Cheeseburgers and Paradise

Yesterday we flew from Carter's home town to Guangzhou for the second week of our trip. Guangzhou is in the southern part of China very close to Hong Kong. The US Consulate is here which is where we need to go to complete the final steps needed for Carter's visa. Our travel day just happened to coincide with the day Carter decided to introduce us to his high pitched "I'm very unhappy!" Squeal.  You aren't taking me outside right now...squeal.  I want to run around the crowded airport....squeal. You won't give me an entire hardboiled egg so I can throw it across the five star hotel lobby....squeal.  I was imagining an entire flight of those squeals but, miracle of miracles, Carter fell asleep just before the plane took off and slept the entire two hour flight. 

    Total relief when he fell asleep. 

He would have made it until we got off the plane, but just as we were about to disembark we were all told we had to get back in our seats. We sat there while three police officers boarded the plane and came all the way to the back where we were sitting (I'm sure everyone on board thought they were coming for us, the only Americans on board) and detained a woman who was sitting just behind us. We have no idea who she was or why she was on the government's "wanted" list but off she went and we were finally allowed to leave. 

The differences between Guangzhou and Zhengzhou are like night and day. In Zhengzhou the air is so thick with pollution that you can't even see the tops of tall buildings on most days. There are very few places to eat near the hotel and while we were there the temperatures reached over 100 degrees. We stayed close to the hotel except when we needed to go out for official adoption related things. There was a nice park near our hotel but heat+pollution+two of us being sick for a few days made the week seem very long and very stressful.  I think we ate pizza from the hotel restaurant at least five times. The streets are very crowded and the sidewalks are full of motorbikes and scooters all whizzing by at no less than 50 m.p.h, which makes walking anywhere feel like a death defying act, especially when you are walking with 3 kids in tow. Compared to Zhengzhou, Guangzhou feels like paradise. We have a Starbucks at our hotel. Heaven. And a McDonalds right next door. I have never been so happy to see a cheeseburger. Even after a week on a boat on the Amazon, McDonalds never seemed more glorious.  I really am not one of those Americans who travels abroad and only wants to see/eat American things, but traveling with young kids is a whole different ball game. And let's not forget my husband whose non-adventuresome eating habits are virtually legendary. 

Last night we ventured out to a park near our hotel. Just walking in clean, green space felt refreshing and wonderful. Carter loves being outside and loves trees and flowers. He just talked and sang to himself the entire time. I am the only one allowed to push his stroller which makes me smile because Charlie used to be the same way when he was little. 

Today we went to visit an ancient Buddhist temple built around 1400 years ago. We also visited the old Chen Family Ancestry home which is now a museum of Chinese folk art. It was hot and Carter slept through most of it. We did get to see a well known artist who makes amazing paintings with his hands.   

     Carter was unimpressed with the massive Buddhas at the temple.

     Camdyn got a fan with her name written in Chinese characters

    Outside the Chen House. Camdyn has her fan and Charlie got a Chinese flute. 

    Cuddling with big sister.