Journey to Joy: Day #11 and #12

     Well, Tuesday wasn't much to write home about. So I did us all a favor and combined it with Wednesday's happenings...which also weren't much. At this point in our trip, I have hit my capacity for China. I miss our kiddos so much and wish my kisses and hugs reached through FaceTime computer screens. But, alas, they do not.
     On Tuesday, we did some sightseeing at a temple and then visited the Chen Clan Academy and Folk Art Museum...which we saw last trip too. The temple was obviously not our cup of tea due to religious differences...but the architecture and landscape were beautiful.

     The Chen Clan Academy replaced their little shops with other art, a small tourist gift shop, and a cafe. I was really bummed because we bought quite a few gifts here last time. The architecture and craftsmanship within the academy is amazing. It really is...but since we had been there before, it was more just something to keep us out of the hotel. Aliza tolerates the stroller, but would much rather be OUT of it. The problem arises, out of the stroller, when she doesn't want to move or walk with you. She'd rather just sit... outside of the stroller...on the ground.

     Tuesday's dinner was Outback at the fancy mall across the street. And it was SO good! Bloomin' onion and Alice Springs Chicken. Yum. Aliza had spaghetti because she is a noodle lover. She's already gained 3 lbs. since we've been together! Ha! 

     On Wednesday, we slept in and ate a late breakfast. This was Eric's goal at least once this trip. And today was the day! We pretty much laid around and played in the hotel most of the morning. Nothing exciting. Aliza figured out that using a hotel pen in her empty pom pom sorter makes a really good sound. She stirred and stirred and stirred!

     At 2:00 p.m., we traveled to Shamian Island one more time to pick up a few more gifts. Visiting the shop owners is such a treat so I was excited to do this again. We packed our empty carry-on FULL to the brim! Aliza enjoyed a snack on the way and a nap on the ride back.

     Tonight, in our true hermit fashion of the last two days, we had the buffet at the hotel. Not sure what we paid for it...but just put it on our tab. Ha! Aliza enjoyed her rice and noodles so that's all that matters. Next up is bath time and PACKING!

     This will be my last blog post from China and it's sort of bittersweet. Our plane leaves at 10:00 a m. tomorrow morning, but we depart from our  hotel at 6:45 a.m. Wel land in Beijing for a short layover and then head to Detroit with an estimated arrival of Thursday evening at 5:45 p.m. YAY! We have appreciated everyone's thoughts and prayers while we've been away. They have been felt in many ways during our stay. The next time I blog... we'll be in the U.S. of A.!

Journey to Joy: Day #10

     This morning was our Consulate appointment! We left at 7:55 a.m. to meet our guide at the medical building, where we picked up Aliza's TB test results (negative- yay!), and then headed across the street to the Consulate building. You can't take much in with you and absolutely no electronics. So, here are the best shots our guide snapped from outside the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou.

     Once you enter, you go to "Window 8" and take a number. We were #5 out of 6 families. The process was about an hour, but they have a kids play area so it was super simple. Aliza loved playing. She also felt like it was a great time for a bowel movement and I forgot the diapers in the security room. Thankfully, the family we've gone sightseeing with offered a diaper and wipes! Eek. A win-win for everyone in the waiting room! We were so grateful! Eric took an oath with the other family representatives and I did my fingerprints for her visa application. It was a true team effort! We'll get her visa on Wednesday... just in time to leave Thursday morning!

     From the Consulate, we traveled to the IFC Building which is the third tallest building in Guangzhou. We hopped on the elevator and rode to the 70th floor. What?! Ears were popping! The 70th floor is the lobby of the Four Seasons hotel. Above it, are 31 MORE floors for guests to stay. Well, technically, the 101st floor is a restaurant...only open for dinner. Nicest hotel I've ever stepped inside. And the ones we stay at here are 5 star hotels. I even took a picture of the bathroom, haha!

     So why taunt ourselves with this beautiful lobby? Because of the view! And it was free! The sight was truly breathtaking. I don't even think my pictures will do it justice. Guangzhou is a city of more than 12 million people...and this view let you see it all. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

     Aliza visited ALL the swanky furniture. And Mama snapped her picture every time. Haha! 

     We made our way back to reality and headed to lunch at the World Plaza. It has a variety of restaurants and cuisines. They were all very nice restaurants too! We were going to eat at Oggi, an Italian restaurant, but it didn't open for another half hour so we opted for Mi Casa. Mexican! I had vegetarian nachos and Eric had a burrito. Aliza enjoyed guacamole and a cheese quesadilla. It was all very delicious! Before we left, I stopped in a deli store (actually more of a grocery store) and picked up some more snacks for Aliza. Ok, fine. And another FULL bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos. Aliza enjoyed using her new box of Cheerios as a snack AND for play time!

     The afternoon brought laundry...in our bath tub! This is the second time we've done it here (in the tub). This particular load of laundry would have cost us $300USD to have it sent out. I know this because I priced it out. We thought we were desperate for someone else to do it after the first time...because wringing it all out and hanging it up is time-consuming and quite frankly, annoying...but not annoying enough to spend $300USD! Sore hands here we come! Aliza loves laundry day. Here, Eric is stirring the laundry to really get the washing effect. Haha! Oh, and yes, there's a giant window into the bathroom. Really makes the place seem more open. It does have a motorized shade that goes up and down... which we've had many laughs about.

     Tonight we decided to stay in and do our weekly "room service in China when at a fancy hotel" dinner. They quoted us about 45 minutes. While we waited, Aliza climbed up on Eric's lap as he worked on his computer. She did NOT take a nap today (which isn't a big deal because we haven't been trying too hard) so she was pretty sleepy by now. Eric was listening to some music on his phone and she rested her head on both hands and dozed off. Preciousness! I picked her up and swayed her a little bit deeper into sleep and now, she's out for the night!  

     In other news, when I got on my Delta app today, it reminded me that we can check in...in 1 day and 14 hours. YAY! We're so excited tomorrow is Tuesday already! Home is getting closer to becoming a reality. Good night from China, friends!