Xuanwu Park

December 19

Today was another free day.  Today we visited a park at the north end of the city, visited a pearl shop, and then went freelance for lunch.  Here's some pics of our day.

Took this last night before bedtime.

At the entrance to Xuanwu Lake Park.  This is the North gate to Nanjing city.  This park was only accessible to the Imperial family until about 100 years ago.

Lora and Joshua in front of the Lotus Fairy.

China is a constant juxtaposition of old and new.  For instance, here you have a 1500 year old Imperial garden with a hot-dog truck in it, in front of a Ming Dynasty city wall in front of the tallest building in the city (450 meters).

A wishing garden.  All the red tags are wishes that people have placed in the garden.  Everywhere you turn here there's another temple, or wishing garden, or good luck charm.  Yesterday we saw a lady praying at a rock while rubbing it.  In the gift shop in our hotel there is a idol of some kind for sale and the shopkeeper placed offerings in front of it.  At the city gate yesterday, there were fruit offerings in front of a painting of some guy that helped build the wall.  These people are desperately looking for something to hope in.

Mae at Xuanwu lake park

Lora and Joshua in front of a balloon thing.  It's part of the Christmas decorations that are going up in the mall across from our hotel.

Lora getting her picture taken for about the 500th time today.  She had just finished eating some kind of chocolate ice-cream bar, hence the chocolate ring around her mouth.

The gang in front of a local dumpling and noodle restaurant.  Notice how the entire front of the store is open.  This is pretty common.  No heat inside.  Everything here is very open-air.

This was taken out front of the restaurant where we ate last night.  There's a lot of (what I assume to be) salt-cured meats hanging in front of shops and outside of apartments.

By the way, for breakfast I had some duck feet braised in "brown sauce", among other things.  The dietary options here really are endless.

Mae is doing better every day.  Today she has had a much better appetite and she has warmed up to me a lot more.  She enjoys the other kids mostly but is definitely not afraid to assert herself.  Overall, she's a real fascinating girl who's had to adapt both to orphanage life and her non-functioning arms.  It'll be a real treat to watch her grow and develop.

Tonight is our last night in Nanjing.  Tomorrow morning we board a plane for Chongqing.  I think I'll miss Nanjing.  I really like this city more than the others I've been to in China.  All the same we're very excited about reuniting with Sonia and meeting Jacob.