Today we visited White Cloud Mountain (also called Baiyun Mountain). We rode a gondola up to the top, walked around the perimeter of the mountain and then hiked down.
The mountain lived up to the name as the city was tough to see through the cloud cover. You can see just enough to tell that the views can be very beautiful on a clear day. We were thankful for the cool weather though. It rained a bit on our hike down but it was nice to get out and get some exercise.
We saw several families playing hacky sack.
Interesting to see so many people carrying radios as they walk through the park. Rather than using headphones here they just have speakers and so that everyone can enjoy their musical selection. apparently iPod has yet to saturate the market here.
We walked around the mall this afternoon and found $5,000 fungus. Seriously. It's called Cordyceps Sinensis and they sell it right next to the tobacco and alcohol in the mall here. They must sell quite a bit of it because we saw tons of it in gift boxes at the mall and at another shop here inside the hotel.
Tomorrow the US Consulate appointment...finally!!!
Praying we get Bo's Visa and can get a flight out on Thanksgiving. If not, we are here till Saturday.
We are really missing our kiddos and our home! Being in a hotel for 2 weeks and eating out most meals with a toddler that has never been to a restaurant is challenging.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Day 10 - TB Free!!
Today we met our guide after breakfast and headed back to the medical clinic.
Bo is TB free, which is good. I don't think I want to know what it looks like to be quarantined here.
We walked around a park for a bit waiting for the official medical sign off and then came back to the hotel for Bo's nap.
After the nap we took a stroll around the hotel. We made the unfortunate decision of eating out which Bo decided he didn't like much.
Tomorrow we are going to Baiyun Mountain.
Unfortunately we couldn't get a consulate appointment for Tuesday. So we pretty much are waiting for Wednesday.
Bo is TB free, which is good. I don't think I want to know what it looks like to be quarantined here.
We walked around a park for a bit waiting for the official medical sign off and then came back to the hotel for Bo's nap.
After the nap we took a stroll around the hotel. We made the unfortunate decision of eating out which Bo decided he didn't like much.
Tomorrow we are going to Baiyun Mountain.
Unfortunately we couldn't get a consulate appointment for Tuesday. So we pretty much are waiting for Wednesday.
Day 9 - New wheels & Shamian Island
We picked up a stroller at the hotel today. At first little man put up a huge protest but then he decided he likes his new set of wheels.
Dad strolled him around the hotel for a bit and we just had a quiet morning at the hotel before nap time.
Unfortunately we are dragging a bit as we picked up a cold from Bo. Hoping we bounce back quick.
Even though we were not feeling great we still decided to go to Shamian Island in the afternoon. It is an interesting place not very far from our hotel in Guangzhou.
It is a strange mix of British, French and Chinese. It looks to be having a bit of an identity crisis. The architecture looks distinctly European with Chinese shops inside.
It has an interesting history. It was once an trade port and later was a strategic point of defense for the Opium Wars.
There was a restaurant (supposed to be western, but kind of not), a Starbucks and two churches.
All within maybe a square mile. We were surprised to see two churches. They are fairly rare here, of course.
It was good to get out and walk around.
Tomorrow we go back to the medical clinic to have Bo's TB test read and get the medical clearance needed for the Consulate.
Dad strolled him around the hotel for a bit and we just had a quiet morning at the hotel before nap time.
Unfortunately we are dragging a bit as we picked up a cold from Bo. Hoping we bounce back quick.
Even though we were not feeling great we still decided to go to Shamian Island in the afternoon. It is an interesting place not very far from our hotel in Guangzhou.
It is a strange mix of British, French and Chinese. It looks to be having a bit of an identity crisis. The architecture looks distinctly European with Chinese shops inside.
It has an interesting history. It was once an trade port and later was a strategic point of defense for the Opium Wars.
There was a restaurant (supposed to be western, but kind of not), a Starbucks and two churches.
All within maybe a square mile. We were surprised to see two churches. They are fairly rare here, of course.
It was good to get out and walk around.
Tomorrow we go back to the medical clinic to have Bo's TB test read and get the medical clearance needed for the Consulate.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Day 8 - Medical check
We met our guide after breakfast and went for Bo's medical check. It is a bit overwhelming with dozens upon dozens of families waiting.
There are 4 separate rooms to get checked through. The first is just a basic height and weight check.
The next room is for ENT and then a general check of heart, lungs and evaluation of special needs. The last is a TB shot to make sure we are TB free.
Bo pretty much threw a fit each step. Not a big fan of the medical check up. So I guess that means he's a normal 2 year old. :)
On the way back from the medical check we spotted a Starbucks sign - oh the sheer joy!!!
We came back to the hotel for Bo's nap and we had some lunch and Skyped our kiddos at home. We miss them a ton!!!!!
After nap time it was Starbucks time. We actually met up with the family that has a kiddo from Bo's orphanage and got to talk with them for a bit over coffee. It was great to connect with them again.
We had Italian for dinner. YAY!!!! Loving the Chinese food but it was good to have something different. Starbucks and Italian food all in one day. Yippeee!
Tomorrow a quiet morning at the hotel and then we head to Shamian Island in the afternoon. We are looking forward to that. It is supposed to be very beautiful.
There are 4 separate rooms to get checked through. The first is just a basic height and weight check.
The next room is for ENT and then a general check of heart, lungs and evaluation of special needs. The last is a TB shot to make sure we are TB free.
Bo pretty much threw a fit each step. Not a big fan of the medical check up. So I guess that means he's a normal 2 year old. :)
On the way back from the medical check we spotted a Starbucks sign - oh the sheer joy!!!
We came back to the hotel for Bo's nap and we had some lunch and Skyped our kiddos at home. We miss them a ton!!!!!
After nap time it was Starbucks time. We actually met up with the family that has a kiddo from Bo's orphanage and got to talk with them for a bit over coffee. It was great to connect with them again.
We had Italian for dinner. YAY!!!! Loving the Chinese food but it was good to have something different. Starbucks and Italian food all in one day. Yippeee!
Tomorrow a quiet morning at the hotel and then we head to Shamian Island in the afternoon. We are looking forward to that. It is supposed to be very beautiful.
Day 6 and 7 - Museum and waiting for a passport
On Thursday we went to the Shanxi museum. We aren't big art buffs, but it was interesting to see some of the ancient money, pottery and jade from this region.
Most of the afternoon we spent in the hotel just getting to know Bo.
We are learning more about our son.
He hates to go to sleep. That might be an understatement. :)
He is potty trained for the most part. Yay!!!
He will take a bottle most of the time - except when he won't.
He's very shy and quiet.
He doesn't understand any English.
He seems to understand Chinese, but hasn't spoken much at all. The only word we've heard him say is something like Gou Gou for a dog that we saw in the park.
We are starting to teach him to feed himself.
He can walk, but isn't super steady.
He seems to be learning things quickly. He just hasn't ever gotten the one on one time for anyone to show him much of anything.
On Friday we waited pretty much all day at the hotel for Bo's passport. Unfortunately, our initial flight was cancelled so we couldn't leave Taiyuan for Guangzhou until 8:00PM. Bo didn't think much of the airplane and let everyone know about it. Thankfully he very quickly fell asleep and stayed asleep most of the flight.
We got to our hotel about 11:30 at night and we already love it here. The air seems much cleaner here and the bed isn't hard as a rock. Bonus!
It is a larger city and more modern. I wouldn't really call it Westernized, but the people seem more friendly and there are a bunch of families at our hotel that are also adopting. We feel much less isolated and alone than we did in Shanxi.
The US Consulate is here so all the people adopting from China come through Guangzhou.
Tomorrow we have Bo's medical check which is a US requirement for us to travel back home.
Most of the afternoon we spent in the hotel just getting to know Bo.
We are learning more about our son.
He hates to go to sleep. That might be an understatement. :)
He is potty trained for the most part. Yay!!!
He will take a bottle most of the time - except when he won't.
He's very shy and quiet.
He doesn't understand any English.
He seems to understand Chinese, but hasn't spoken much at all. The only word we've heard him say is something like Gou Gou for a dog that we saw in the park.
We are starting to teach him to feed himself.
He can walk, but isn't super steady.
He seems to be learning things quickly. He just hasn't ever gotten the one on one time for anyone to show him much of anything.
On Friday we waited pretty much all day at the hotel for Bo's passport. Unfortunately, our initial flight was cancelled so we couldn't leave Taiyuan for Guangzhou until 8:00PM. Bo didn't think much of the airplane and let everyone know about it. Thankfully he very quickly fell asleep and stayed asleep most of the flight.
We got to our hotel about 11:30 at night and we already love it here. The air seems much cleaner here and the bed isn't hard as a rock. Bonus!
It is a larger city and more modern. I wouldn't really call it Westernized, but the people seem more friendly and there are a bunch of families at our hotel that are also adopting. We feel much less isolated and alone than we did in Shanxi.
The US Consulate is here so all the people adopting from China come through Guangzhou.
Tomorrow we have Bo's medical check which is a US requirement for us to travel back home.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Day 5 - Divine appointment
Today we were supposed to go to the Shanxi museum but our guide thought we'd better take advantage of the good weather and go to the park.
So we head to Yingze Park which was beautiful and strange all at once. It has a large amusement park area which is closed in the winter. It was sort of like going through an old run down Disney where all the rides and shops are closed. Beyond that there was a lake and a more traditional park area.
We saw a lot of people dancing which was fun to watch. Some couples dancing, many ladies dancing with fans and even a group of people dancing "Gangnum Style" - I kid you not. :)
We saw some men playing with a Chinese yo-yo. Apparently many retired people come everyday to the park for dance and exercise. It was nice to see this bit of the culture and just to get out for a walk.
We came back to the hotel and had Chinese Pizza. :)
I stayed with Bo to put him down for a nap and Matt went off with the guide to Yangquan the city Bo is from.
Matt's mission was to get a picture of the orphanage and Bo's finding spot. It is about a 2 hour drive from the Capital of Taiyuan, where we are staying. It is up steep hills that are carved out for agriculture. They are growing lots and lots of corn on the top of the hills all around the area.
Matt got to see the orphanage. They are building a nice new building which is set to open in December. It is beautiful and very very big. We've seen pictures of the old building which are pretty sad. Unfortunately the orphanage doesn't accept visitors so Matt wasn't able to go in but we are glad to have some pictures for Bo of where he first lived.
Matt also went to the hospital, a burn unit actually, where Bo was found. We wanted a picture for Bo to have someday. Matt and the guide went into the hospital asking about the burn unit and they were told where it was. They went to find the spot and also talked with the nurse. Turns out she is the nurse that found our Bo two and a half years ago. A divine moment!
She told Matt what she remembers. Unfortunately, in China people get arrested when giving up their babies so it is quite risky to leave your child. We know that he was loved enough for someone to want him to be found and to risk being seen leaving him in a public area. Tears in my eyes just thinking about it.
Matt was able to tell the nurse that he has a home and a family and that he will be loved. A divine moment indeed!
Thanking God for this nurse and for Matt having the chance to meet her two and a half years later!!
Matt got back and we had a quiet evening in the hotel. Bo actually had several hours of play time without crying until we put him down for bed. He's not a big fan of going to sleep.
So we head to Yingze Park which was beautiful and strange all at once. It has a large amusement park area which is closed in the winter. It was sort of like going through an old run down Disney where all the rides and shops are closed. Beyond that there was a lake and a more traditional park area.
We saw a lot of people dancing which was fun to watch. Some couples dancing, many ladies dancing with fans and even a group of people dancing "Gangnum Style" - I kid you not. :)
We saw some men playing with a Chinese yo-yo. Apparently many retired people come everyday to the park for dance and exercise. It was nice to see this bit of the culture and just to get out for a walk.
We came back to the hotel and had Chinese Pizza. :)
I stayed with Bo to put him down for a nap and Matt went off with the guide to Yangquan the city Bo is from.
Matt's mission was to get a picture of the orphanage and Bo's finding spot. It is about a 2 hour drive from the Capital of Taiyuan, where we are staying. It is up steep hills that are carved out for agriculture. They are growing lots and lots of corn on the top of the hills all around the area.
Matt got to see the orphanage. They are building a nice new building which is set to open in December. It is beautiful and very very big. We've seen pictures of the old building which are pretty sad. Unfortunately the orphanage doesn't accept visitors so Matt wasn't able to go in but we are glad to have some pictures for Bo of where he first lived.
Matt also went to the hospital, a burn unit actually, where Bo was found. We wanted a picture for Bo to have someday. Matt and the guide went into the hospital asking about the burn unit and they were told where it was. They went to find the spot and also talked with the nurse. Turns out she is the nurse that found our Bo two and a half years ago. A divine moment!
She told Matt what she remembers. Unfortunately, in China people get arrested when giving up their babies so it is quite risky to leave your child. We know that he was loved enough for someone to want him to be found and to risk being seen leaving him in a public area. Tears in my eyes just thinking about it.
Matt was able to tell the nurse that he has a home and a family and that he will be loved. A divine moment indeed!
Thanking God for this nurse and for Matt having the chance to meet her two and a half years later!!
Matt got back and we had a quiet evening in the hotel. Bo actually had several hours of play time without crying until we put him down for bed. He's not a big fan of going to sleep.
Day 4 - Forever a Son
We had a quiet morning at the hotel. We tried to get Bo to nap before going back to civil affairs office at 2:00 but he wasn't interested at all.
So at 2:00 we headed back to Civil Affairs after the 24 hour waiting period to register the adoption and make things official. We went back in to the room where we met Bo. He was nervous and wouldn't let me set him down but overall much calmer than the previous day.
It was really awesome because we met a family that was there the previous day, when we picked up Bo. They were also back to finalize their adoption. In the rush of things the previous day we had barely had a chance to even say hello to them. So thankful that we got to meet them again because it turns out they adopted a little girl the same age as Bo from the same orphanage.
They were there when Bo and their daughter were walked in together the previous day and they've sent us a precious picture of the two of them. We hope to keep in touch with that family thorough the years. How amazing for them each to have someone with a strong connection to their early days at the orphanage. I can't wait to see how the story of these two evolves.
We signed a bunch of documents. I'm not sure what any of them said but we signed and also made our thumb prints in red over our signatures. Then they did a red palm print of Bo's hand on one document and they gave us his vaccine card, his finding ad and an official certificate of adoption. YAY!!!
We now wait a few days for his passport to go on to Guangzhou.
Bo finally went down for a nap when we got back to the hotel. He really fights going to sleep.
Yep, he must be a Motley!
So at 2:00 we headed back to Civil Affairs after the 24 hour waiting period to register the adoption and make things official. We went back in to the room where we met Bo. He was nervous and wouldn't let me set him down but overall much calmer than the previous day.
It was really awesome because we met a family that was there the previous day, when we picked up Bo. They were also back to finalize their adoption. In the rush of things the previous day we had barely had a chance to even say hello to them. So thankful that we got to meet them again because it turns out they adopted a little girl the same age as Bo from the same orphanage.
They were there when Bo and their daughter were walked in together the previous day and they've sent us a precious picture of the two of them. We hope to keep in touch with that family thorough the years. How amazing for them each to have someone with a strong connection to their early days at the orphanage. I can't wait to see how the story of these two evolves.
We signed a bunch of documents. I'm not sure what any of them said but we signed and also made our thumb prints in red over our signatures. Then they did a red palm print of Bo's hand on one document and they gave us his vaccine card, his finding ad and an official certificate of adoption. YAY!!!
We now wait a few days for his passport to go on to Guangzhou.
Bo finally went down for a nap when we got back to the hotel. He really fights going to sleep.
Yep, he must be a Motley!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Day 3 - Beloved Son
Truth be told I didn't get much sleep last night. I woke up at about 3AM nervous and excited to meet Bo. We tried to eat a little breakfast and met our guide at 9:30AM.
They took us straight to civil affairs office for this province. We went up the elevator down a hall of red doors. We stopped in front of one door and were told to wait outside. We've waited for about a year and a half but knowing our son was behind that door made it terribly difficult to wait even a second longer.
We waited probably only a few minutes but it felt like forever to an impatient Mom and Dad. We could hear tears from other children as they met their parents. They told us Bo wasn't crying. After they let one family leave and we were walked inside. Bo was directly in front of us. I want to tell you it was a beautiful moment, but it was anything but.
Don't get me wrong. He was amazing and beautiful, but he was clearly terrified. When we approached he lost it and didn't want much of anything to do with either of us. You want to give him time to adjust and become comfortable but they sort of force things to happen pretty fast.
He was very very sad and very very wet. They told us he got sick on the way in and apparently they didn't bother to change him. So he's scared, wet and cold. We had to go take an official family photo for the adoption registration and then were brought back to our hotel.
We pretty much broke every adoption rule book by having to strip him down and take away his clothing. Essentially that is the only thing he has in this world that might be comforting and familiar but we had to get him into some warm dry clothes. Poor little guy. I felt so horrible for him.
We got him cleaned up and in clothes and being the great parents we are, we fed him goldfish crackers and Cheerios. He loved them so I'm calling that a win! Matt also got him some noodles and he ate and ate which was pretty much the only time he wasn't crying today.
He cried himself to sleep for a late nap and then Matt took him across the street to get some formula and bottles which turned into a bit of an adventure around town.
We are doing okay just feeling bad for our boy. His whole world has changed so dramatically overnight. We are praying he starts to feel a little comfortable with us tomorrow. It is painful to watch him be so distraught. Not at all what we'd planned for our first day as a family but we know that he will forever be our son. We will walk with him through these hard days and pray for a more hopeful tomorrow.
They took us straight to civil affairs office for this province. We went up the elevator down a hall of red doors. We stopped in front of one door and were told to wait outside. We've waited for about a year and a half but knowing our son was behind that door made it terribly difficult to wait even a second longer.
We waited probably only a few minutes but it felt like forever to an impatient Mom and Dad. We could hear tears from other children as they met their parents. They told us Bo wasn't crying. After they let one family leave and we were walked inside. Bo was directly in front of us. I want to tell you it was a beautiful moment, but it was anything but.
Don't get me wrong. He was amazing and beautiful, but he was clearly terrified. When we approached he lost it and didn't want much of anything to do with either of us. You want to give him time to adjust and become comfortable but they sort of force things to happen pretty fast.
He was very very sad and very very wet. They told us he got sick on the way in and apparently they didn't bother to change him. So he's scared, wet and cold. We had to go take an official family photo for the adoption registration and then were brought back to our hotel.
We pretty much broke every adoption rule book by having to strip him down and take away his clothing. Essentially that is the only thing he has in this world that might be comforting and familiar but we had to get him into some warm dry clothes. Poor little guy. I felt so horrible for him.
We got him cleaned up and in clothes and being the great parents we are, we fed him goldfish crackers and Cheerios. He loved them so I'm calling that a win! Matt also got him some noodles and he ate and ate which was pretty much the only time he wasn't crying today.
He cried himself to sleep for a late nap and then Matt took him across the street to get some formula and bottles which turned into a bit of an adventure around town.
We are doing okay just feeling bad for our boy. His whole world has changed so dramatically overnight. We are praying he starts to feel a little comfortable with us tomorrow. It is painful to watch him be so distraught. Not at all what we'd planned for our first day as a family but we know that he will forever be our son. We will walk with him through these hard days and pray for a more hopeful tomorrow.
Day 2 - Hutong Tour and on to Shanxi
We checked out of our hotel in Beijing and went on a Hutong tour the morning of our second day.
It was amazing to see the history of the Hutongs that are 300 years old. Our guide shared that many Hutongs were destroyed and replaced with high rise condos. Only in the 90s did they realize they would not have any if they didn't start to preserve them.
The one we visited was in Beijing. It is not very large but has 10,000 people living there. The people consider those living there very lucky because the government is restoring and preserving the Hutong.
Hutong is actually more the alleyway than the neighborhood. So the village is made of many Hutongs. We got to ride a rickshaw through the village and got to visit a family residence.
It looks like many in the neighborhood were military and you can tell the rank of the official by how many posts are above the door. We saw 2 post and four posts.
The family home that we were able to tour had 3 generations living there. The eldest always lives int he south building and it gets the most sun. The other generations live around a square open garden area. It was very neat to get a glimpse into this piece of Chinese history.
We then were off to Taiyuan in Shanxi province which was a short flight from Beijing (about an hour). It is more like a high desert here. There is an unbelievable amount of construction here. I lost count of the cranes building condos. Hundreds maybe. I've never seen anything like it.
I've also never seen so much pollution in my life. It makes me sad for those that live here and it is one of the reasons they have one of the highest birth defect rates in the world. Coal mining is big business here but there is a cost to that.
We just checked into our hotel and got paperwork and ourselves ready for tomorrow when we meet our son. Then we went to dinner at a traditional Chinese restaurant at the hotel and had one of the most interesting experiences.
We are so excited to meet Ethan HongBo Motley tomorrow!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Arrival and Day One
We arrived and everything has been going smooth and easy so far. We have had trouble with the internet being real smooth and very slow but we will try and update as best we can.
The flight here was very long. We had hoped to sleep more but we just couldn't. All in all a good flight. Korean Air is pretty nice.
We went through Korea really briefly with not too much time to spare to catch our flight to Beijing. Our bags and guide met us in Beijing and we checked into our hotel Friday night. After not sleeping much the night before we left and not sleeping much on the plane we were beyond tired and just crashed when we got to the hotel.
Day one was AMAZING. Seriously awesome!
We started the day with breakfast at our hotel. It was a huge buffet of western and Chinese food. Then we met our guide and headed off.
We first went to a jade manufacturer/store. Very interesting to watch them carve the stone, see all the beautiful pieces and learn a little about how to tell real jade from fake.
Then we headed to the JuYong Pass area of the Great Wall. It was so interesting to see in person and we hiked up about 45 minutes. It was pretty much all stairs in the section we were at, so the climb was pretty much vertical, but the views were amazing. We hiked up to tower 9 which felt respectable because it was raining. We saw many umbrellas below us and very few above. :)
We bought a lock there to give to Bo someday. We saw thousands of heart shaped locks there. From what we can tell you put a lock somewhere special with your wife and throw away the key to symbolize your ever lasting love. We hope someday Bo will come back here with his wife.
From there we went to the Olympic stadium and saw the birds nest and water cube and then went on to lunch. Our guide took us to a wonderful local restaurant. I'm pretty sure we were the only tourists in the place. The food was fantastic.
Next stop was a tea house where we went through a tea ceremony and tasted many different kinds of tea. It was interesting to taste them side by side. We spent far too much on beautiful teas but they were really great.
Next we were off to an acrobatic show. The best description I can give is sort of a Chinese version of Cirque de Soleil. It was very amazing to watch.
Our guide brought us back to the hotel for dinner but we were still full from lunch so instead we headed out for a walk.
Right near our hotel is a walking street filled with high end shops. We strolled down walking street to another street that had a night market. We were told not to eat from the vendors but it was so interesting to see. We saw some extreme stuff (at least to me). Things like scorpion, silk worm, snake all on a stick like appetizer. There were also many things that looked yummy but we avoided it just to be safe.
We kept walking down the shopping street and onto a road that leads to Tiananmen Square. It was pretty cold and very wind,y but we kept on to the square and also saw where Mao is buried.
It was very beautiful at night and ultra secure. I'm not sure if there is more police presence than normal but we saw hundreds of policemen along the way. They are going through their congress elections right now.
It was a very long but wonderful day. We both like Beijing even more than we hoped. Today we will go see a hutong (traditional neighborhood) in the morning and then we are off to Bo's province.
We wish there was more time to explore Beijing but we are very excited to go to Shanxi. One more sleep until our son!!! Please keep him in your prayers!!
The flight here was very long. We had hoped to sleep more but we just couldn't. All in all a good flight. Korean Air is pretty nice.
We went through Korea really briefly with not too much time to spare to catch our flight to Beijing. Our bags and guide met us in Beijing and we checked into our hotel Friday night. After not sleeping much the night before we left and not sleeping much on the plane we were beyond tired and just crashed when we got to the hotel.
Day one was AMAZING. Seriously awesome!
We started the day with breakfast at our hotel. It was a huge buffet of western and Chinese food. Then we met our guide and headed off.
We first went to a jade manufacturer/store. Very interesting to watch them carve the stone, see all the beautiful pieces and learn a little about how to tell real jade from fake.
Then we headed to the JuYong Pass area of the Great Wall. It was so interesting to see in person and we hiked up about 45 minutes. It was pretty much all stairs in the section we were at, so the climb was pretty much vertical, but the views were amazing. We hiked up to tower 9 which felt respectable because it was raining. We saw many umbrellas below us and very few above. :)
We bought a lock there to give to Bo someday. We saw thousands of heart shaped locks there. From what we can tell you put a lock somewhere special with your wife and throw away the key to symbolize your ever lasting love. We hope someday Bo will come back here with his wife.
From there we went to the Olympic stadium and saw the birds nest and water cube and then went on to lunch. Our guide took us to a wonderful local restaurant. I'm pretty sure we were the only tourists in the place. The food was fantastic.
Next stop was a tea house where we went through a tea ceremony and tasted many different kinds of tea. It was interesting to taste them side by side. We spent far too much on beautiful teas but they were really great.
Next we were off to an acrobatic show. The best description I can give is sort of a Chinese version of Cirque de Soleil. It was very amazing to watch.
Our guide brought us back to the hotel for dinner but we were still full from lunch so instead we headed out for a walk.
Right near our hotel is a walking street filled with high end shops. We strolled down walking street to another street that had a night market. We were told not to eat from the vendors but it was so interesting to see. We saw some extreme stuff (at least to me). Things like scorpion, silk worm, snake all on a stick like appetizer. There were also many things that looked yummy but we avoided it just to be safe.
We kept walking down the shopping street and onto a road that leads to Tiananmen Square. It was pretty cold and very wind,y but we kept on to the square and also saw where Mao is buried.
It was very beautiful at night and ultra secure. I'm not sure if there is more police presence than normal but we saw hundreds of policemen along the way. They are going through their congress elections right now.
It was a very long but wonderful day. We both like Beijing even more than we hoped. Today we will go see a hutong (traditional neighborhood) in the morning and then we are off to Bo's province.
We wish there was more time to explore Beijing but we are very excited to go to Shanxi. One more sleep until our son!!! Please keep him in your prayers!!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
On a wing and a prayer
So we are finally off to China!!! If you are wondering why we are doing this - meet Ethan!
We are so excited to finally be able to meet him and bring him home!!! YAY!!!
We will do our best to update family and friends via this blog.
I can't promise any blog greatness. That's my official disclaimer.
We will be flying to Beijing (via Korea) today.
We appreciate your prayers for safe travel, prayers for our kiddos we are leaving at home, prayers for my Dad and Linda who are caring for them.
Thank you Dad and Linda!!!
Mostly, we hope you will join us in praying for Ethan. As excited as we are to meet him, we know that he probably knows very little about us. This will be a huge transition for him! So we pray for a sense of peace for him through all of this.
More from Beijing.....
We are so excited to finally be able to meet him and bring him home!!! YAY!!!
We will do our best to update family and friends via this blog.
I can't promise any blog greatness. That's my official disclaimer.
We will be flying to Beijing (via Korea) today.
We appreciate your prayers for safe travel, prayers for our kiddos we are leaving at home, prayers for my Dad and Linda who are caring for them.
Thank you Dad and Linda!!!
Mostly, we hope you will join us in praying for Ethan. As excited as we are to meet him, we know that he probably knows very little about us. This will be a huge transition for him! So we pray for a sense of peace for him through all of this.
More from Beijing.....
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