Cruising the Pearl

Today was another slow day. Our paperwork was submitted to the US consulate and we did not run into any snags. The China team does this for us so we have the day off until the evening when we had a Dinner Cruise on the Pearl River.

We decided to take a walk over to the Orchid garden that is real close to the hotel. I must say that this was fabulous. The garden was very nice. Well worth the $1 admission price. We had the place nearly all to ourselves and in a country with this many people, that alone is worth a lot. We had great weather so that part was nice. In the spring I bet there are a lot more flowers blooming and the place must be even better.

We then went with the group to do more shopping. They bussed us to the fabric and electronics markets. These are not together but in separate markets right next to each other. We got out of the hotel and that was our goal. We did not need fabric nor any electronics so the whole shopping part of the trip didn’t work out real well. We took a cab back early and Mandy still can’t believe we survived it. Picture the cab in the left lane of a four lane road when all of a sodden he realizes that he needs the next right turn. Mind you he had about 10 yards to make the turn at this point. Does he go past, turn around and come back? No, try applying your breaks and cutting off a very large semi-truck and buss as he crawls off the road at a snails pace. What is amazing is that I don’t recall any honking. It is amazing what people consider “normal” driving here.

The last stop on today’s adventure was a cruise on the Pearl River. As luck would have it, they were having boat parade tonight so we are cruising up and down the river amid a flotilla of boats decked out with all kinds of lights. The shore on either side were lit as well. It was a magical experience topside, which is a good thing because there was no magic happening at the buffet table below deck. The food was not terrible but I would recommend planning to “augment” this meal if you go.

Some side observations as a first time parent:

• Keep your child’s fingernails well trimmed. They serve as a very effective weapon on the hands of a child.
• Babies smell cool! Except when they don’t, if you know what I mean.
• Extremities are not a place for clothing. Socks, shoes, hats, and gloves are not acceptable to children and they will be discarded at the first opportunity.

Hope this helps ;)