Whatever happened to the sun and warm weather?

So the entire time we have been in Guangzhou, it has been much cooler than it was supposed to be, while Chongqing was much warmer than usual. I guess they flip-flopped the weather forecasts. Yesterday began the really hazy days and it was kinda misting out so they changed our dinner to last night and our Pearl River cruise to tonight. At like 11am today, it was so black outside it looked like it was 3am. Then the sky opened up and let us have it. Yesterday we were inside all day and pretty much were beginning to lose it, so no amount of rain was keeping us inside....but we almost wished it had.

We decided to go across the street to the mall. In the process, we got soaked. To the point where we were walking around we were looking at clothes for me. Of course it was a ritzy mall and even in yuan I would not buy a thing because the prices were insane. So I stayed in my soaking wet clothes. By the way, Megan is currently screaming her little lungs out right now because she is in what she views as her jail cell aka her crib. She screamed last night and its becoming a normal occurrence, but I'm sure at some point she will get it. Shes stuck there for the night. Regardless of the screaming. I personally can tune it out somehow, but I know its getting to Teresa. I feel bad but she needs to learn. She is truly not afraid of anything so she might try to climb out one of these nights. Thankfully only tonight and then Friday night area left in this crib.

The dinner last night was on the 4th floor of our hotel caled Hong Main, which was a Cantonese restaurant. The food is supposed to be more like what we have an Chinese food in the states, but they love spicy. It was pretty good, but the cakes were the best. Cheesecake and chocolate mousse. One cake was for Jillian and Megan's birthdays and the other was for Greta and Billy's anniversary. It seems we have eaten in almost every restaurant this hotel has. We hit up the 40th floor for Prego, the Italian place a few nights ago and the 2nd floor is a daily routine for breakfast at a place called Taste. We also tried their dinner one night. I'm not sure if there are any eateries left in here but the tea room downstairs. Something I might have to look into.

We finally got to go on the Pearl River cruise tonight. The official oath was taken today at the US Consulate just a 5 min walk from our hotel this afternoon and as we were leaving we pretty much begged them to say the cruise was still on since it had been raining on and off all night. Thankfully they said yes. The cruise was on the Pearl River for about an hour and half and they served a very spicy dinner. I think I ate the noodles and fried rice only in the end. They took pasta and seemed to dump a bucket of pepper on it and probably something else too. The fried rice had ham pieces in it. New one for me. The noodles were once again AMAZING. I think if I were to live here, I'd probably become a noodle because it's what I've liked best. Opps. The view from the boat was so pretty, but my camera really does suck. I was kinda beginning to realize it the other day, but the pictures are night just came out ehh. It actually stopped in the middle of one picture and I almost cried because the screen went black and all I could think of was the windows blue screen of death. Black on a camera is like it's equal I assume. All the pictures are posted anyways though. It gives a good idea of what it was like. The moment the boat took off it began to pour again and when we docked it had stopped. And I never did mention the squatty potties, but they are common in China. On this cruise this was like the 3rd I have used. It is truly an art form to use I must say.

Tomorrow is our last full day in China. We are going back to Shamian Island and to the pearl and jade place one last time. Then is lots and lots of packing. Saturday we leave for the first flight to Hong Kong which leaves at 2:35pm, then our flight to JFK leaves at 5:30om or so. But we arrive in NY at 8:30pm local time. Quite the time makeup there. More pictures are posted so go and check them out!! Some are new ones from the past week and some area totally new. Trying to catch up before we head home. There are none from the oath taking because it is not allowed. Oh and we hit up yet another American eatery today for breadsticks...Papa Johns.