Leaving Guangzhou for Hong Kong

This morning Susan took us to the purse market for some more shopping. We should have taken some pictures, because words simply cannot describe this place! It was absolutely huge, and a maze; we just kept walking and walking, and each corridor led to several more corridors, full of shops... and there were 3 levels of this! The shops actually all had purses, wallets, leather items, and the like. There were real brand names, as well as copies of brand names, and so much to choose from! It was actually pretty overwhelming. We all gave up about 30 minutes before we were supposed to meet back; it was just too much. But we had a lot of fun, and Paul even found a Hello Kitty purse for Caitlin!

We got back to the hotel with only a little over an hour for lunch and to pack. We tried to grab a quick bite in the hotel restaurant, but service was extremely slow and we wound up having to leave. We ran back to the room to pack, then met Susan down in the lobby to head back to the Consulate to pick up Caitlin's Visa and paperwork.

We had to wait over an hour at the Consulate. Susan went inside for us so that we could sit in the car and let Caitlin nap. As soon as she came back with all of Caitlin's paperwork, the driver hit the road for Hong Kong.

It was a very long ride. We hit a lot of traffic and, counting the hour we spent in the car waiting at the Consulate, we wound up being in the car for over 5 hours. Thankfully Caitlin slept for most of the way, so it was not too bad.

Crossing the border was interesting! It took a very long time, and they were very thorough- both on the China side and the Hong Kong side.

Crossing the border; Caitlin's first time outside China:

We passed inspection, of course, and drove straight for our hotel, which was located right at the airport. Unfortunately we did not get to see the city, except for in the distance, but what I saw of Hong Kong I really liked! All the bridges and buildings were big, sleek and modern, and in the dark with the lights it all just looked so pretty and exciting! I would love to go back some day and explore Hong Kong some more!

It killed me to be so close to both a Hard Rock Cafe and a Disney park, but alas, we were not able to visit either. We didn't get to the hotel until after 7 PM; we checked in, then headed straight to dinner. Caitlin and I went back up to the room as soon as we were done eating so I could get her showered and in bed. I wanted her to get as much sleep as possible, knowing how bad tomorrow is going to be for her.

Tomorrow we head home! I can't wait to be home; there are just so many things that will be easier once we're there. And I seriously hope that Caitlin will relax at home, since she still is not crazy about hotel rooms! And I can't wait to see Libby, and to introduce her to her new sister! I Hope that goes well...