Goodbye Nanning, Hello Guangzhou!

We got up early this morning and finished our packing. We met our guide at 10:45 and headed to the Nanning airport. Leaving Guangxi was hard. We loved it there, and we felt a certain sadness as we left. Laney's home province is beautiful and we can't wait to return.

Michael, our guide, was absolutely fantastic. We were so sad to say goodbye to him! I gave him a huge hug and told him we would email and write. He really loved Laney too and kept giving her final pats and hugs. So sweet!

I was interested to see how Laney would do on the plane, but she did fine. It was only an hour mind you, so the perfect "test" flight. She loved the boxed lunch we were served and munched her way through that for most of the flight.

When we arrived in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, PRC we were met by our next CCAI rep, Jason. He is a short, energetic guy -- full of tips and helpful notes. We feel like we're in excellent hands...which is good since Michael spoiled us so.

We're staying at the Victory Hotel on Shaiman Island. Shaiman Island is a very picturesque area located on the Pearl River. The island is quiet and peaceful, with loads of shops and markets catering to Western travelers and adoptive parents in particular. We had dinner at a restaurant near the hotel, The Cow & Bridge. It's Thai food and it's very, very good. I had some of the best chicken red curry w/ coconut milk I have ever eaten. Laney gobbled up the rice and Troy was happily eating his way through chicken satay and peanut sauce. The best part? They do take-away service very quickly, so we were able to grab it and bring it back to the hotel to eat. Laney is like any 18 month old...not thrilled with sitting in a high chair during a long meal.

There is another CCAI family here with us. We'll be doing all of our appointments together. Betsy (the mother) and I have already spoken chatted through email/loops, so it's nice to have a friend here. Another CCAI family arrived last night, but they're a bit behind us in schedule. They get their baby on Monday.

Tomorrow we apply for Laney's Visa. We have her passport (received that our last night in Nanning.) She looks so cute in her passport picture! LOL!

We're having some issues with uploading photos tonight, but we'll hopefully have that fixed tomorrow so check back in for a large batch of photos. I do have a new video link ready. It's Laney walking in the Nanning airport this morning as we waited for our flight. She continues to amuse and amaze us. What a treasure! More to come tomorrow.