Guangzhou

Let the shopping begin! The flight from Wuhan to Guangzhou was not so bad. Shaela handled the flight really well, and didn't fuss too much. Amazing, considering she is just starting teething. The CCAI rep in this city is nice, but not as organized as Joanne in Wuhan. We were spoiled with amazing service there, and now we are having to adjust to the organized chaos in Guangzhou. So due to miscommunication and disorganization, Shaela didn't get a nap and was feeling cranky and didn't eat very well at dinner. Which let into a night of little to no sleep for all of us. As it turns out, many of the families were up most of the night with cranky babys.

Our hotel, the Swan hotel is beautiful, especially the large water fall and koi pond in the center of the hotel. The rooms are quite a bit smaller than we had become acustom to in Wuhan so we are learning how to do everything in a confined space. Everything outside our room is for sale. There are art pieces lined up in the lobby, up the sidewalks to the entance, in hallways, around the buffet, and there are shops are all over the place. And that is just in the hotel. Once you leave the hotel, there are little shops every couple feet selling everything from little bottles personalized with baby's faces painted on the inside, or stone tiles personalized with baby's faces hand etched on the surface, to chops, to baby clothes, to all manner of souvenirs.

Today is Sunday and tonight we take our "red couch" photos, where each family takes a photo and then they put all the babies from the group on the couch and take photots. That should be interesting. Deb and Shaela are napping now while I explore the city a bit. We have already done a bit of shopping with Anna. It turns out I am the designated bargainer. I think Deb really likes it when I bargain for her, so she had me bargaining for Anna's purchases also but, the haggling was making Anna nervous so she had to leave.

I'm off to see if they are done with their naps. Love & Blessings from 1/2 way round the planet, Justin, Deb & Shaela.