Today was an interesting day for us. We traveled by bus to An Yi County in the countryside. We visited the Luo Tian Village. It is a 1200 year old village with its own drainage and water system. It is very run down now but was quite magnificent back in its time. There are still families living there and the village seems to be self-sufficient. It is surrounded by vast farmland and breathtaking mountain scenery. We even got up close to the water buffalo. They didn't seem to be bothered by us but some of us were sure scared of them. There is a camphor tree in the back of the village that was planted in 880 AD.
After the trip to the countryside we took a nice nap. I then decided to hijack the bus and go back to the porcelain shop!!! Several of us went back to pick up last minute gift ideas and just to look around again. We are leaving Nanchang tomorrow. I have to get all this stuff packed somehow. I might be coming home with more suitcases then I left home with. Thank you all for the emails. It is so kind of you to say a quick hello. I promise I will answer them all when I get home. Just a quick story to tell you. The laundry service we use picked up all our clothes we sent out Friday. Someone broke into the van and went through all of the dirty clothes. For some odd reason all they took was ladies undergarments and men's jeans. Go figure out that one.
Sweet baby face
Under The Lucky Tree
Beautiful mountain scenery
April 30 -- Finally Leaving Nanchang
We had a lazy Sunday morning. After eating breakfast I went to buy another suitcase to pack all the goodies in. I managed to get it all stuffed into the suitcases! We left Nanchang at 3:50 pm and had a one hour 10 minute flight to Guangzhou. Since it was the last day of the Trade Fair the traffic was very heavy. I would like for Dallas to return to her home province one day to see just how beautiful it really is. Although it is a poor province it is rich in history and culture.
Guangzhou is a more modern city. The White Swan hotel is on Shamian Island. It is a five star hotel and is absolutely gorgeous. I will take pictures and send them Tuesday. We are on the ninth floor and our room overlooks the Pearl River. When we arrived Sunday night there were several boats on river cruises. The whole riverfront is lit up at night and is spectacular. We hit the dinner buffet late Sunday night. After a week in Nanchang we were ready for food we were more used to. Dallas is doing well. The bump on her head continues to lessen everyday. She is beginning to open up more for us and we are getting lots of smiles and laughs from her.
Happy Baby
Don't tell Daddy, but I'm a Red Sox fan
All smiles
May 1 -- Paperwork Day
We started off the day with the breakfast buffet. It was so tasty. I think just about everybody went back for seconds on the french toast and bacon! We took Dallas to the playroom here in the hotel. It is sponsored by Mattel and has lots of toys for the babies to play with. We also received the "Going Home" Barbie from the White Swan. It is made exclusively for the White Swan and is given to the adopted children of registered guests of the hotel. This one will be put up on a shelf so she can't tear it up as it is quite valuable.
The babies all had their pictures taken for their visas after breakfast. Johnny and I then went shopping and decided to buy a cheap stroller. She is getting heavy and she does seem to like to be strolled around now. We got her 2 silk dresses. We are having the traditional "red couch" photos taken Wednesday so you will get to see her in one of them. In the afternoon I filled out all the paperwork for the US Consulate to obtain her visa to enter the United States. Yeah, no more paperwork to fill out!
The group went to a Thai restaurant for dinner tonight. The food was delicious. I have never eaten Thai before and I really liked it. Dallas finally ate more tonight than she has in the past week. We fed her noodles and rice off chopsticks and steamed eggs. I think we finally got more in her than on the floor this time. We are going to visit a Buddhist Temple tomorrow. I will send pictures for you to enjoy.
