Today was our fifth day in Guangzhou and our last full day. Being that today is Veteran's day in the US and the the US consulate has the day off we had no official paperwork duties today. Our adventures for the day included a visit to the pearl market and the purse market.
Bags and bags of pearls lined the store walls
An endless possibility of pearls
She can knot pearls in her sleep. It looks so easy.
This morning we went to the wholesale pearl market which is in a six story building loaded with hundreds of tiny shops filled to the brim with all sorts of semi-precious stones and pearls. We saw shops filled just with amber, turqouise, malachite, jade and pearls. It was unbelievable to see so many thousands of stones. In the pearl shop we visited, on the sixth floor, we saw bag after bag of pearls....we mean garbage bage after garbage bag of pearls. Every color in the rainbow. There were so many pearls that there were even loose pearls laying on the floors like debris. We bought a particulalrly lovely strand of pearls that we intend to put away for Jin to someday give to his bride, should there ever be a day. You just cannot imagine the millions of pearls in this store! It actually made you think that pearls are not really as valuable as the price we invest in them!
The pearl market was followed by a trip to the grocery store where we stocked up on tea, candy and other sweets to bring home to make our sweet boys sweeter! The grocery was two stories underground and was quite a cultural experience, much larger than the market we frequented in Lanzhou. The meat market was fascinating with several varieties of cured sausages openly on display as well as dried, cured ducks! See photo.
Dried duck- don't they make your mouth water?!
A post shopping treat from Susan, our guide
A lichee we think?
After lunch in the hotel deli, Adele, the guide - Susan, Melissa Coy and Amy Kellam went to the wholesale purse market in search of Burberry bags. For two and a half hours they rummaged through a wholesale market (equally large as the pearl market) in search of the perfect bag! It was a little glimpse of heaven for this quartet! Bags, bags, bags! And yes, Adele did come home with a pretty high quality knock-off!
While Mama was shopping, Jin and I went swimming in the pool on the roof of the fourth floor. It was his first swim and though the water was a little cold he enjoyed it quite a lot!
Dinner tonight was at a Cantonese restaurant; yet another variation on the Chinese cuisine! It was delicious, so delicious we had the guide order more food, which was a first for us!
Today we had an amazing downpour, after which there was a lovely breeze. A good way to end our last evening in Guangzhou. Tomorrow we will check out of the hotel, go to the Consulate where at 3:30 pm (1:30 am in Nashville) we will take the oath for Jin and he will become a United States citizen! The dream of so many countless millions around the world. So before you go to bed tonight please remember us in your prayers as we take this monumental step in his life -and ours!
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