo!)

Anywho....while Kalia slept I ran out & picked up a carry-on suitcase (for around $10), some more Chinese dresses & a few more gifts/souvenirs. I made it back just in time to finish getting Kalia ready for the trip to Beijing. We had to check out around 2, but Bob wasn't picking us up to go to the airport until 4. So we checked out, left our luggage in the lobby, and walked around the island a bit. We still needed to get pics on the Red Couch at the White Swan, so we went there first. She was having fun, and had no desire to sit still for a pic. I think they turned out pretty good though. Definitely show her fun personality.

This was taken outside the White Swan. She wasn't diggin' the grass, either!

Then stopped by St@rbucks for a snack & an iced frappacino. We still had a little time left, and nowhere really to go, so we headed back to the Victory to camp out in their lobby for a bit. Kalia & I had a blast playing on the couch. She was all smiles! (Dan entertained himself with a little quiet time...and a book)

Our flight to Beijing was uneventful. We flew Air China....EXCELLENT airline. There was plenty of room, even in coach, and the staff was very friendly.

We arrived in Beijing around 10, met our guide, Joe (who at first glance seemed like a snotty young kid...but warmed up by the next day), and made our way to the beautiful Novotel Peace hotel.

Today we're off to see Tianamen Square, Forbidden City, a HuTong Tour, the silk factory and an Acrobatic Show. I'm pretty sure we're gonna be pooped tonight!!!!

More from Guangzhou

We had to stay in the room today until we heard from Bob that everything was good to go with our consulate paperwork.

Dan & Kalia went for a walk around 10, while I waited for the call. They dropped off some laundry, then did a little window-shopping. Bob called around 10:30 and said everything was perfect and that they had moved our swearing in ceremony to this afternoon. We were free til 3:00, when we were to meet him in the lobby to head over to the consulate. Bummer....I was all ready to spend the rest of the day shopping! Oh well, I can cram some in until we leave, right? Unfortunately Dan came back shortly after and Kalia was sound asleep. I didn't want to wake her, even though I really wanted to go shopping, so I anxiously waited for her to wake up.

We hit the stores again around 12:30 and scored tons of goodies....dresses in all sizes for Kalia, Amanda & Emilee for around $4-$8 a piece, depending on style...a family ball...painted stuff bottles ($12-$15 each)...porcelain tea set (approx. $12) & chop sticks ($7)...chop ($6)...squeaky shoes ($4-$5 each)....some scrolls...and lots of other goodies. I really had a lot of fun negotiating prices. Probably could have/should have done better, but the prices seemed fair to me, so I didn't worry about it.

At 3:00 we headed to the swearing in ceremony. Nothing much to it, really. There were about 6 families who all met in the lobby area with one of the officers and we were to repeat the oath. I honestly don't even remember what it said. Kalia was getting cranky and we were trying to keep her occupied so she didn't bother everyone. It was quite emotional though, since it was the last thing needed to completely finalize the adoption...on all ends. Kalia was now officially ours according to any & all necessary governments! I couldn't believe this long, long journey was officially over....and another, with Kalia in our arms, was just beginning!

For dinner we decided to try Lucy's. We were not overly impressed. Dan had the enchiladas & a Budweiser and I had the chicken caesar salad. Neither were great...but were edible. Oh well...it was an experience.

After dinner we took a walk down by the river, where we met this lovely couple there to adopt there little one, Finley. What a nice couple! Apparently they had just come from Changsha also (visiting where their 1st adopted daughter was from). They were not staying at the Dolton, so we never saw them. Let me just say that Finley is one cute, sweet little girl!

After that it was time for bed. Another glorious day comes to an end.

Tomorrow....Yun Tai Gardens & flight to Beijing!

Paradise!

Otherwise known as Guangzhou!

We made it to the hotel around 10:30 p.m. Kalia did great on her first plane ride. She got a little bored towards the end, but we managed to keep her occupied & quiet.

Our room is o.k., but not what we requested. We had requested the Japanese-style suite, but received just a regular suite. The Victory is worth the price we paid (around $110 for a suite), but it's nothing fancy. I've heard there is a lot more room at a better price than the White Swan, though, so.... We're not complaining...at least we have the separate room so when Kalia goes to sleep, we can keep doing other things without fear of disturbing her.

Guangzhou is fabulous! Beautiful weather, and the island is safe & quiet.

Today we went first to do the visa photo, then to do the medical exam. Luckily we are a non-Hague family, so Kalia did not require any shots. They tested her hearing (by squeaking a duck beside her ear and seeing if she turned her head), weighed & measured her (22 lbs., 31 1/2" long), looked her over & said she was healthy.

After that our guide, Bob, took us on a tour of the island. Beautiful! Then we went back to the room to do paperwork for the consulate, while Kalia took a nap. I anxiously waited for her to wake up so I could hit the shops!


I had a lot of fun negotiating prices for all our goods. I got 3 large & 2 small prints that were painted using only the fingertip, fingernail & side of the hand. We watched him paint some and he was amazing! We negotiated the price for all 5 prints down to around $30. They will soon be framed & hanging in our bathroom! We also stopped by Jenny's Place & picked up quite a few small items....1 pair of squeaky shoes (just so Kalia had something to wear besides her tennis shoes), a puzzle map of China, a few cloisonne ornaments for gifts, a nice doll representing Hunan province, a wooden ornament representing Hunan, postcards with scenery of China, a CD of Chinese flute music....all for the low, low price of around $40. I'm lovin' it!

We ended the day with dinner at Subway....2 footlongs with chips & drink for under $10....and an evening walk around the island with lots of photo ops!

Tomorrow....more shopping!

Martyr Park....and Good-bye Changsha

Yesterday we visited Martyr Park. It was a nice park...very clean & VERY busy. There were people EVERYWHERE! But we had a great time.

There was a beautiful lake where hundreds of people had rented paddleboats. Racing around the paddleboats were nice size speed boats. Scary!, but it didn't seem to bother those in the paddleboats at all!

There was a long, beautiful pier that took you out into the lake. So pretty!

There were also people in the balls that float on the water. I don't have any idea what they're called, but you actually get inside them & roll them around on the water. It looked like a lot of fun. I tried to talk Dan into giving it a try, but he wouldn't do it. There was a pretty long line anyway.

We were there about 3 hours. We had taken a cab, but when we went to get a cab to go back to the hotel there were never any there. We're just not aggressive enough I guess, because the few that showed up were snatched out from under us. We had the bright idea to walk across the street & try to catch one from there. No luck! So we just kept walking, thinking eventually we'd catch one. No such luck. We were starting to get a little nervous, as we really hadn't been paying attention when we took the cab to the park and had no idea where we were. Finally we reached a busier intersection and I told Dan we HAD to get a cab...we couldn't keep walking all over town when we didn't know where we were. Dan looked around and said "Look...there's the military academy" (which we had walked to the other day). We were both so happy to have figured out where we were and knew we weren't too far from the hotel (a couple blocks) so we just said forget the cab...we're walking! We definitely got our exercise that day! (Needless to say, there was more ice cream to be had that night!)

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Today is our last day in Changsha. We're ready to move on, but it will be strange leaving the city where our daughter was handed to us. We're hoping the plane ride goes smoothly and that moving Kalia around doesn't mess with her too much.

We're checking out at 4 p.m., heading to the Civil Affairs building to get the passport, then it's off to the airport.

Next post....from Guangzhou!

P.S. I haven't really posted a lot about Kalia in particular, because everything is going GREAT! She has a bit of a temper, but doesn't show it too often (usually only when we're not feeding her fast enough). She goes down for naps fairly easy, and sleeps 1 - 1 1/2 hours each day. She goes down at night fairly easily too, and sleeps for about 3-4 hours before waking up & wanting to finish the night out laying beside me. According to the scale in the bathroom, it looks like she weighs between 21 & 22 pounds, which is up from the 19.5 - 20 lbs. she weighed when we first got her. 12 months fit her best in pants, but they're too short. She needs 18 months for the length, but they fall off her. We're using safety pins to keep them on :) Some of her 12 month tops are getting a little small...they'll work while we're here, but will need to be retired soon. Dresses work best, no matter what size :) All-in-all things are going great! She smiles all the time, and is getting more & more selective as to who she'll go to. At first, she'd go to just about anyone (even if she did look for me, she'd still go), but now will turn into me when someone she doesn't know holds out their hands for her. Very good sign!

Walking, Swimming, Bowling.......

These past couple days have been pretty quiet.

Friday was a holiday here in China...Labor Day. There were firecrackers being set off all throughout the day, right outside the hotel. Because of the holiday, Amy was at home celebrating with her family & we were left to fend for ourselves. Not a problem. We spent the day walking around Changsha...we actually walked quite a ways today. We took a right out of the hotel and walked for a couple blocks, then went under the road to the other side & walked a couple more blocks. Just made a HUGE square. It was really interesting. Nothing crazy (except for the bed on the sidewalk...still don't know what that was all about???) We walked right by the military academy, and stopped to get a picture of the guards. While stopped we had a couple ladies come up to us to see Kalia. They had a little boy with them and were talking to each other & trying to get the boy to look at Kalia. They couldn't speak much English, so I couldn't understand most of what they were saying, but they obviously figured out she was adopted and they pointed to her and said "lucky". I'm glad they put their trust in us to bring her up right, but we think we're the lucky ones, because she's such a little angel.

On our way back, I decided it was REALLY hot out & Kalia & I needed (yes, needed!) some ice cream. Once we got past the cold, she LOVED it! Definitely my child! We sat out by the fountains in front of the hotel and scarfed it down. Then we headed back inside to chill out a bit before grabbing some dinner.

After dinner we tried swimming (well, Dan did anyway), but Kalia was having no part of it. She made it into the water, and lasted about 2 minutes before she started whimpering. I took her out and Dan messed around for a bit before heading up to get ready for bed.

SATURDAY...a yucky, rainy day. Not a real heavy rain, just enough that you don't want to be out in it. So we stayed inside. The good thing about the Dolton is there is so much to do there, that a day spent inside is not really such a big deal. We played a bit in the playroom, walked ALL OVER the hotel, checked out the stores (man, are they high!), and even played a couple games of bowling. FUN, FUN, FUN!!!!!

Today we visited the city park. Pictures from that coming soon.