Today is the DAY - TUESDAY 23rd

Picture of the Zebra just like the one we sent in the care package - will be taking this with us this afternoon to meet her...

So here we are, woke up yesterday morning in Hong Kong and it was the day we travelled to CHina. I had slept really badly and had been awake from 4 ....excited, nervous etc etc...So in the morning we wandered around Central looking at the shops - Rob in true style managed to get himself a couple of shirts in the sales....then we checked out of the hotel and took our train to China!!!!!!!!!!
what an experience, having got off the MTR in HK to then board a Chinese Railway train was amazing. I believe that often the trains that run the route from HK to Guangzhou are swish double decker affairs but we got the one with the dodgy white net curtains and the pale green un ironed badly fitting loose covers...

The train journey was very slow as it ambled its way through the New Territories and crossing the border into ShenZhen - a SPecial Economic Zone that was created by the Chinese right on the other side of the border. Another Hong Kong type place but in CHina. we then passed through very flat countryside with so much litter and pollution around and miles upon miles of factories splurging out black smoke. we took some video of this but do not know how to load onto this...

We got to the hotel at about 5 30 and then met our guide Janet Tao Qi - a lovely lady who gave us lots of advice on what will be happening in the next few days. So the cot is up, the clothes all unpacked - the baby bag is ready ....We are leaving here today at about 2 10 to go to the Civil Affairs Office. In the morning we will go out and buy a stroller and some formula, juice etc. Guangzhou is enormous and very polluted the whole place looks grey. Last night we ate in the hotel as we were too tired to explore. We met with one of the other UK Dads who had met their little girl yesterday, his wife Sally was in the room with her as the baby was crying a lot, he described the scene for today so we are prepared, I think we will be in a room with other people so we guess it will all be over quickly but will let you all know later.

The hotel is fine in an old colonial building on Shamian Island but the whole pace is set up for the Adoptoconomy with all of the shops geared to hiring out strollers etc

on the advice of a previous traveller we have booked two adjoining rooms so that means that we can let her sleep while we update blog, pack watch films etc in the next room ...Our guide was at pains to explain that the White Swan - the hotel used by most of the Americans is so expensive and you have to pay for internet connection ...the food is expensive, all in all we are happy with the Victory.

Rob is sleeping now as he too could not sleep last night and was awake at two thirty and woke me at 5 30...! He is now catching up as I guess there will be a whole load more sleepless nights to come!!!!

WATCH THIS SPACE ............