The Road to Hong Kong

The 14th was a whirlwind. The final step of the process was appearing at the US Consulate in Guangzhou for Allison's official swearing in. It sounds much more formal than it actually was. After being matched to our passports they had us stand, raise our right hands, and say "I do" to the oath. That "officially" made us parents in the eyes of the U.S. government, even though we had been acting the part for the last nine days. Even without the fanfare, there were still cheers and tears.

Right after we were at the Guangzhou train station to take an 1 hour and 50 minute ride to Hong Kong where we would catch our direct flight to O'hare the next morning. The train ride was not too bad, although you can smoke on trains in China, so there is no way to escape bad air, inside or out. With my cold, my voice is almost gone.

Upon arriving in the Hong Kong station and going through their customs, we were met by people in white coats wearing surgical masks. They used what looked like a grocery scanner on Allison's forehead and declared she had a fever. They ushered us over to a curtained area and wanted Darcie's and Allison's passports for recording purposes. They asked if we had any contact with birds. After several tense minutes we were allowed to leave (but not before being offered a mask to wear ourselves).

Driving from the train station to the hotel is all we really got to see of Hong Kong. However, that small taste was mind blowing. It is built next to a moutain right on the water, and there are so many flashing lights and neon signs that it is sort of a cross between Vegas and Manhattan. We drove by conservatively a dozen or so streets that had lights that put Times Square to shame.

We spent a brief night in the airport hotel for the Hong Kong airport. By the time we arrived at the hotel, we were exhausted, and we had pushed Allison to her limits. She was tired, hungry, wet and was sick of being dragged all over God's green earth. So, we changed her, gave her a bottle, and laid down next to her on the bed. She was face down, asleep, and she started to get this ear to ear grin on her face. The she just looked from one of us to the other, sigh and smile, and then drifted off to sleep. Of all of the incredible sights we have seen in China, this was the highlight of the trip.