Day 7: Nanjing to Guangzhou

 The next morning, quickly realizing this would not work I began to search for alternative plans. I asked at the pool area as I figured they had to dry towels. No such luck. I asked at the front desk and they said they would send someone up from housekeeping to help. I wish I had a picture of the housekeeper’s eyes when she walked in the room and saw the menagerie of clothes in every nook and cranny as if we were decorating for some sort of holiday. We started counting the items, but lost count. She clearly communicated though. “It’s too much.” Meaning that it was going to be too many items for the laundry service in terms of price. After a few communications with the desk I realized they sent their laundry to a service and didn’t wash it on site. A very helpful desk agent named Sky decided to see what he could do. He came up and also assessed, it is too much. But we talked and between his phone, google translate and screenshots I took on my phone of a map and picture of a nearby laundromat I felt prepared to take on the challenge. He called ahead to get a price too and let them know I was on my way. I gathered up all the clothes in my suitcase and rolled it into the elevator and out the lobby door. Sky saw me trying to orient my screenshot of the map and came out and walked me to the corner to point to the group of buildings where the laundromat stood. Crossing the streets to the tall buildings I was trying to match the storefront picture, but wasn’t quite getting there. Sky had also armed me with a slip of hotel stationary with the address to the place in case someone needed to guide me. There were few people on that plaza, but I managed to run into the one that spoke perfect English and confirmed that the building I was near was the place. It must have been an interesting day for the folks at that desk. It was a small room and 3 people. Between them I opened my suitcase and explained I needed to have my clothes dried. The topic came up again of why they were wet and needed dried, but we got past that. At this point I was on a time crunch and let them know I needed to have them done by 1pm for our leave time. It was around 10am at that time. They informed me they only had 2 dryers and they weren’t industrial sized ones either, but they said they would do their best which I very much appreciated, especially when I learned we were meeting in the lobby to go at 1pm instead of 2pm. :-) We continued getting ready and playing our new game with Bailor of let’s put this in the trashcan (which he was almost too good at as we found his cup missing and had to go back to the room and pull it out of the trashcan :-) ) He’s always been a helper and sorter. As we headed downstairs I went past the group and headed across the street with my suitcase hoping it would all be done. Everything was all sorted and bagged up and ready to go into the suitcase. I couldn’t express how happy I was to them, but I think they got it. This would be the moment to leave a huge tip, but in China they don’t like tips so they would chase me down if they saw I paid too much. :-) Then it was off to the airport. 

The airport experience was a realization in how conditioned we have become to regulations in the United States. On the luggage side of things our bags were over the limit, but since we were with another family that had packed more efficiently (and had three extra people to count for baggage)) they were able to balance out the total. Thank you Miller family! For security we were able to leave our shoes on and take liquids through although we had already prepared by drinking them or pouring them out. We’re pretty sure the McDonalds had just opened as it was staffed with quite a few people. I ordered the Olympic branded chicken box and what had become our standard “American Style Salmon Burger” The chicken box ended up not being as displayed with a half chicken patty, chicken wings and nuggets. We found the gate we needed to be at in the downstairs area. It was crowded and not air conditioned so we opted to wait upstairs near the industrial fans and comfy less crowded seat while we all enjoyed our McDonalds. We kept an eye out downstairs for our plane to start boarding. We were slightly in shock when we glanced again and it said final boarding all of the sudden flashing in red. :-) We grabbed all our stuff and just made it to the bus that would take us on a fairly long journey out to where our airplane was sitting on the Tarmac.

The plane ride was interesting. Bailor did very well. We were very blessed that he enjoys safety and being buckled in. Although it was a short flight they had a fairly full meal and it was pretty good, which we were not expecting based on the quality of the food on the way to Shanghai. They even had an inflight movie although it was a little crazy and I had no idea what was going on or why. And this wasn’t a you get your own headphones situation, you were listening to the movie whether you liked it or not. :-)

On touchdown in Guangzhou we tested the balance and capacity of the airport carts they had available. Luckily in China those are free and when the sign says to not take them somewhere, that seems to be just a suggestion. Baggage claim was interesting though. Boxes of fruit came out first and then the bags. :-) Getting your bags is like an olympic sport and similar to crossing a street in China, don’t hesitate, just jump in. 

We found our new Lifeline guide waiting for us and we made our way out to the waiting bus, which was a slight upgrade (and for me much more headroom) and the most air conditioned space I think we experienced while we were there. Traveling into town Guangzhou really set itself apart from the tree-lined Chicago-like streets of Nanjing, with big buildings with lots of lighted signs and tall buildings making it like a tamed version of Vegas. Our guide, Meiko, was super organized and had maps of the area and schedule of what we would be doing. Getting to the hotel we thought the Golden Eagle was fancy, but this place put that in a new perspective with one of the most opulent lobbies we have ever seen with murals, flower displays and out back not one, but two waterfalls in the walking garden. This is the kind of place that makes you think during your adoption trip, I feel bad that people are paying for me to stay here. Then you put it into perspective that with the exchange rate this is about like staying in the Hampton Inn cost-wise. :-) On this trip we joined a few other families that were going to be part of our group as well. The hotel was really adoption central with many agencies choosing this as their preferred hotel. With the US embassy there it was a big mix of nationalities coming together. We almost felt more out of place there than in Nanjing although this city was much more used to international tourists. 

We headed for our room where we watched some Boonie Bears (a Chinese cartoon that Bailor and now admittedly myself had started to like that seemed to be on all the time about a lumberjack  and 2 bears at odds with each other) and some of the Olympics. I hung out in the room with Bailor while Mackenzie went to get dinner. We came back and enjoyed some, yes, McDonalds and some really delicious noodle rolls (think Burrito of noodles)(Don’t judge now as the partial reason for McDonalds was ease and proximity, but also for the unique taste it had. They had taro and pineapple pies and their “American Style Salmon Burger” was delicious and our go-to. Too bad it hasn’t caught on in America. :-))