Guilin

Greetings from Guilin! Our day started out with a 5 hour buss ride from Nanning to Guilin. There is a major highway that links the two cities that runs right through the country side. We were able to see the farmland china with the workers standing in the fields of rice and water buffalo blowing the fields. Unfortunately, we saw it all from a bus but it was cool none the less. About half way between our departure and destination, the mountains start to poke out of the fields. The entire region was under the ocean over a million years ago. With wind, water and time, the landscape has been eroded away to leave these rounded mountains of limestone. All of the peaks are covered with vegetation also. Its very cool looking. The city itself is note very big but it has a booming tourist trade. As in Nanning, there is a bustling night life. I just got to see the waterfall that is the main attraction of the hotel we are staying in. This hotel is by far the best we have stayed at. Anyway, at 8:30 every night, they light up the entire side of the building and turn a huge waterfall on that runs down the entire side of the building. It is very cool. (see pics). Other highlights of the city are a larges bronze pagoda in the world and of course the Li river landscape. Tomorrow we go on the Li River cruse and I will have more pictures of the landscape and scenery.

Mina was pretty good today. She is warming up to Susan some. She spent most of the bus ride with Susan on her lap. We fed Mina her first McDonalds today. Well we think the first. We know her foster parents took her to KFC on more than one occasions. She loved the fry’s and is of course doomed for life.

We are half way through our trip and although we are having a good time, it is trying being a new parent and are starting to look forward to coming home soon. Hope all is well with everyone and we will post again tomorrow night...

Michael, Susan and Mina