Pearl Market Day

Interesting buildings here!  Our guide says the locals call this "the donut."

This building lights up at night in rainbow stripes.  We didn't see it at night, but there was a gorgeous picture on someone else's blog, and I recognized the building when we passed it. 

What this picture *doesn't* portray is the speed at which the vehicle, or the traffic around the vehicle was moving.  The little girl looked to be maybe 10 years old.  

This morning, we didn't have to be anywhere early on, so we had a leisurely breakfast and then when we heard that there was an outdoor play area, we went to check it out.  

Katie went down the slide with Baba the first time, and then was all about going again and again on her own.  She's doing beautifully.  Spunky and opinionated, but fairly easy going at the same time.  The first few days, she was so quiet.  Now she sings in the car and chatters at us, even though she seems to know we don't understand her.  

Luke mostly just sat and drooled, although he did rock on the rocking bulldozer a little bit.  

We met another adoptive family up there, which was nice.  I have to say, our GZ experience has been very different this time.  Last time, we stayed on the island, and we met a few families, but pretty much just did stuff with our travel group.  This time, our "group" is much smaller (one family with a different agency, and one family with ours) but we're surrounded by other adoptive families, and one can literally hang out in the lobby and chat with new people all the time.  

We went out to dinner last night with a couple of families, and had a lot of fun.  I have some video on my phone to share, but I haven't transferred it yet.  

Unfortunately, it started to RAIN again while we were at the playground, so we came in.  Almost as soon as we got to the room, our guide called, so we had to get the kiddos into dry bottoms and go back out again.  I have to say, wet from rain is preferable to wet from sweat.  

You mean we're leaving again??

So, we went to Pearl Market.  It's a huge mall of jewelry vendors.  Many of them wholesale only, but a lot the general public can shop from, too.  I picked up a couple of gifts.  

Katie and I (right) with K and F checking out one of the shops.  Our guide told us which places were good and cheap, good and expensive, or cheap but maybe not so authentic.  

You can imagine how much fun Paul had in this setting, so he started taking pictures.  

I was a little frustrated, because every time I stopped to look at something Paul (and the cash!) kept walking.  

There were dozens of pearl shops with hundreds of bags of pearls and other beads, baubles, and gems sitting around.  They'll string custom orders for you.

Paul's been reading the camera manual and playing a bit.  

I think Brianna would be in heaven here.  Beeeeeeeeads!  

Again, bags and bags and bags of pearls.  

I'm in the back.  Luke is in the foreground.  I was looking for a silver chain, and having a hard time finding what I wanted, but eventually we found something I think will work.  

After Pearl Market, we went to lunch.  Our guide took us to a Chinese noodle shop close to the hotel.  The food was great.  We also got to see them working with the dough and "shaving" chunks of it off to turn into noodles.  I wish we'd gotten more pictures, but it seems we got there at the end of their lunch serving hours, and by the time we left, all the staff was sitting down and eating, which I thought was very cool.  

I was trying to talk Luke (in my lap) into a bite of steamed egg in this shot.  He was Not Having It.  He threw a nice fit while we were here, and I ended up popping him in the stroller and taking him out for a walk.  Walking seems to settle him down.  For now.  Really don't know what to make of these fits.

Our guide walked us back to the hotel by a new route, and we got to walk through some of the garden area outside, which was nice.  There's a koi pond (of course!) but it's not crowded and overpopulated like the last two we've seen.  Katie doesn't like koi, either.  Can't wait until she meets our cat.  

After lunch, we came back to the room for fresh diapers and naps, and now we're having the "I don't know; what do YOU want for dinner?" conversation again.