Off to Guangzhou...

Sunday, January 6^th:  After another delicious breakfast, we got our suitcases packed up and crammed ourselves (and our luggage) back into a taxi. We were off to the train station. We bought tickets for the next train heading for Guangzhou. We went thru security and immigration with bags in tow…since we didn’t really want to check them.  It was a bit more work hauling everything onto the train but it all worked out.  The girls are such troopers…it helps that they have traveled a bit I think;) I swore I saw one of the nannies from the girl’s orphanage at the train station but I was too chicken to try talking to her.  I am not 100% sure but my gut tells me it was her…weird huh, what are the chances?!? We didn’t have to wait long before boarding.  It was a nice train and we were comfortable.  They passed out bottles water but we passed on the other snacks they were selling…smelled horrible! I enjoyed the view of the countryside from the train and my mind drifted to my children’s birthparents…what kind of life were they living? Do they think of the little ones they had to give away? We live such different, easy lives than most people here do.  Our guide, Michael, met us at the train station with a van.  He speaks great English and it was nice to have a “friend”.  He helped us to get checked in at the Garden Hotel and figure out what room would work best for us.  It is beautiful hotel…we should be comfortable here for the next several days.  Michael helped Lance exchange money at the bank.  I screwed up a bit on the amount of money we were to bringL THANKFULLY Lance had called to authorize our debit cards here so we will get it all worked out.  Michael also gave us the low down on what the next several days would bring.  We are meeting Lia at 2:30PM on Monday (that is 1:30AM early Monday morning at home).  He has met her briefly and said she seemed very shy.  He also mentioned her vision issues (which we learned she had but is NOT in her paperwork).  I just pray that she is brave and will let us love her.  After Michael left us…we went on a search for dinner (we skipped lunch).  We ended up at a place in hotel called The Tavern.  After filling our tummies, we ventured out in search of a 7-11 and to scope out the nearest Starbucks. We got a few snacks for the girls and headed back to the hotel. It is chilly here and the girls were cold.  They both took hot baths and both fell a sleep quickly on their own. Lance and I followed soon after.  But now here I sit and type at 1AM…UGH!!!  Prayers for our Lia tomorrow PLEASE!!!  Off to try to get a few more ZZZZ’sJ

Pictures of Hong Kong from our taxi...

Lilyan thinks Grandma Linda should move here and get one of these really high apartments...

On the train to Guangzhou...it took a couple hours I think.

Picture from the train...getting closer to my girl.

Hotel lobby picture...VERY nice!!!