Zhengzhou

Hello everyone!  First I'll start with the images we took while bike-riding in Beijing.  We really loved that city.

There are actually really good bike lanes here - though they are still crazy because motorbikes ride in them too - and everyone rides so close - it's really fun.

A bicycle repair guy with these cool things for sale near him.

I wasn't suppossed to take their pictures but every time I see these guys - the police - I wan to say, "Hello, Comrade!"

Our guide, Grace.

OK - Yesterday we arrived in Zhengzhou and met our guide Tim.  Since we had some spare time and we knew that once we got the girls we wouldn't have the same freedom we told him to give us the local experience.  Boy, did he.

 First we went to a noodle restaurant since this area is famous for it's noodles.  He took us to a local place instead of the places near the hotel.  What that means is that when we walked in we really had one of those moments you see in movies where the entire place turns and looks at you - all eyes in the room follow you.  Unlike many movies - these eyes were kind and happy to see us.

 

We ate tofu with peppers, some sort of pig spine meat with potatoes and noodles.   Everything was actually pretty good.

After dinner we walked through town to a supermarket because we accidentally put our toiletries bag in our carry on and everything was taken from us at the airport - it was such a big bummer.  Anyhow, Zhengzhou is definitely crazier and more foreign that Beijing was.  Cars and motorcycles are weaving and honking and people are everywhere.  It feels like pure chaos and we had to keep laughing because we couldn't believe that this was normal.  After the store he walked us into downtown Zhengzhou passing loads of people and stores and all sorts of stuff.

This is some strange smelling roasted fruit.

I'm not sure but I think she is eating what I've heard called Stinky Tofu.  Our guide Tim said, "This stuff smells ugly but taste good."  We didn't think it smelled ugly - we thought it smelled like sewage.

Karaoke bar.

A memorial built for railroad workers that were striking in the early 1900's.

Bad photo but I wanted to include it - the beggars here are much sadder and destitute that ours.  Some even had dirty sad children with them.  Broke my heart.

Christian church back there.  Tim just converted to Christianity weeks ago and seems to have really tender feelings about it all.  A really nice guy.

One yuan - about twenty cents.  That's all bus fare was!

The bus one the way  back to the hotel.

Our guide Tim.

Well, that's all folks.  We go in four hours to get Pearl.  We're totally overwhelmed but we truly feel a power greater than our own strengthening us and leading us.  I couldn't be more grateful for the love of our Savior.

As for future updates - I don't know if I'll be able to post as often once we get the girls but we'll see!