Friday, December 1, 2006

OK – I have now become the official record keeper for the rest of the trip – When Kristen sleeps is when we normal work on the computer – but with all of the shops around the hotel, Suzanne will be out shopping when she sleeps…So if we want you to have something to read – you get it from the Ba Ba (that’s daddy in Chinese) (Kristen can’t say it but she seems to know what it means.)

Anyway, sorry for the day late post, but we traveled from Nanjing to Guangzhou yesterday, and after a brief bad period, the journey went very well. As we left Nanjing, the sky was the clearest it had been – but still hazy. I would like to look at the picture of the five American families feeding our Chinese born children (on the floor) and just imagine the looks and attention that we generated! To say we were a spectacle would be an understatement. But this time we didn’t have other mothers coming over and offering their advice. As we waited for the flight and were listening to all the announcements first in Chinese then in English Suzanne & I thought it a good idea to give Kristen some Tylenol with a decongestant since she had a bit of a runny nose and no way to clear her ears with her cleft. Unfortunately it absolutely WIRED her and she was inconsolable for the first time. She couldn’t be still and was moving about wildly.

We experienced Asian traveler have learned that a mob rush was the norm when it came to public transportation so we wisely sent those of us without the kids to take the carry on luggage and get on the plane first so we would have room to store it overhead. As we were standing in front of the gate we were directed to wondering why they weren’t boarding on time, I actually tried to talk to the person at the gate kiosk; he just looked at me like the RCA dog.

I then pointed to my boarding pass and he shook his head and said “changed…gate 6!” BUMMER… Gate six was way around the corner. So, I trotted back to the parents “with kids”, informed them, and took off for the gate with the other “kid-less” pack mules. Just in case you are wondering, we made it. The plan took off 45 minutes late, but Kristen did finally calm down, slept a while and was the star of the flight for all around us the rest of the way.

After a 40 minute bus ride, we arrived at the White Swan hotel. It is located in the middle of the 6.7 million populated city along the pearl river. The location is much nicer because there are lots of shops and Lucy’s Bar & Café just down the street (We have had two meals as take out from there already).

Since it is 2:00 pm, I don’t want to tell you any more.

More tomorrow - or later today for most of you!

Again, Much Love,

Monte, Suzanne & Kristen