November 18, 2004
Guangzhou
After a week in Nanchang, we flew down to Guangzhou to take care of immigration issues, such as a medical examination, taking another vow at the US Consulate, and verifying Rebecca's identity. They are very strict with respect to that - they don't allow babies to get mixed up, and you can't adopt a baby from an orphanage without an official document saying that her parents are not known. They are very strict about child trafficking.
The weather was very nice, about 45-50 degrees (F) for the few days we were there, and the officer at the US Consulate said that it would likely be the coldest day of the year.
Travel tip: if you go to a "Western" restaurant to get a hamburger (after you want some relief from Chinese food) - do NOT ask them to put mustard on it!
And speaking of food, the White Swan had an excellent buffet provided for all the families adopting, and was it ever crowded with parents, babies, and strollers everywhere. Someone joked that the hotel should be called the White Stork. The hotel had a playroom and lots of perks for us, and we met people from all over the world there.
Here are some shots from the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou.
(Click following link to see pictures.)
Rebecca loves the White Swan hotel! (I love this picture but wish it had come out better - actually Amy snapped a good shot on her camera which we only have as a print)
Fish - and there were real goldfish in the water below - real big ones! This was next to the hotel's restaurant and buffet area. Rebecca loved to sit at a table next to the water and watch them swim around.
Year of the Monkey - two shots, Day & Night
