August 22 & 23/Pearl River Cruise and saying goodbye

Wow, I can't believe how quickly our time here is coming to an end.  Perhaps it's because we are getting out and about more on our own and we're finding lots to do.  Yesterday we finally made it to our U.S. Consulate appointment and we are now approved to get on a plane bound for the states with Lorelei.  Later in the day we went on a night time dinner cruise on the Pearl River.  Guangzhou is all lit up at night for the river boats.  Really beautiful!

Oh, and yesterday we also went to a *huge* bookstore (six stories!! heaven!) and found books that are in Chinese and English and a few Disney movies in Chinese too.  Lorelei has already watched Snow White on baba's computer.  There is also a museum of a Han dynasty emperor just down the street from our hotel.  It was found intact about 20 years ago, so we headed there to check the excavation site and the many treasures that were found there.   Very cool!  Looking back, is it any wonder we were asleep before our heads hit the pillows last night?

Today all of the families in our travel groups met to take pictures and say goodbye, at least for now.  We are from all over the U.S., from all walks of life, but brought together by this shared experience of finding our children here.  Being here together and weathering the ups and downs has been such a wonderful thing... we can't imagine what this journey would have been like without them. 

riding the escalator at our hotel--every time we leave or return!

with our guide, Jason, who is now part of our family too