China - Day Twelve - Venturing out and about Guangzhou on our own...

Overlooking beautiful Guangzhou

Today, the only thing listed on our itinerary was to wait in our hotel room for a phone call from our facilitator, Lily.  She would be calling to get the results of Lucy's Tuberculosis test that was done on Saturday and let us know if we needed any further medical testing.  We wouldn't need to wait for the phone call until 3:30 so the day was ours to do as we wished.
After chatting with some other adoptive families at breakfast, we learned about a toy and gift market that was about 20 minutes from our hotel (Onelink Plaza).  We decided to hail a taxi and check it out.  Our kind taxi driver put on music with English lyrics for us to enjoy on the ride.  The taxi trip to "Onelink Plaza" cost us all of $4.00.
We were dropped off at this 8 story plaza.  Each floor held dozens of  "stores", or perhaps better described as cubicles.  I would guess the size of each cubicle was about 8' x 8'.  Narrow aisles between stores made it interesting to maneuver a stroller.  (thinking about you often Carol Scheuerman ;0)
By now, Merle has this bartering game down.  This is how we roll........ I choose what I'd like to purchase - hand it to Merle and tell him "how interested I am in buying" (if I tell him I REALLY would like to have it he'll see how low they seem to be willing to barter  - and he starts the dickering, ahem bartering back and forth.  (I very much DISLIKE the barter game)

Eating cookies with Kimmy while Mama shops

Browsing

What do you think about this Daddy?

It was nice to shop in an air conditioned building and after visiting several floors of the plaza, we decided to head back to the hotel to await our call.

This is the look I give when I have to get in a vehicle and I don't know where I'm headed!

The phone rang early and Lily gave us the good news we were expecting to hear - the results for TB were negative and no further testing needed!  Thanking God for each hurdle passed in this journey.

After letting Lucy "unwind" a bit in the room, it was time to head back out for our supper.  (typically we eat a big breakfast at the buffet in the hotel each morning that comes with our plan and then grab supper out locally).

At the fountain in front of our hotel

Different view at hotel front

Enjoying stroller rides in Guangzhou

Tonight's supper was Chinese!  Imagine that....Chinese food in China :)  Actually we have eaten "Mexican" and "Italian" while here in China too!  Our "noodle and dumpling girl" seemed to like the supper Daddy chose for her....

My Daddy has gotten good with the chopsticks!

I'm one of the best noodle slurpers around!

Although we ate a later than typical dinner, it was still a bit too early to spend the rest of the evening in our hotel room.  So, we decided to check out the "Gardens".  (as I wrote in an early post, our hotel name is "The Garden Hotel")  What a gorgeous place!!

On the bridge with Daddy at the "Garden"

Strolling the paths at the "Garden" with Mommy

FISH - those are FISH Lucy!

Although we're missing our family at home, we know this time of special bonding and one on one time with our newest little one is ever so important for all of us and indeed a gift!