Looking back...

These are the highlights of our trip to China:

Beijing:

Beautiful city with lots to see and do
The Great Wall ~ Go left for a challenging climb; go right for a crowded but easier climb
Cloisonne Factory ~ Beautifully made items. Had to buy a few.
Tiananmen Square ~ An interesting tour on a hot hot hot day
The Hutongs ~ A fun rickshaw ride through these beautiful narrow streets
Temple of Heaven ~ Beautiful and surrounded by well kept grounds

Careful crossing the street. The traffic lights are not mandatory to follow and drivers have the right of way. Also, if you make an eye contact with the driver, it indicates to them that you saw them, therefore they will not stop.
Lots of construction work everywhere (probably related to the Olympics)

Chongqing:

Shayna was placed into our arms 30 minutes after we got there - Happy day!
A huge 7-story mall connected to our hotel with FOOD
The Six Banyan Tree Temple where our daughter was blessed by a monk, and hubby was able to climb the tall pagoda to the top. Very special.
A Sichuan dinner with our group. The food was too spicy but the company was good and we had our spicy girls with us.

We had only a few minutes after our luggage arrived to prepare for Gotcha. Talk about stress.
No one at the hotel or at the mall spoke English.
The zoo was nothing special with very few animals on exhibit, and it was somewhat depressing to see the animals in small cages.
At the supermarket which was overstaffed, the employees followed us wherever we went. I also got the wrong amount of change at the register. Note: It's better to give them smaller bills. Oh, by the way, you can have your hair colored in the middle of the aisle if you require this service.
Large crowds of people everywhere. It felt like walking through a busier version of Manhattan.

Guangzhou:

Shamian Island is beautiful and not crowded
Good food but expensive with not very many vegetarian options
Lots of good stores and good bargains on souvenirs
Our group had the best foot and back massage at a place that our guide took us to
It was fascinating to watch the locals do Tai Chi at the park in the morning and play badminton in the evening everywhere. Also, there were soldiers marching and training in the streets in the evenings.

There is an attendant on each floor of the hotel. They know where you "live", they press the elevator button for you, show you into the elevator and upon return, direct you to your room (every single time). We could have easily survived without them.
Very hot, humid and rainy. Bring lots of sunscreen, shorts and an umbrella.

~~ On a different note, we have some new photos of little Shayna.

She loooves bath time and Mr. ducky.

Shayna looking pretty in her new summer dress and hat (with lots of SPF).




Babe in the hood