On to China

We arrived at our airport hotel rather late and had a bit of repacking to do in order to make everything fit into our luggage for the flight the next morning.  It was almost 11:30 pm by the time we got to sleep and we got up at 5:30 am to make it to the airport on time.

We ate breakfast at the restaurant, with Dana and the kids enjoying Taco Bell while I decided to get one last Korean dish of bi bim bap.  On the flight, the kids plugged into a movie and the 3 1/2 hour flight went by quickly, but in hindsight a little bit of rest might have been better especially considering the lack of sleep the previous night.

Once we got off the plane in Guangzhou, we could immediately tell we had moved into a different climate.  The air was thick with warm humidity and either the airport didn't have air conditioning or it was only used sparingly because it seemed pretty hot.  We made it through immigration and customs without any issues.  In Korea, we were on our own for getting to the hotel, but in China, we have a guide provided by our adoption agency.  Within a few minutes of getting to the main area, our guide Kelly showed up and led us to the waiting mini-bus.  We loaded up our luggage and started the ride into Guangzhou.  In addition to the warmth and humidity, my initial impression of Guangzhou was that it seemed run down and dirty in many areas.  The overcast day didn't help either.  But as we got closer to our hotel, I noticed more greenery and things looked newer and shinier.

Our hotel - the Garden Hotel

Our hotel, the Garden Hotel, is an international class hotel which makes it easy for foreign visitors.  Most of the staff speaks some English and you can communicate without knowing a bit of Mandarin.  The staff is friendly and eager to serve your every need.  It's easy to get spoiled.  Because of our family's size, we were able to get an apartment rather than two standard rooms.  That was such a blessing because it allowed us to spread out and fully unpack, yet all be in the same space.  The apartment has two bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, a kitchen, a dining room and a living room.

After we got slightly settled, we headed out to get some food.  Our guide had shown us some nearby options.  There are plenty of western options such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, another pizza place, and a Starbucks all within walking distance of the hotel.  We opted for the Pizza Hut and then followed that up with a stop at Starbucks for Dana.  We weren't impressed with Pizza Hut, but Starbucks was the same as always -- gotta love the consistency of a chain.

After that, we headed back to the hotel to unpack and catch a nap.

Plaza near hotel with Pizza Hut and McDonalds

Kids got a bag with Pandas and other little gifts from hotel