ZOO TIMES!!!!!

(There are photos -- but Blogger has been giving me trouble for the last three days and posting photos has been hit-or-miss... I will keep trying so check back again!! ~~Cynthia)

Today has been a good day. We took Aiden to the clinic for the medical staff to check his TB test and found no reaction, so we were clear to go! Our guide hailed a cab and took us to the Guangzhou Zoo.

It was quiet and not crowded, so we were able to ride a little shuttle to get around the park. The animals were in very bare areas with no vegetation and basic shelter. Of course we oooohhhed and awwwwhhhed so as not offend our local guide. The funny thing was that the locals visiting the park with their children wanted to wave and say hello to us. So, we felt like the exhibits and main attraction...LOL.

There was a precious girl probably around 9-10 years old who was speaking to us in English at the prompting of her mother. She was very polite, and I was happy to let her practice her English.

Aiden took a long nap, so I wandered through the streets and into some shops. The buildings here on Shaiman Island are under major renovation to beautify the city. Most buildings have scaffolding covering the outsides and the sidewalks are dusty, muddy, or blocked to pedestrians. It is a mess and very inconvenient for tourists and shopkeepers, but it will be beautiful when finished. If only projects in our city could be handled with the manpower and kept on schedule like the Chinese seem to handle their work.

I love the shops here and have found my favorites. I was able to find some clothes for Aiden. The local shops near the hotel have always catered to the families adopting girls and have limited clothing for boys aside from the traditional clothing. I ran into a woman who told me about a shop a few blocks down that had boys casual clothing. Hooray! I got 2 pairs of jeans, 2 sweaters, and a long sleeve polo for Aiden. In fact, real Polo, Fushi Polo, and "Burberry". It is cute and cheap....that's all I needed!

We had dinner at a new Italian (yes, we are in China) restaurant tonight down from our hotel. It is a beautiful building inside and out and has homemade pasta. The menu is extensive, and I chose the ravioli with eggplant and fresh basil. The pasta was fresh and delicate. Rick had a wonderful gnocchi dish which Aiden helped him finish of course! Later we got some ice cream to bring back to the room. We are looking forward to not having to get up early tomorrow morning and rush through breakfast. We are definitely enjoying our time here in China, but we are very much looking forward to getting home!

Goodnight,
amy