Guangzhou at Last!

We were unable to make an entry yesterday as we were traveling and getting our directions for what all would go on during the next round of governmental procedures and obtaining of the documents needed to bring Avery home.  We all know how long it takes to get a passport in the U.S., and you can imagine what all is involved in an adoption: verification of immunizations, obtaining a passport for a Chinese baby, medical examinations, obtaining a visa for her to leave the country, applying for her to become a U.S. citizen, emigration, immigration, etc.  This is carefully orchestrated by our agency, but the process is the process.  We were finished in Nanchang and now we have come for the work to be done in Guangzhou.

Guangzhou is the third largest city in China, and the population just within the city limits is at least 10,000,000.  The parts of it we have seen could not be more different from Nanchang.  It is gorgeous.  Kristie said it reminded her of Savannah.  The guide told us that the government spent billions making the city attractive when it was host to the Asian Games.  It is clean.  It is a port on the Pearl River and our hotel, the White Swan, has a magnificent view of the river and its traffic.  It is a very posh hotel that caters to families adopting Chinese children, so it is not uncommon to see other family groups similar to those in our group.  The hotel even has an indoor waterfall.  Anya is very impressed, and frankly we are appreciative of the comfortable surroundings in the hotel and the cleanliness of the city.  Even though we have enjoyed the elaborate international breakfasts buffets we have had in all the hotels, this one is the finest we have ever seen in any place.  Anya appreciated that there were chicken nuggets on the breakfast buffet as well as corn flakes!  Familiar food is a comfort as we grow weary of travel.

One of the jobs to do today was to take the babies to the medical examination.  We had to get there on foot and it was, of course, raining.  Regardless, we were so impressed with the lush landscaping and carefully maintained walks and buildings.  As for the exams.....the babies were not about it.  For Avery, we had the worry of now several days of diarrhea and a rash that was getting worse.  The doctor called in another doctor, but they could not decide what it was.  It is not the scabies we treated last week, and it is not chicken pox.  It may be a virus or some type of allergy.  They gave us a treatment for the diarrhea and Kristie gave her an oatmeal bath tonight.  We will hope for improvement.  Although she noted her discomfort during the exams, the issues and the exams have not made Avery crabby for long.  She continues to interact, find humor in immitating or getting others to immitate her; really, she is a charming little girl.  The other job of the day was to prepare the paperwork to apply for the visa.  It all wore her out; it wore us all out!  We look forwrad to coming home.