We packed up Friday morning to be ready to leave the hotel in Wuhan at 10:30. Sophia got upset and cried when I started packing. She didn't like her stuff being packed away. I'm sure it was scary for her. We stopped to pick up her passport and headed to the train station.
The bullet train is a high speed train that travels about 200 miles per hour. It took us 3 hours and 15 minutes to get to Guangzhou. The train was very nice. We had first class tickets, which gave us a little more room at our seat. It was a very smooth ride. We left Wuhan at 2pm and got in to Guangzhou at 5:15 pm, so it was daylight and we got to see the country side as we traveled. It was what you think of China looking like - rural country side, rice paddies, small villages, farmers plowing with oxen. The only draw back to the train ride was we had to manage all our luggage ourselves on and off the train. I don't know how to pack light. I try, really, I do. But it's just not possible! So we had 2 large rolling suitcases, 1 medium rolling suitcase, a carry-on sized rolling bag, a duffel bag, 2 backpacks and a diaper bag. Plus, our squawling 2 year old. I brought an Ergo carrier with me - I had grand visions of wearing my baby all over China. Monday arrived the child who hates me & the Ergo hadn't left the suitcase until the train ride. We had too much luggage to manage for Steve to be able to hold Sophia. So I put on the Ergo, we strapped her in it and she started to scream, kick, lean back, flail all about & try to hit me in the face. Not a pretty sight.
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| The Wuhan train station |
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| The first class train car |
Most of the bags fit on the overhead shelf - everything except the 2 large suitcases. There was a little space behind the last row of seats where our travel-mates stored their large bags (they have 4 adults, a teenager & a 10 yr old - that's a lot of luggage!) The 2 seats across from us were empty for the first part of the ride, so we just stuck our bags there. At the Changsha stop a man got on with a ticket for one of the seats our luggage was occupying. Steve moved the bags in front of us, blocking most of our foot room. The gentleman sat on the aisle and said we could put the bags back next to the window on his side. One of them blocked his seat a little bit & Steve tried to take it back. The man said, "It's ok, I'm a little man." He was very nice about it.
Sophia fell asleep about half an hour into the train ride. When Steve had to move our luggage in Changsha, he put her in my lap. I was afraid she'd wake up and scream, but she slept for quite a while longer. She woke up about 40 minutes before we arrived in Guangzhou.
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| Asleep on the bullet train |
The China Hotel is very nice. The bed is so comfortable! In both Hong Kong and Wuhan the beds were like sleeping on plywood. It is a little on the small side. And there's this strange window separating the bathroom from the bedroom. I guess it's to make it feel bigger. The window has an electric shade you can lower by pressing a button in the bathroom. It was convenient when we got in Friday night - Sophia wanted to take a bath so I put her in the tub to play while I unpacked. With the window I could watch her from the bedroom and unpack at the same time :)
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| The China Hotel (from their website) |
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| Playing in the bathtub while I unpacked |
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| View of the bathroom from our bedroom |
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| View of the bedroom from our bathroom |
The third family in our travel group arrived in late last night from their daughter's province. They are also adopting their 5th child. They have 3 boys and 1 girl at home. Their daughter they picked up last week is exactly the same age Chloe Grace was when we came to China to pick her up.
We met everyone in the hotel lobby at 9 am this morning. We loaded the bus and headed over to Shamian Island for the girls to have their medical exam and a TB test. Everything went well. Since Sophia already doesn't prefer me (that's putting it mildly :), Steve got to hold her while they were doing all the medical stuff. She did fine during the ear/mouth exam. During the physical she did ok until they undressed her. She didn't like that at all! Height and weight went fine. I didn't ask how tall she is, but she's 11 kg - 24 pounds. The 2T dress she has on today is too big. Then it was time for the TB test. It's given by syringe, just a little bubble under the skin on her left forearm. She started crying as soon as she saw the needle. Steve held her while they did the shot - I pulled out the cherry candy as soon as it was over :)
We did a little shopping and had lunch at Lucy's. The stores on Shamian Island have changed some since we were here last. They've done a lot of construction and upgrading. There's a store on the island called "Jennifer's Place". Here's the picture of me outside my place in 2008.
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| My old place |
Here's a picture of my place now:
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| My new and improved place :) |
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| The weather is so tropical here, the island is beautiful. Lots of flowers, plants and trees |
Then we came back to the hotel for a nap! Tonight we're meeting everyone for dinner at the hotel's steakhouse. It's supposed to be one of the best in GZ (according to the hotel staff ;)
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| After her nap with mommy - giver of cookies, cherry candy, drinkable yogurt and baths - all good things in 2 yr old world. |
