22 - Back to Guangzhou

7/8 We awoke at 5am this morning (Saturday) to leave Taiyuan on an 8am flight to Guangzhou. Promptly at 6am, Kate threw up. It was evident that she didn't feel well at all. But what to do? The planes leaves with or without us. Well, this isn't the US, so a cure was at hand. After checking us in, our guide took me downstairs in the airport to the Medical First Aid office. After asking questions about her symptoms and condition, the nurse on duty gave me a vial full of children's Dramamine for only 5y. Of course, after her first dose, Kate slept until the final 30 minutes of the flight and was able to sit by the window and study the clouds below her and later experience and see the descent and landing.

[Edited in 2008 to add--Kate told us that the orphanage staff instructed her to do everything we told her and to eat all food put in front of her. So, she did eat all 3 fish fillets even though she does not like fish. Now we understand the upset tummy and wished we'd understood during the trip.]

It's hard to explain how we are able to understand each other. Since cousins left, Cora and Kate are sole playmates. They play together, yabbering in their own languages, handing each other the requested toy or object. Kate will ask something of me, and usually I respond knowingly. Sometimes, my answer isn't what she expected or wanted :-) She hasn't waved her hand in my face while saying bo xie anymore, so that's progress.

She thoroughly adores her Baba and is even a bit jealous of Gerald and Cora's times together. They began a card game earlier and Kate walked around pouting and moaning. She has whining down! Perhaps she was the Queen of Whine at her orphanage.

Our Guangzhou guide, Lucy, met us at the airport and promptly whisked us away for Kate's medical and visa pic appointments. It's the same medical clinic we visited in 1998 with Cora. The medical staff asked about Cora and commented on her tallness. They also added that the girls are very pretty. It was perfect timing to have the medical appt today since Gerald's allergies caught up with him. Taiyuan still has a severe pollution problem. The medical clinic staff prescribed meds for both, so I now mix strange herbs with water and coax both patients to take their meds :-) Gerald's appt and meds cost 80y ($10)!

Once again, we relied on our guide to correct and improve our hotel arrangements. Our adoption agency is striking out in this area as far as we are concerned. But the guide upgraded us to a business room since that's the only area of Victory that is NonSmoking. So, we are comfortably settling in for the next 3 days until we leave for US!

After checking into The Victory Hotel, on Shamian Island, we went exploring the area. Many adoptive families stay at the nearby White Swan Hotel, but the very very tiny rooms with stone beds at a very high cost are not appealing to us. The bronze statues scattered throughout the island are so interesting. Although I'm happy to be back in Guangzhou, I'm sad about the changes on Shamian Island since '98. We walked a gauntlet of agressive shopkeepers similar to walking across Tiannamen Square or the Great Wall! The calm and peaceful atmosphere is gone and the junk abounds. Folks, this is not the place to find bargains because product quality is so poor. We enjoyed burgers and fries at "Lucy's." hint: bring your own French's mustard, unless you like spicy mustard :-) Oh, how I miss Sonic...