"Hiking" Day on Baiyun (White Cloud) Mountain

I've put the word in quotes because "hiking" in China is a bit different than in the States...at least with what we experienced, today. Granted, it is "Women's Day" here in China, but this hiking included completely paved trails and about a million people:-) Other than that, the place was gorgeous! The azaleas, and other flowing plants, were in full bloom and the edges of the "trail" were very lush and green and VERY fragrant. The weather was great with low humidity and in the low 80's. Even with that weather, we were the only people in shorts and t-shirts. So we weren't sure if it was our lack of clothing, the Longhorns emblazoned on our shirts, or the fact that Jay had a Chinese boy strapped to his back. No matter, we had a blast. We purchased the child carrier in hopes of avoiding the stroller fumble through the crowds, here in China, as well as giving the contraption a dry run before a trip to Colorado that we have planned, later this summer. Turns out, it works great! Kai was even able to take an hour nap on our walk, thanks to the handy-dandy head hammock that pulls out like a hoodie on a rain jacket.

Along the way, there are various "rest areas" that seem to have all sorts of activities at each stop: ping-pong, hacky-sack, tai chi, ballroom dancing (yes! you read that right), and a multitude of delicious (and not so delicious) smelling concessions. And of course, no national scenic area would be complete without a McDonalds at the summit! There are also several old temples and houses along the way. You could literally spend several days exploring all of the little off-shoots in this area. As it turns out, we only had about 3.5 hours so we were moving out! To that end, we were amazed at the conditioning exhibited by the older generation walking up and down that trail, which has a pretty significant grade.

At the beginning of the trail, there is an "introduction to walking with vigorous steps" sign that tells you how to begin "the health walk" (picture below). Along the way, there are educational signs about how to reduce your cholesterol, "stop the smoking", and decreasing alcohol intake. Ironically, there is nothing about breathing heavy in the smog. At the top, we started to wonder if "White Cloud Mountain" referred to cumulous formations, or the immense pollution blanketing the city. I'm sure that there really are lovely views of Guangzhou, but you can barely make it out through the thick smog.

At the top, we chose to by-pass the McDonalds and keep going toward a second summit (Moxing Peak) and PB&J sandwhiches (which Kai does not like!). We stopped near there for some ice cream. We are not sure if Kai has ever had ice cream, or maybe he just never had one all to himself. However, once he realized it was all his, he put his face right in it!

After racing back to the bottom to meet our guide, we went for an adventure in the leather market. (translation: purses and wallets!) It was a bit overwhelming, and in the end, I could not decide on anything. However, our guide does have a trip back there next week with 3 more adoptive families who due in tonight, so put your orders in if there is anything you want!

Meanwhile, back at the hotel we are settling in for cup o' noodles and lots of bottled water! Tomorrow, we have to visit the clinic for a medical appointment, which usually means lots of immunizations. I also hope to get a translation of the operative report that we picked up from the orphanage, yesterday. I'll be flying solo on this visit, as Jay has another couple of papers due in the next 2 days and this will be a good catch-up day for him.

Thanks to all, for the thoughtful comments and emails! Like we did for Cael, our plan is to print this account of the adoption up for Kai, as a sort of "baby book", and your comments and well-wishes will mean a lot to him, someday.

Good night!