| We've managed to get a VERY slow internet connection here in China, so we're sharing some notes about our time here so far. With a little luck, you might get some photos, too, but the connection is unreliable at best. Frustrating when we're so used to high speed at home! Well, it's official...we've left Hong Kong and arrived in China. The bus ride to China was largely uneventful, and actually quicker than the last time we traveled. They've improved the border crossing quite a lot. Emily was happy to get to travel on the bus with her favorite uncle, Pok Hei. Before leaving Hong Kong, we had a really special moment when Danny's elderly cousin came to say goodbye at the bus stop. Emily was so happy to see him that she literally ran to him yelling his name. We figure it made his whole week!! The photo says it all. The bus ride takes about 4 hours from start to finish, so by the time we arrived in Jiujiang, we were all pretty tired. The hotel here leaves a lot to be desired, but there aren't exactly other choices, so here we are. The town hasn't prospered since our last visit, with the economy essentially stagnant. It's really nice to see some of Danny's relatives, though, and they seem really thrilled to see Emily again. Several of them are the same relatives that drove us into Guangzhou a year-and-a-half ago when we came to get Emily and then went with us to the office when we got her. Seeing her now is really special to those relatives. It is really muggy and warm here...about 23-25 degrees plus humidity. The funny thing is that if we take Emily out in anything less than long sleeves, jeans and a jacket, we get told off! We finished off our day with a really nice dinner with many of Danny's more distant relatives. It was wonderful to see some of the elderly men who obviously were thrilled about the occasion! One thing we had forgotten was how rock-hard the beds here in China are. It's quite literally like sleeping on the floor. |
