Tuesday October 20

We bumped into our first Washington family today: this is John and Li from Tacoma Washington. She even worked at Trinity Western for a few years! Sister Shelly in background is from Clinton Washington on Whidbey Island.

We celebrated Anna's third birthday with some delicious Chinese food... She also loves/inhales the noodles... 

We sang happy birthday, clapped and cheered, and then ate a beautiful birthday cake: wow! In the background, we had a traditional Chinese kids song, Happy Birthday, playing as we ate...

Then, a family photo...

A great ending to another busy day. We chose to not go out with the rest of the group for dinner. Boys hit the pool with Michelle and Anna while I picked up some food. It's good to celebrate this event with just our family. We have much to celebrate today

Earlier today...

Michelle, Pauline and Anna went to the Pearl Market after breakfast. Michelle bought a couple of pearl bracelets, a ring for Anna, and some other nice gifts there. It was a mall full of wholesale jewelry dealers, that CCAI has special access to. 

Pauline was also able to find some pearl jewelry ( a pendant and some earrings) to complement the ring she'd received from Ken for their 20th anniversary.

While the ladies were shopping, the boys and I jumped into a taxi with a driver who didn't speak any English. I'd asked the hotel staff to write down in Mandarin the name of that super tall tower we'd seen the night before. They happily did so and with a smile and a friendly nod I handed it to driver. Boys squished into the back seat and about 35 minutes later, we were there... At the Canton Tower. 

The driver drove without saying a word, and I paid him the 63 yuen (ten bucks) and we were off and running...

Built from 2007 to 2009, it's the third tallest in the world and feels just like the CN Tower once you're at the top...

Passed thru security first

And saw China's latest modern design of piano...

And got to the top! It's a panorama of skyscrapers in all directions. 

Maybe because it was the middle of the week, but it was very un-crowded! We had this part of the middle observation deck all to ourselves for a little while...

That's the Pearl River, which flows out a few miles down into the ocean...

Why hadn't I heard of this massive city before? Guangzhou was never on my radar screen until we started the adoption process, and even then, I never realized its size and magnitude until last week 

Jan Kottelenberg, I thought of you as we saw the tower's damper system 

The boys LOVED this glass floor part. It juts out about 10-12 feet.

Our tickets gave us access up to the 109th floor only. I asked nicely if we could  at least have a look at the 111th floor, and the lady said OK

It was awesome! Open air staircase plaza at the top. 

A train track with enclosed bubbles like gondolas give you a breathtaking view of the city! Too cool!

You are on top of the world up here!

We didn't ride the bubbles, but were able to soak up the amazing scenery just the same...

This is all that's above you!

There's a crazy drop of doom thrill ride at the very top. We observed these two guys trying it. Their masculinity vaporized as their manly Mandarin murmuring was replaced by frantic, uncertain shrieking...

Poor guys! I gotta say I don't enjoy those types of rides where your stomach suddenly drops and your knuckles turn white...

Tyler selfie with the Canton Tower

I told the boys and myself to soak up this crazy and different and exciting place as it might be years (decades?) before we get a chance to experience it again. It's all over in a few days, and this will all be a distant memory after we have returned home to Lynden. 

Having said that, we all feel eager to return home and begin the process of getting back into the normal swing of everyday life. Our son Joel turns 13 tomorrow! Michelle and I are parents of a teenager now: wow! He is a wonderful, fun guy and I can't imagine him not being here with us on this trip. We feel so richly blessed at this exciting point in our lives