Group Picture & Farewell To Chongqing

This is our final posting from Chongqing.

At around 4:00 p.m., we took our group pictures in the hotel lobby. Also, we took pictures of the moms and dads and the 4 Chongqing babies that were in the original group picture below.

Our stay in Chongqing has been very good. The service at the hotel, Empark Grand Hotel, has been excellent. We really enjoyed the daily breakfast buffet which included both traditional American breakfast items such us eggs, bacon, and toasts, and Chinese breakfast items such as congi, soy milk, and Chinese buns. The restaurant provided us high chairs for the babies which helped a lot. The hotel also provides money exchange service which makes it very convenient for us in that we don't have to worry about going outside . In addition, CCAI arranged for our laundry service with an outside vendor. The lady came by a couple of times this week to do our laundry. The price was not as inexpensive as we might have thought. But, the quality of service was outstanding. All our shirts, pants, and underwear were very neatly pressed and packaged.

In general, things here are relatively inexpensive. You can have a very good dinner for less than $10 US. A bag of grocery items costs less than $5 US. A bus ride is less than 50 cents US. Tonight, several of the couples are going to a seafood restaurant which should cost less than $15 per person.

Overall, the weather in Chongqing has been rather mild. The temperature is like Houston ranging from 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. However, most of the day has been overcast. According to Marie, our CCAI representative, there is only about 1000 hours of sunlight a year. Maybe, that's what explains why the people here have such white complexion.

As for the traffic, it's a bit crazy - maybe not so different than Houston. The drivers here are very aggressive. The concept of right of way is a bit foreign to them. Finally, you have to be very careful if you are pedestrian. There is no such thing as right of way for pedestrian when walking along the street. Cars will plough over you if you are not watching out.

All around Chongqing (and other Chinese cities from what I understand), there seems to be a lot of building activity. Skyscrapers, high rise apartment's, and new roads are being built all over the city. You can really see the effort on the part of the Chinese to modernize this country. Indeed, China is and will be a force to be reckon with.

Finally, we have to compliment on the quality of service provided by our wonderful CCAI representatives and guides, Marie and Anita. These two have been extremely helpful, and they made our stay here very smooth.

This evening, we're packing and preparing to head to Guangzhou tomorrow morning. There, we will be finalizing our adoption on the U.S side.