We are still here in Guiyang. We have only a few more days here until we fly to Guangzhou. Tomorrow we should receive AngeLina’s passport and then all we have left to do is the medical exam and Embassy appointment in Guangzhou.
The Guizhou province is amazing. This is AngeLina’s home province. Even though we do not know the exact city/location of her birth, we have still learned so much about the customs and traditions of the people from this southern province. In Beijing, we saw many Americans and the hotels offered many menu items for “Westerners”. Here in Guiyang, we have not seen any people, other than Chinese. Few people speak English and they all seem intrigued by Americans. The city is busy and the decorations are being hung in preparation for the Chinese New Year. There are 3.5 million people that live in this “tiny” city tucked in between the mountains. We look outside our hotel windows and after the smog and fog clears, we have a view of a small mountain, many cars and people, some small shops, and people cooking on the street. Outside one window, we see signs of poverty and sadness and outside the other window, there is obvious prosperity. The food here is also quite different. Last night, we ate dinner at the hotel. For the evening buffet, they were serving stewed ox tongue, bullfrog, pork brain, boiled perch (the whole fish), raw squid and other unrecognizable delicacies. Bradley tried the sushi- he was brave. He was treated like royalty- getting his food before we even ordered. He had spaghetti and the rest of us had pizza and hamburgers. Apparently this province is known for their spicy foods and their love for dog meat. We are told that yellow/gold dogs are the most favorable! Yesterday we traveled a couple of hours to see the waterfalls. We went to the Huangguoshu Waterfall. It was amazing. We walked and climbed more stairs however, it was so worth it! We walked behind the waterfall and through several caves. Pictures do not do it justice! This is apparently a favorite tourist location for the Chinese people. After walking through the waterfall, we were really hungry! We had packed a picnic lunch and enjoyed Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches and Pringles! I feel a little bad for not indulging in the local cuisine- but I don’t want to take too many chances! Plus, I am a dog lover- can’t imagine cooking up Jake or Max! We did visit the village of the Miao ethnic group. They Miao people performed for us- they sang traditional songs, demonstrated how to use their tools, walked on fire and glass, ate coals, and more! It was fascinating. We all really enjoyed the day out of the city- away from the traffic, beep-beeps and smog!
The day before yesterday, we went to the park. My favorite part was seeing the local people play badminton, spin tops with a whip, and enjoy the outdoors. There was so much to see in this park. The monkeys were really cute and of course the architecture and design of the temples were incredible. The zoo was quite different than our zoos in America—it was quite sad. Overall, this has been an amazing journey. We are so fortunate to have Miss Cai as our guide and translator. We could not survive here without her—ask Richard!
Today was a pretty lazy day—thank goodness! We completed some paperwork for the Embassy appointment and stayed close to the hotel. We went out to dinner- Pizza Hut- our favorite! We also found a beautiful, exclusive mall—I could have stayed there looking for days! They had EVERYTHING!
AngeLina is so adorable! She is really trying to walk and pulls up on everything! Bradley is still a great big-brother. He can really make AngeLina laugh. She loves to “push his buttons”—his PSP buttons! We wonder how long his tolerance will last! When I am around, she doesn’t want anything to do with Richard. Once they walk out in the hall or I am out of sight, she is fine! So spoilt- already! I think this has to be record time! Richard says that I should plan now to take her to work with me… he-he! Although she really won’t be coming to work with me, I WILL bring her in to visit everyone at school soon! To answer a few questions that some of you have asked from signing the guestbook--- No- I do not speak Chinese. I am trying to learn and say a few words… the pronunciation is difficult! Fortunately we have Miss Cai who assists us with communicating! Yes- we are having so much fun! This has been an incredible journey and I have learned so much. We are so grateful and blessed- not only to have AngeLina but, to learn so much about her amazing culture! AngeLina is 10 months old- she was born on March 28, 2006. The year 2006 was considered as “the year of the dog”. The year 2007 is “the year of the pig”. Yes, I will bring AngeLina in to meet you all when we return from China! I miss all of you and I know that she will love the MacDonald family just as much as I do! I am so glad to hear that you are all doing so well in school and that Mrs. White is doing a great job as the principal! I know that you will all continue to make me proud! I am so glad that we could share this journey with you all--- each of you has a special place in our hearts! Good Night! These pictures are from today- look back to Jan. 30 and 31 to see pictures of sight-seeing!
