Wednesday - This morning we caught a cab back to Shamian Island to do a little more shopping. We got to the island just in time to see the school children, all lined up in perfectly straight lines, file their way into school, one line at a time.
Shopping today was a little less rushed, but we still did not feel like we could just leisurely stroll through the shops. Today we tried to be a little more ruthless with our negotiating tactics, but we're sure there is a shop owner somewhere who is laughing at us.
After Shamian Island, we took a cab to a local wholesale maketplace for children's clothing. While there was tons of stuff to see, it was actually somewhat overwhelming. We experienced a little more of a language barrier problem, and all of the really interesting and intricate clothing we would have like to purchase was all special order. They only had samples in the stores. After that, we successfully hailed another cab and rode back to the Garden Hotel.
Around 3:00, the entire group headed out, again on two buses, to the U.S. Consulate. Once we arrived we went up several floors, through security and into a pretty decent sized waiting room. There we waited as they called us up one family at a time to verify the pictures on our passports and on the children's visas. After that, they handed out some of the paperwork and visas for all of the children, then we took a group oath. That was it - all of the children were ready to come home!
After leaving the consulate, we headed back to the hotel and several of us planned on one more group dinner together at the Italian restaurant across from the hotel. When we got back we realized that we also were waiting on the shirts that we had ordered on Sunday to arrive. So, Daddy and Madison went to the restaurant while Mommy stayed behind at the hotel to wait on the shirts to be delivered.
We enjoyed ine last meal with several of the families in our group and reflected on the past two weeks and what a difference the children had gone through in such a short amount of time. it was a great way to wind down the evening and the trip. It was mixed emotions leaving the restaurant. None of us were looking forward to packing and flying for hours and hours, but everyone could not wait to get home.
God Bless,
Angie and Mike
