China Day 13 - Guangzhou

Paperwork is the name of the game today.  This morning Sue took her to a photo store to get a passport sized photo for her Visa home, and I went shopping since all of the clothes that fit her were dirty or too warm.  It is 75 - 80 degrees here today and sub-tropical - banyan trees, plumeria and palm trees.  I found a shop and bought 4 outfits for her for around $40.  This whole area caters to adoptive families so the shopkeepers all speak English and they all have cute baby items.  Sue is in HEAVEN!

Sophie woke up happy again and here she is getting teased by Dad.  She has a little cold so she hasn't been sleeping too well (translation: None of us have been sleeping too well).  Then I had a 1 1/2 hour paperwork party with the rest of the parents to complete the US Visa application while Sue hung out with Sophie..

The hotel is beautiful and all decked out for Christmas.  There are lots of shops in the hotel as well with all kinds of expensive Chinese crafts.  Fun to look at but not good for a kid house like ours!

Here are some pics of the room and Sue talking to the kids at home, and our view of the city:


  

Here's Sophie at breakfast:

And finally some other adoptive parents with their daughters, Kate in the first pic with Esther and Scott in the second with their daughter Olivia:

This afternoon we had lunch and for a real treat - American food!  It took almost an hour to have 2 cheeseburgers prepared for us, but Sophie, the international ambassador entertained the restaurant.

We didn't have to have American food, there were other alternatives:

All I can say here is... Yum.

Of course, after you eat those snakes, you may have to visit here.  Women's legs here must be very strong!

Then we took a little stroll around the island we are staying on.  Here are some of the sights below!

We went out to a delicious Thai restaurant tonight and it was really yummy. There were a lot of us, plus at least 12 babies.  Was it noisy?  Do you have to ask?  And here are the pictures, including one advertising "Seattle Coffee".