Saturday, January 16, 2010

Saturday 1-16-10 in Guiyang

Guiyang really lights up some of its buildings on weekends - some with shifting light patterns that look like, for example, rising bubbles.
Today our guide took us to what she referred to as the "bird and flower market". It is an open air market with lots of plants and animals for sale. We just window-shopped (not that there were many windows) and took in the sights, sounds, smells, and touches. I think we all liked the aquarium store the most - they really made up some cool freshwater aquariums. Sorry, no tasting at this market for us...sad to be so conservative, but we have managed to all be healthy so far, thank God. I save my eating adventures for the buffet at the hotel. Katie hardly flinches at some southern China food (spicy, tangy) that will make me hurt a bit (but I'm a wimp when it comes to hot food). Today we found some congee (rice boiled into a soupy mess) at the breakfast buffet, and Katie practically inhaled it. I was less impressed with its blandness. Later, the family took a stroll to a scenic pavilion/bridge just a couple blocks from the hotel.
Not as many meltdowns out of Katie today, I think, and there was some progress on the bonding with Karen. Your prayers continue to be appreciated. This has clearly been a trip of a lifetime for us and we appreciate that deeply, but we miss home, too.
Dean
PS. Sorry to report that the annular eclipse that was visible across a good chunk of China was clouded out for us. However, the weather has been warming and was almost mild today.
PPS. I think I will have all the songs memorized from the automated piano in the hotel lobby, which can be heard from the restauant and the computer workstations (still have not solved the power issues to charge Karen's laptop). "Let it be" just started.

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