Our first big day of sightseeing didn't disappoint - from 8:30am until almost 9:30pm! The day actually started earlier with breakfast at the hotel, and unlike all the other meals for the day, this one was kind of "western". I ate my share of sausage, thank you. From there, we ventured into the throng of rush hour Beijing in our van with Lawrence in charge, and I'd almost forgotten bad driving really is! Thankfully, we eventually made it toTiananmen square, where we spent about twenty minutes amid a sea full of people. Right next to Tienanmen Square is The Forbidden City, and we spent nearly 3 hours winding our way through this courtyard and that, this "palace" and that "palace", and more than our share of "supreme" this and "heavenly" that. A very impressive place that won't, alas, look a millionth as wow as it was due to the weather again and the fact that places like this have to be seen to be appreciated. However, spectacular as everything we saw, the highlight of the Forbidden City was when we crossed paths with an adoption group on tour (exactly like us!) from Spain that had their brand new babies with 'em! Our day is coming soon, but it was still difficult not to approach them and gawk at the beauties they carried. A late lunch followed, and a visit to "King of Beijing Noodles" was the beginning of my own private hell. Amy quite liked much of it, but when the highlight of the meal for me is the MUTTON - well, you get the picture...From this veritable banquet we headed to the Temple Of Heaven, but en route Amy and I decided to part ways with our travel crew temporarily and strike off on our own. Our destination was the street my grandparents used to live on, and armed with but a picture give to me by my Aunt Ruth and a our driver Mr. Wang who didn't speak a lick of English, we struck out. Turns out, finding it wasn't all that hard as the landmark we were looking for were pretty well known, but without a street number, the best we could do was walk up and down the street for a few blocks. Oh well, we tried. We then returned to the bus and awaited our group in the bus. When they were finished touring the Temple Of Heaven, it was off to DINNER, of all places. With lunch but a scant few hours behind us, no one in the group was keen on a big dinner, but once again, our man Lawrence had a different idea. Dinner was definitely an adventure, and we all gathered around a table that had a Chinese hotpot in the middle. Meats, fish, vegetables, bean curd, and loads of fungi were brought forth, and everyone pitched their food into the boat to cook it, and then grabbed it when ready. Almost a fondue bourginoine. Once again, Mutton was a large portion of what I ate, and I hope I've seen the last of the stuff as I have now had more mutton in one day then the last 34 years put together. Once finished, we all piled back into our bus and we were off to our entertainment for the evening. Tonight's show was "The Story Of Kung Fu", and for about an hour we watched what I can only describe as a sort of "dance" program that included some elements of acrobatics, strength, sword play, and loads and loads of jumping, twirling, and other Kung Fu like moves. Most of the group was pretty weary after a long day, so I doubt it was fully appreciated by all Apparently are agency idea of getting us over jet lag is to wear us out, and it seems to have been a success! Finally, we piled back into the bus and headed back to the Bamboo Gardens, where we reached just in time to get about 25 minutes of PC time in the business center. Three days to Madison...

David missed a few key elements, so I thought I'd catch up and give more detail. We met up with the remainder of our travel group today, the Bowmans, from Grand Blanc, MI. Their daughter is 2 weeks older than Madison, and her future name will be Alexandra. We couldn't have asked for a better guide, driver, and travel group. Susan had official business to attend to today, and did not join us for all the sightseeing. She had a meeting with the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs), and asked us if there were any questions or suggestions that we'd like to ask or make to them. I think that we were all shocked at this, and simply cound't come up with any message to send with her. Susan did mention that one of the 3 of our children has been in foster care, and pointed to us and asked is we knew if that was our baby. We did not, so it would be a delight to know if she has been or not. She also said that she spoke with the Orphanage Director and asked how they are doing and if they needed anything from us. They mentioned that the weather has been much cooler than normal, they desperately need blankets, and some of the children had come down with colds. We have enough 'just in case' medication to fill a pharmacy, so we should be prepared for anything. Back to sightseeing... Since the day started with Tiananmen Square, we were given a rather 'unique' perspective of the events there in 1989. It became clear at that moment that we are indeed in a communist country! The forbidden city was spectacular, but the best part was coming across a group of Spaniards with Chinese babies. They were all so calm and docile, and it made all of us feel good to see them. They certainly attracted a scene, with MANY Chinese people taking pictures of the group. It gave us a little insight to what we'll experience in the next few days. We all also encountered our first Chinese 'squat pots'. The boys' restrooms are essentially the same, however - ours are much different. You must carry your own packet of Kleenex wherever you go, and just hold your breath. Some of them are actually rated, and it seems that a 4 star or better will get you the opportunity for a Western toilet. However, this is rare! Such the adventure!

 Our suspicions that they are trying to wear us out was confirmed today as we spent another full day of sightseeing, from 8:30am - just after 9:00pm. Breakfast was no different, but I'm afraid I ate most of the sausage and left very little for Amy. After a day of attending meetings, we we're joined once again by Dr. Susan as well as Lawrence. As advertised, the first stop of the day was The Summer Palace, a very impressive collection of buildings set on a very picturesque lake (Lake Kunming, nonetheless!). While it was definitely a tad on the chilly side, the weather was far most cooperative than the previous day, so the pictures should be more reflective of what we saw. Once back in the bus, Dr. Susan gave us all a sheet of paper that had some helpful phrases (Ta Gui Le - That's too much!) as well as a few Chinese Children's songs. The songs, as it turns out, we were going to sing while visiting a Kindergarten, so we spent much of the time on the bus learning and rehearsing. However, we hadn't learned very much before we made our next stop - a Pearl Factory! Though it definitely was a stop in which we were NOT discouraged to make some purchases, it was also quite educational to see the folks open an actual oyster. From there, back into the bus and off to our Hutong Tour. Hutong, by the way, is a traditional Beijing neighborhood that is really a maze of small streets and alleys. Due to the narrow passages, we boarded bicycle rickshaws - 2 person per - and were lead by a new guide. though traveling in the lap of luxury (our driver was very thoughtful and tucked us in with a blanket!), the ride was most memorable for how hair-raising it was. It's one thing to see cars and buses bearing down on you when you're in a bus, but life seems even more fleeting when you're in a rickshaw. Thankfully, we made it to our lunch spot safe and sound - a small residence in the Hutong. Our hosts were very gracious and the meal quite tasty (even for me!), but the real highlight was hearing all about Mr. Chen's...er...hobby. First he produced from under his jacket not one, not two, but 4 small bamboo containers holding some monstrous grasshoppers! Keeps 'em with him because he likes the way they sound, says he. From there, the conversation turned to his passion for cricket fighting. I kid you not - he raises crickets to enter into tournaments to fight! In addition to a variety of tools to keep his crickets in line, he also has a special set of scales to weigh them! Absolutely amazing! Alas, we couldn't spend as much time with our host as we would like, so it was back to putting our lives onto the line as we boarded the rickshaws once again. However, before leaving his house the generous Mr. Chen gave Amy a bracelet of stone (jade?) turtles, representing longevity. Nice bloke. Our next stop was the Drum Tower, very close to where our hotel is. The view was quite impressive once we reached the top, though the walk up was quite difficult. In addition to the view, we were also treated to a Drum performance. We were reunited with our bus upon departing the Drum Tower and headed from there to Xiushui market, a "department store" of sorts with hundreds of booths selling a multitude of goods. A great setting to practice the art of negotiating! From there, we struck out for dinner at a local (very) restaurant on "Ghost Street". The big draw here was to be Crawdads, and of all the meals so far, this one was the...er...most challenging. I enjoyed the rice, however, and, despite being a tad flat, the beer was quite good too. After dinner it was off to a show of the Chinese Acrobats. While it's definitely something to see to believe, it's somewhat akin to Cirque Du Soleil. Absolutely amazing - I was on the edge of my seat the whole show! And just when I thought the day would never end, we finally headed back to our hotel on the bus - worn out once again. We've only been here two full days and it feels like a week! Oh well, all the activity keeps our minds off the fact that Madison is still two days away....

Again - a few more details... Susan joined us today, and we were thrilled - she is such a joy! She told us all about her life, her family, and how she fits into the current Chinese culture. She is a medical doctor, trained in radiology. When she found that she did not have the opportunity for advancement in her field, as a female, she began looking elsewhere for a new career. She still lives at home with her parents, and hopes to marry her longtime boyfriend in the next year, so that they can adopt a little girl also. This has never gone over very well with her mother, until very recently. She told us that her mother will also be joining us in Kunming, and I hope that her mother will see what great things her daughter does. The Hutong tour today was the highlight of the Beijing tour for me. It was such a close glimpse into true Chinese culture, and our hosts for lunch were fantastic. We got to show them pictures of the babies and they told us how beautiful they all are, and instructed us to bring them back for them to see one day. Today was also my first chance at true bargaining. I did VERY well, and picked up some wonderful things for Madison, all for less than half of the price of what the proprietor started at!

 The days started as ever other day - breakfast at the hotel and a rendezvous in the lobby at 8:30am. As the trip to the Great Wall was 70 km outside the city, not only did we have more driving to do than usual but we also had a chance e to see some of the Chinese countryside. However, it became quite apparent how massive Bejing really is (6,500 square miles vs. less than 300 for Portland!) as it was almost an hour before we even noticed that we were outside the city! Almost immediately we were surrounded by tall peaks, and soon there after we started seeing bits and pieces of The Great Wall. While there are many places along the wall where we people can visit, our man Lawrence chose Badaling as the place to go as it was most representative. When we finally wound our way to our destination, we found the road blocked by the local constabulary and we were forced to walk the half mile to the entrance to The Wall. We also discovered that the altitude we gained from Beijing made a huge impact on the temperature as we all almost froze before we were a few steps from the bus. Nonetheless, we had a mission and we braved the elements to get to our destination. As we struck out upon the wall, it was immediately apparent that our walk for the day was going to be considerably more vigorous than our previous days. What looked like a few steps turned into hundreds, and hundreds of the miserable things, and what looked like a short distance turned into a very exhausting effort. It wasn't long before Cheryl had to stop, and a few turrets later, Diana and Amy called it quits. While Todd, Laurie and I hoped to make it to the ultimate peak, we were sent on a dummy run and ran out of time before we could make it all the way. Soooo close.... After regrouping at the coffee shop at the base of The Wall, we made our trek back to the bus and headed off to lunch. Not much to say there except that ride to the restaurant was hairy, to see the least, and the lunch itself, thankfully, was mutton free (or at least it was for me!). Part of the restaurant/super store was also a Cloisinne, and though we were able to resist the temptation to purchase anything after taking the tour, I have a new found appreciation for the stuff. Truly amazing what goes into this type of art....After lunch we headed off to the Scared Way, a part of the Ming Tombs. After our grueling climb on The Great Wall, it was nice to take a pleasant stroll. From there, it was off to battle the Saturday night Bejing chapter on our way to a couple of "bonus" stops. The first was The Nation Library of China so that Cheryl and Laurie, both Librarians, could ogle at such an impressive library, and then on to have our pictures taken at the office of the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) as an homage to the place where the real "Magic" for us happened. As we had an early start planned for the following morning, we had a somewhat early evening that concluded with dinner at a restaurant famous for Peking Duck. And when I say famous, I don't just mean it because they display a long list of dignitaries and celebrities to have visited there. What makes this place quite unique is that they bring the duck the table, carved it up, and at the end of dinner they brought us a certificate that we had eaten a Peking Duck from this restaurant. And not just ANY duck - duck # 115,028,772 to be served since the restaurant opened in 1876!!!! Amazing....As I said, our evening ended early as much packing had to be made as we prepared to leave for Madison's home, Kunming. One more day that we'll be without her....

Another delightful day! We learned that if you can get past all the 'hello' people, you've got it made. These are the vendors who are perched at every tourist stop, just waiting for you. Susan told us that the quality of items are not very good, so we shouldn't buy anything from them. I guess that they think hello means many things in English, and they use it to not only get your attention, but to discuss everything else! While on the wall, we met another family from the US who will be getting their daughter next week. We'll be able to meet up with them again while in Guangzhou to compare notes and see how beautiful the babies are. While on the bus, Lawrence - who is also trained in Chinese traditional medicine - gave us some information on herbs, acupuncture, and Tai Chi. He told us about the key pressure points on the body, what each corresponds with, then demonstrated on Laurie. Later that evening, he gave us a brief 5 minute demonstration of Tai Chi in the lobby of the restaurant, while Cheryl filmed. When we stopped off at the offices of the CCAA, we told Lawrence all about this part of his government and what each of us has been through to get to this point. Our driver, Lawrence, and Susan took an incredible chance for us to even take these pictures, and we had to stop and divert several times, while one of them was on 'lookout'!!

So, I'll start today... It was off to an early start for our 8:40a flight to Kunming, and the anticipation is now palpable! We said goodbye to Lawrence and our driver, Mr. Wang, at the airport. By the way, I have never seen such skilled driving! I was absolutely sure that we would be killed or that we would kill someone many many times. Nope, noone ever got hurt, and nary a scratch on any cars, bicycles, or even our bus. The flight was uneventful and we landed just after noon to a clear and comfortable city, known as the flower city or the eternal spring city. We weren't as lucky with the restrooms at the airport as we were in Beijing, but I guess we're all getting used to it. Our guide, Sarahh, met us and off we went to our most fantastic hotel, the Green Lake Hotel. Perfect hotel, perfect location, perfect weather - we're off to a good start. After getting settled in, we took a walk around the lake and were treated to some wonderful, very local entertainment. We were the only Caucasian faces in the crowd of several thousand, who were all enjoying local tribal dances, games, boat rides, feeding the ducks, and just enjoying the Sunday afternoon outing. We saw many, many children and even had our first sighting of split pants. Most Chinese families do not diaper a child for as long as we do, and when they need to go, they simply do! We were surprised to see so many children, and realized that because there is such a large population of minority groups here, who are allowed as many children as they wish, there are more kids in this province. We also saw our first Chinese pregnant woman. It may have been easier to hide under thick coats in Beijing, but it was astounding to not see a single one, and only one today! The entire city of Kunming seems to be celebrating Christmas more so than anywhere in Beijing, and all the decorations are gorgeous. There were many, many children's clothing shops and restaurants all within walking distance and we all plan to take advantage of them very soon. After our short outing, our entire group met in Susan's room to review details of the coming day. The orphanage has decided that all paperwork will be completed tomorrow morning, right after we get the babies. This was a slight change of plans, but Susan was prepared none-the-less. After going over all the fine details, we took off for dinner, where we met 2 wedding parties on our way. Both were not in traditional Chinese ceremony attire, but of more Western standards. Our guide taught us quickly how to wish the wedding party well, and we did. It's just a few more hours away now, and I just hope we're able to sleep tonight...

Don't know that I have much to add that Amy didn't already cover. Except for the whole get to the airport thing, the least regimented day we've had so far. How thrilling it is to arrive in our daughters city! And quite amazing how many parrallels Kunming has to our home, Portland. The weather is similar - mild, both are close to mountains (although Kunming actually sits at about 3,000 ft elevation), and whereas Portland is known (amoung other things) as The Rose City, Kunming is The Flower City. This was readily apparent the moment we landed as we were presented with carnations when we met our guide Sarahh, and flowers were everywhere as we headed from the airport to the hotel. As Amy mentioned, the hotel is quite the bee's knees - loads of very professional staff, lots of big spaces, and, in addition to a very nice restaurant, business center, and all the acoutremonts of refined living, there is also a fine Tea shop as well as Tabacco shop. How posh! Just across the street from the Green Lake Hotel is, well, the Green Lake. The lake is actually a network of islands and bridges, and as Amy mentioned, quite the spot for folks to visit on a Sunday. After our stroll along the lake we also took advantage of our free time to check out a bar seconds away from the hotel that seemed an appropriate place to say farwell to our days as DINKs. It was also a chance to get some Western food, and I had some great french frys. Yumm. After that, off to our "briefing" session with Susan, and then dinner, where I had some pineapple chicken that will go down as the best food yet. Now just hours to see Madison and the start of a new chapter in our lives....

 The day started rather early (4:30am ish), but that was really more than we expected from young Miss Madison. She also woke up one other time in the evening, but once we put her in bed with us and gave her some milk she was lights out again. Once awake, the options were wide open as today was an entire bonus day - all the paperwork we were scheduled for today was actually completed yesterday. Our only scheduled events of the day were for 2:30pm - an impromtu trip to the Zoo! - so our first task of the day was to get some vittles into Miss Madison. Breakfast was a delight and we discovered Madison is a huge fan of congee - nearly ate a full bowl! After our 7:00am breakfast, it was back to the room to do something that made Madison absolutely miserable - her first bath! From there it was down hill as we had to dress her again (which she hates) and then, to really upset her, we had to put a hat on her which she absolutely hates! After a quick check in with our other travel mates (Kaeli was up all night and Alexandra slept perfectly), the three of us headed off to walk around the lake once again. While not as crowded as the day we arrived, the place still teemed with all sorts of activity - Tai Chi, western dancing, and all manners of walking and many different movements with red flags and fans. Very interesting. Madison took great interest for a while, but was fast asleep in about 10 minutes. Once we got back to the hotel our time was spent napping and hanging around the room. Our one and only adventure of the day was to The Kunming Zoo, and while I'm glad we went, the one thing I was hoping to see was not there - the Giant Panda we were promised...er...died. Batay. No one was quite sure when. Anyway, there were plenty of other impressive animals to see - Tigers, Lions, peacocks, and some really neat racoon like things, but my personal favorite were the monkeys. How can't you love monkeys? Later, after another short pitstop back at the hotel, it was off to dinner at a really nice local restaurant. The food was...well...Chinese...but Madison loved it! I also fell into bad graces with Susan's mother for two reasons - Madison was not as super-swaddled as she liked, and I was taking forever feeding her. After watching me for a while delicately placing food into her mouth, Mrs. Susan took the spoon from me and really piled it into Madison's mouth. She loved it, and hence ate far more in 5 minutes of feeding by Mrs. Susan as Amy and I had fed her in 30 minutes. My, we have stuff to learn....The evening ended rather peacefully as Madison kicked and shrieked for about 20 minutes, but then thankfully headed off to dreamland. Hopefully she stays there for quite a while tonight....

We really discovered two very important things today - that Madison can EAT far more than both of us put together! Second, even though she's sweating under all those clothes, we do not dress her warmly enough for all the 'grannies' that you encounter everywhere. Susan's mom really gave us the rundown on how she is not to EVER have ANY skin showing, and one layer is NOT ENOUGH!! Susan gave each of us a translated card to hand to the locals who are curious enough to gather around, stare, and try to touch Madison. It says something like we came from America to adopt Jing Sheng, she is 11 mos old, we love China, love Chinese culture and will always love and take care of her, blah blah blah... Well, we decided that we need an additional one that says, "Our daughter sweats too FREAKIN much to have that many clothes on, she is NOT COMFORTABLE like that"! In any case, everyone has the best intentions, and we are absolutely famous everywhere we go.Madison is definitely the acrobatic in the group as well. She really likes to be help up high above your head and to be dropped backwards with her head held. We've stopped many a crying moment like this, and she begs for more when we stop. Tomorrow will be another treat. We finally get our passports back from the local police (I guess the FBI and CIS checks we did last year weren't enough for them...). Most of the morning is free, and after naptime, we're off to two local Buddhist temples to get the babies blessed.

Another bonus day with not much planned except for a visit to a temple in the afternoon. Madison slept much better but still was not able to make it through the entire night. Ergo, a 5:00am wakeup for all of us. After another brilliant breakfast in the hotel, the three of us once again struck out on a walking adventure. As expected, we received many stares and awkward looks, and for the first time we whipped out the old "this is who we are" card so kindly given to us by Dr. Susan. We were unable to find the store we we're on a quest to find, but Amy was able to make a few purchases along the way (some great tea, something Kunming is known for, and shoes for Madison). I can't tell you all how wonderful it is to be able to buy stuff without haggling for it. Sure you can get a deal, but whenever you haggle there's a feeling as if maybe you could've done better. Give me listed price anytime. So, after a nap back at the hotel (not for me, I assure you!) and a quick trip to Wal-Mart for some more odds and ends (again, not me, I assure you), it was time for our sightseeing for the day. Our first stop was The Yauntong Temple, a 1200 year old Buddhist temple 5 minutes from our hotel. As many of the temples we've visited, rather spectacular. From there we headed to The Golden Temple, a ride that lasted about 20 minutes. The kids were delighted. As usual, the grounds and architecture and history of the place were spectacular, but the terrain was also very daunting. Not only was the area of the temple grounds vast, but there were also many, many stairs involved, which was rather trying for the strollers that were a part of the group. The only thing more intimidating than the grueling steps was Mrs. Susan who once again was all over Amy and me for many clothing violations on Madison. By the end of the walk our daughter was covered in several sweaters and swaddled in fleece and no sweating up a storm all the while! Still, she seems to know loads, so Amy and I will continue to do what we can to stay on her good side. After our workout at The Golden Temple, it was dinner time and once again our guide Sarah had arranged dinner at a rather hoidy toidy place. Alas, another hot pot style dinner (see day 3), and not just any cuisine, either - this place specializes in mushrooms. Huzzah. Methinks it says volumes when I list the highlights of the dinner as NOT being lectured by Mrs. Susan once again (she approved, maybe?), and taking Madison to the men's room to change her and getting help from the staff. Nice folks. However, while I was underwhelmed, Madison ate loads of everything we put in from of her, again demonstrating that she has a talent for eating more than her weight. or so it would appear. Once finished, it was back to the hotel to put the wee ones to bed and to catch up on some much needed sleep ourselves. Can't wait for tomorrow as we'll not only visit where Madison lived, but also get to speak to her caretakers! I hope tonight's the night Madison makes it until the morning....

So - I have a slightly different take on some of the events of today. We had a fantastic morning, and really just pulled out that handy card to stop some people from following us! After SEVERAL encounters this morning, we started back to the hotel for naptime. Our last curious encounter was with a woman and her young, very pregnant daughter. We showed them the card, but they had MANY more questions than the norm. Because of the language barrier, my imagination just went wild, and it was quite emotional. There were so many things I wanted to say to them and to ask them, and I just couldn't. As many of you know, I really don't like being told what to do... I know that we're first-time parents, but she's still alive, and really seems to be happy with us. I'm so frustrated with the constant 'harassment' from all the little old ladies telling me to put more clothes on my sweaty daughter or to shovel more food in to her already full mouth!!!! I do realize that they only have the best intentions in mind, but it does get old! Luckily, I can usually walk away from it, as she most enjoys riding in the Baby Bjorn with her Baba. Wal-Mart was considerable easier today, as Diana and I set out for some forgotten necessities - such as bibs. Madison LOVES to make a mess, but DOES NOT like being cleaned up - much like David! Anyway, we had the doorman call a cab and tell him where to take us - we shopped, paid, and left without a word to anyone about anything, then found another cab and showed him the card to tell him to take us back to the hotel. So easy, and no harassment! The mushroom dinner was good, but didn't sit well with me - and I think I might just have the first upset stomach yet on this trip! Tomorrow should prove to be a packed and emotional day for me - and I'm excited and terrified all at the same time. We meet the person that matched us with Madison, Mr. He Song, and we all tour the orphanage together. Afterwards, we'll look for Madison's finding place and try to get as much information, pictures, and tape as possible. It will be another no-mascara day!

 Hoping Madison would make it all night was certainly wishful thinking - as seems to be her modis operandi, she woke up once in the small hours of the morning, but thankfully she didn't wake up for good until nearly 6:30am. Woohooo! The first organized activity of the day was a visit to a tea factory, which, believe it or not, was something I was eager for because Kunming is known through out China for its tea. Although the trip out to the Tea place was further than I thought, it was well worth the trip because it was like dropping into tea HEAVEN! We were put into a small room with our own tea "consultant", and she did a demonstration of different teas and what they did for you. In our sample we tried an amazing Jasmine Green Tea (good for all sorts of things), Oolong tea (good for the digestive system), Green Tea (good for couples to drink together!), Black tea (especially good in the winter), and then the tea that has put Kunming on the map - Puer tea. Now, not only is this stuff good for...well...everything!, it's also a tea that gets better with age, like Oolong. However, in the tea world this stuff is big time and we were very fortunate to try some of the vintage stuff - 28 years old, to be exact! According to our "consultant", this tea is NOT drunk for it's taste but is/ nonetheless very popular for it's loosing weight properties. At almost $100 for less than a pound it was a tad out of our budget, but we splurged some and we picked up some Jasmine and Oolong tea for the price of...oh...say...a small CAR! Well, no, not really....After our interlude, which consisted mostly of rest and relaxation, we were off to what was probably the second most emotionally charged moment of our stay in Kunming - a visit to The Children's Wealthfare Institute of Kunming, where Madison grew up until the day we met her. It was fortunate indeed that we had a chance to visit Madison's orphanage as, due to varying conditions, many orphanages choose not to have any foreign visitors. However, knowing that in advance helped us to anticipate what we might see, which in turn helped us to accept what we got form the tour - NOTHING. And I kid you not - there was a concerted effort on behalf of either the orphanage or the government to show us as little as possible. As an example, in the 15 minute tour we were given, we saw exactly ZERO (0) other children out of 400 plus that were supposedly there. Where were they all? Sick, according to our guide, and thus not available to see. And when we started asking other questions that we were dying to find out - what was she like here? Why did she get the name she was given? - we were told by the lovely Ms. Unknown (I jest not - she told us she could not give us her name because of Government Regulations!) we were told that she didn't know and that unfortunately the people who would know - the director and 3 assistant directors - were all in a meeting. Hmmm, suspicious. In addition, I was also told that we could not get even a copy of the note left with Madison when she was found (stating her birth date) because that was personal information! Without a written request from the government to provide us with this letter, we would have to wait for Madison to turn 18, at which time she could legally request the information herself. Such NONSENSE! Finally, when we were given the grand tour, it included a visited to the library (locked), the activity room (noone there), and the piece d'resistance - the exhibition hall, detailing the glory of the orphanage. No pictures, mind you, and not a single of the 400+ children to be seen...Methinks I can speak for all those on this trip to say that the trip was anticlimactic. Instead of walking away from the only other home that our daughters had known with a profound sense of wonderment and connection, all the families left with the unsettling feeling that our friends at the Orphanages had something to hide. Fortunately, to save the day from being a total wash out, Ms. Double-secret name returned to us one of the cameras we sent to Madison a few days after we received our referral lo those months ago. However, not a word was mentioned about the second camera, or the toys we sent her, or the picture of us with a frame that told her how excited we were to come see her, bu oh well. As the old Chinese proverb goes, one camera is better than none at all...After the orphanage trip it was a brief pitstop at the hotel before we were headed out to another "local" spot for dinner. The restaurant itself was...er...not my cup of tea, to put it delicately, but there was also regional dancing going on to keep things entertaining. Now, ordinarily I don't get too jazzed about singing and dancing, but during an audience participation part, Amy was dragged onto stage for a while, so needless to say, the dinner was a huge success. We were also presented with Madison's Chinese passport, so we're now one step closer to taking her home with us....On most nights the evening, and blog, would have ended there as life with kinder tends to limit late night activities. But the real hype behind the evening was the fact that one of the folks with us tonight was none other than Mr. He Song, representing the CCAA. Now, Mr. He does not only work for the CCAA, but his job - his one and only mission with level 2 of the Chinese Government, is to match perspective parents with available children. In other words, we would be having dinner with THE person who, among thousands of families and thousands of waiting children, was responsible for giving us Madison. Wow. It goes without saying that it was an incredible honor to meet him - literally the ONE person who made this whole process a reality for us. - but the real treat was getting together with him in his room and asking all the questions we had of him. While he was unable to remember matching us specifically with Madison and therefore unable to answer the one question all adopted parents want to know - why her with us ? - he explained the whole process to us and helped us all to understand his role, and the government's, in our miracle. We also learned from Mr. He that he feels that International Chinese adoptions in general will decline as more Chinese themselves will adopt, and that what we saw at our orphanage was par for the course. (see ** on Day 16 for disclaimer!) And, if even better is possible, while in his room giving him the 3rd degree about what he does and all, we were treated to a one on one meeting between Alexandra and Madison. Truly, the pictures say it all! Thusly, even though the "big" event of the day didn't quite turn out as we expected/wanted, it was still a most unforgettable day.....

Well - I've learned one big lesson today, MUSHROOMS ARE EVIL!!!! After a rough night and very queasy day, I'm feeling much better now though. We all went to a tea house to learn about the specific types of tea Kunming and the Yunnan province is known for, and what each specific purpose is to be used for. For example, Diana & Todd now have a cold, so we first drank Green Jasmine tea to assist with the healing of that ailment. Then, we all drank Oolong tea to assist with my queasiness. Delicious and beautiful. Madison also had great fun being passed around to all the staff, while we had no idea where she went... She's such an incredibly happy baby, and LOVES all kinds of movement. If she's upset - all we have to do (other than David just coming within her sight) is to lift her and wiggle her high in the air, or hold her head and drop her down between our legs. When we're too tired to continue, she throws her head back for more. In the bus, she sits in our laps (very safe...) and we bounce her while she wiggles and wiggles and wiggles. Just as her development report told us - she likes noise, and a lot of it! She loves to squeal and scream and talk about all kinds of things. Nothing wakes her us while she's out. We were walking and window shopping yesterday, and she fell asleep in the carrier. An ambulance with sirens going screeches by literally 5 feet from us, and only a slight stir, then back to dreamland. At the Golden Temple, I paid 2 Yuan to strike a lucky bell for longevity at the top of the Bell Tower. David and Madison literally stood right next to me while I did it. She was asleep in the carrier once again, and again only a slight stir - then back out. She's very limber and loves her feet. When we put her down to sleep in the bed, she's lift and play with her feet and legs until she falls asleep with the still in the air. She goes to almost anyone with no trouble, but continues to keep an eye on one of us. We think she's destined to be a rock star who uses acrobatics in her show. Just to add a few details of what we found out about Mr. He... he's been working for the CCAA for 3 years, and has been matching for ASIA since January of 2004. He matches for 27 American agencies, including Holt, all of Denmark, and all of Spain. He said that US is first in adoptions from China, then Spain. There are 8 people that work in his department, Dept II. He receives dossiers from the Review Dept I, who make recommendations on each file, based on what we're indicated our desires are for a child, our ages, incomes, etc. He then spends approx 1 week matching each family, and will work on several families during the course of that week. he matches nearly 200 families each month! There are several more details that we were fortunate enough to discover, and he was incredibly forthcoming with the information when we asked.

 The day started with so much promise because Madison made it all the way until 6:30am!! Wonderful. I was also thrilled to receive a phone call from me parental units, though with it came some sad news as well. Breakfast was a delight, as usual, so everything was shaping up to be a brilliant day. Our first junket of the day was to a silk factory - sans Cheryl, Laurie, and Kaeli - where we not only got a demonstration of where silk comes from and all that, but we also were given the added treat of a fashion show, of sorts. Not sure if the night wear portion was necessary, but most of the folks in the room seemed to enjoy it. We found some really cute clothes for Madison, some of which she won't see for a few years. After the silk factory it was back to the hotel for the usual nap time, at which time Todd and I set out on our quest for Diet Coke. Fortunately we knew where we were headed because I had located the one and ONLY store in all of Kunming to carry it, and what cans I didn't buy on my first trip we picked up today and cleaned them out. After naps, we all convened once again at 2:30pm and struck out for the West Hills which overlook the city. En route we stopped at the street which was listed as Kaeli's finding place, and then on to the Kunming Flower Gardens. Due to the time of year it was not overwhelming, but there was still plenty to see for all of us. We also drew loads of attention with our babies, which brought to our attention that we lost our "this is our baby, this is who we are" card written in Chinese by Susan. As usual, everyone had lovely things to say about the girls - how beautiful the are, how lucky the are, eta. Again it was back to the bus for our 45 minute ride to the West Hills, where we unloaded at the Ha Ting Temple. Not only beautiful for it's setting, it's situated with a beautiful view of downtown and lake Dianchi. The weather was quite windy but otherwise nice when we got there, but we were unable to walk to the final stop on path because the horizon slowly but surely started to fill with ominous rain clouds and therefore sent us fleeing. In addition to all the wonderful things to see, the stop was fantastic for a long sought after souvenir that was finally purchased - two small Lions to protect the front of our house from evil spirits. With help from Susan and Mr. He, Amy talked the price of the lions - carved form stones from the West Hills - down from 2,800 Yuan to 600 Yuan! Last stop of the evening was dinner, which was at another spectacular place chosen by our guide Sarahh. The dinner was not my favorite (but I found a few things I quite liked), but the highlight was a display of dancing by young Alexandra, the likes which have never seen before. All agreed that the video both Cheryl and I took are worthy of Americas Funniest Video. It's really that great! After dinner we were back to the hotel where my evening suddenly went awry. I was greeted at the door by one of the bellmen who I'd ask to develop the pictures from the camera that we had sent to Madison months ago and was returned to us the previous day by the kind folks from the Welfare Institute. It was with great anticipation that I rushed upstairs to see the pictures that could very well have been the only form of documentation of Madison's life before us. Nonetheless, my eagerness and expected joy came to a crashing halt when I finally looked at the pictures and noticed that in all 27 pictures that I got back, not ONE had a person in it! This despite the instructions that were on the camera - in Chinese, with a picture of Madison - that asked they take as many pictures of "Our daughter Madison and any of her caretakers or people she was close to." Bollocks! What we got were almost identical to the pictures we took when we had visited the Welfare Institute the previous day. So much for anything meaningful. Oh well - even if they didn't do one SINGLE thing we asked in our box we sent, at least our daughter is healthy and beautiful, and for that already we own them loads. Anyway, back at the hotel all three families got together in our room so that the girls could spend some QT with each other- Madison v Alex, Round 2!. And, once again, we spent most of the time howling at the antics of each of them. Alas, I wished it had gone on all night, but because of the early start time in the morning (8:00am), it was an early night for all but yours truly. One more full day in Kunming before we have to pack up and move one more time...

Not too much to add for today - except that it was wonderful to finally get all three of the girls together in one spot that was safe and convenient to play. The pictures really say it all! We also had the chance on the way to find Kaeli's finding place on the way to the Ha Ting Temple. It was fairly vauge, as all the reports are - so we all just stopped for pictures of the entire street. Madison's and Alexandra's are on the agenda for tomorrow, as well as a visit to the Stone Forest!

 Today started quite early, as the visit to the Stone Forest was on the agenda. We had to wake up our sleeping beauty at just after am and we were on the bus by 8:20am for our adventure. We learned today that you cannot set a time limit on a baby! After soiling herself at breakfast, we had 5 minutes to change her completely, change her dirty diaper, finish getting ready ourselves, and finally take off! Not good - and she was definitely NOT HAPPY about any of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When we got ready to load onto the bus, we were told that she did not have enough clothes on, and that she needed to wear more. Rather than saying that we are her parents and really do know that she's OK, we got more clothes - and far too many! The bus was HOT, she was mad, and the combination DID NOT MIX!! I finally had to put my foot down when she finally settled down into a nap after stripping off 2 of her 4 layers. She was sweating (as she simply does when she sleeps - regardless of how many clothes she has on), and was told that if I cover her with a blanket, she'll cool down. WHAT?!? I was absolutely done, and had to bite my tongue not to offend as badly as I had been offended. It's such and ingrained, ancient culture - there was no changing anyone's mind that you do not get sick from being cold, only from germs. There was also no way what-so-ever that I could mention that my daughter is HOT, all the time - just like me & David. She's not sick, does not have a fever - she's just very warm-blooded. On the way to the sight, we learned about the Yi tribe and their specific customs. When there, we bought a fantastic tapestry and outfit for Madison, both for about $7! David also bought a beautiful wall hanging. This, all in addition to the hike through the forest, lunch, and experience of this wonderful Yi tribe. After lunch, we set out to find Alex's and Madison's finding locations. Madison was found in the country-side on the return back from the Stone Forest, at the entrance to a local village. It was rather quiet, remote, and even peaceful. We did not have the exact location, and seeing the site only brought up more questions for me that we'll probably never know. Alex's location was somewhat busier, and in a more urban, local area - near a market place. It was sort-of awe-inspiring and a little emotional. However, all 3 girl's reports have been so vague or similar to each other, we simply don't know what to think or believe anymore. We all had to remind ourselves that this truly is a developing, communist country - and these girls would never have the idea of any opportunities that they've have now if they hadn't been placed for International adoption. After getting back to the hotel, we all met again in Mr. He's room for a pizza party. Those pictures and details are below. Tomorrow is the next and last stage of our trip - off to Guangzhou for Madison's visa from the American Consulate!

While Amy covered most of today already, she glossed over our time in The Stone Forest as "a visit to the site"! Egad! While it's unfair to compare the beauty of nature to man made marvels like temples, great walls, and the such, the Stone Forest was one of the more memorable touristy things we did. Sure, we got some neat goodies, but the 2 1/2 hour walk through some spectacular scenery was really brilliant. Not the easiest walk we've done, mind you, as we trekked up and down many steps, fought a rather sizable tourist crowd everywhere we went, and squirmed our way over, under, and through some very narrow places. All this with a wiggly baby and a not-so-light changing bag. Once again, the pictures don't do the Stone Forest any justice. It's understandable to me now why it's the number one tourist destination in Kunming and one of the most beautiful places in all of China. Other than that, while I'm definitely on the eager side now to head back home, I'll be sorry to leave Kunming tomorrow as it has been - for some obvious reasons, and many others less so - a wonderful place.

 Another stellar sleeping performance by our Madison - out @ 9:00pm, up at 7:00am. This is almost too good to be true! Though the morning was very important for us because it we had a 9:00am appointment at the US Consulate, in actuality there was not much for us to do since Dr. Susan and Grace went in our stead and handed over the paperwork we had already filled out. We did, however, have to wait in the room in case they had to call us if something was awry, but the only call we received was that everything was as it should be. After a brief visit to a few of the local shops, AGAIN, it was back to the room for Madison's nap....Come 2:30pm, it was off and running again. Once again we piled onto the bus, but for the second time in 3 days it was a different bus and driver! We were told the first stop would be to the White Cloud Mountains, but, more specifically, the bus dropped us off at The Yuntai Gardens. Now, while in Kunming we were told how that city was renown for it's flowers, and we certainly saw plenty of evidence to back up that claim. However, our guide Grace pretty much said the same thing about Guangzhou - that it is the #1 flower city in China! Hmmm. Well, if the Yuntai Gardens were any indication, then I'd have to say that Guangzhou would be hard to beat. Amidst a city booming with activity, industry, and loads of pollution, Yuntai Gardens were peaceful, vast, clean, verdant, and visually spectacular. An oasis amidst the hustle and bustle. The disparity of Yuntai and the city sprawling around it was made abundantly clear when Laurie, who had been hoarse most of the day due to her reaction to all the pollution, suddenly found her voice! A magnificent place....After having loads of fun feeding a fish frenzy, it was back to the bus and off to our next stop - The Jade Market - which Amy had been awaiting quite eagerly. Even though shop after shop looked remarkably similar and it was not quite what either expected, in less than an hour we made several significant contributions to the Guangzhou economy. Again it was back to the bus and off to our last stop of the evening, dinner at a hotel just across from Shamian Island where our hotel was. Dinner was very good and I found quite a few things I enjoyed - alas, due to a "wardrobe malfunction" by Madison, most of my evening was spent...er...tending to other matters. Let's just say she was smuggled back into the hotel in very little more than her birthday suit and a blanket....Whilst at dinner, Diana also made a suggestion that I thought may be the single most valuable nugget of wisdom to pass on to any others who may contemplate coming to China to adopt - make sure your guide calls ahead to the restaurant to ensure that the babies food is ready to go first thing. Tonight was not the first time on our trip that the babies food was brought out after our food, and tonight specifically we had finished most of our food before the Congee came out (and the egg custard never made it due to a mistake too). It's ludicrous to think the babies will sit and wait patiently while you finish your food, and, as in a few cases on our trip, we had to feed the kinder with our own food until the restaurant brought out food for our babies. If ever....Anyway, once back at the hotel it was time to put Madison down for the night and time as well for Amy to start the pre-packing for our departure tomorrow. Hard to believe that tomorrow will be on our own - nobody else to be our support. I must say that since coming to Guangzhou it certainly had been every family for themselves. Whereas in Kunming we gathered together in the evenings to get the girls together and did things outside of the planned events of the day, since coming here we pretty much interact only while all together, but spare time has seen everyone pretty much going their own way. Lots of this I attribute to the loss of feeling like we were the only ones along on this adventure, and thus the need to congregate for comfort is no longer there since, here in Guangzhou, it certainly feels like EVERYONE here is adopting a Chinese baby. Oh well....While I know that it'll be hard to part with the group tomorrow since they were all present for one of the most significant events in our lives and I feel very close to them all (aside from the doctor, how many folks aren't close to everyone who was in the room when giving birth?), I'm more anxious by the minute now to get home and restart our new life with Madison. Every magical moment has it's beginning and it's end, and tonight was but the start of the latter....

I thought I'd chime in for just a moment, since I haven't for a few days now. I still cannot believe what an amazing trip and adventure we've had! We've extended our family by 9 people now, which not only includes our precious Madison - but he entire group as well. Our babies are al l incredibly happy, healthy, and well-adjusted. Our last bit of business is tomorrow with the swearing ceremony at the US Consulate - at which we are not allowed picture taking =(. After we get the valuable immigrant visa returned to us that afternoon, we're off to Hong Kong for the night. It will be the first night and travel that we've taken solo - please wish us luck! After arriving in Guangzhou, I realized how much I missed and loved Kunming. Guangzhou is nice, and very different - but the pollution is atrocious! Kunming was not only beautiful, but the people very warm and open - and of course, it's where my daughter is from! I will certainly miss China and can't wait to show it to her all over again when she's older. We're all looking forward to more normality as we set off for home, wonderful Portland. We get back just in time for Christmas, and we've all forgotten at one time or another that it is Christmastime. It's been the most fantastic and magical season ever.