Aug. 15

Our first important agenda item was to call our guide, Lea, to find out when our van would come to take us to the Guangzhou train station. Just as we were about to dial her number, the phone rang. Lea was calling to find out what time we wanted to be picked up. Meanwhile I had Mark on the other line (Vonage) as I had called him to get Lea's phone number. Peter instead took Lea's call. He inquired about the possibility of having the van take us all the way to our hotel Shenzhen.

Lea checked into this option and called us back right away. She said that this could be accomplished quite easily. Since she hadn't purchased the train tickets yet, that money could be applied toward the van and there would be an extra charge of approximately $100. This sounded like a bargain. We were told that no porters were allowed onto the platform at the Guangzhou train station, and we have tons of luggage! Also, we'd need to get a couple of cabs in Shenzhen. This would add time and inconvenience, of course. Peter arranged for the van to come to the White Swan at noon and depart at 12:15 p.m. Lea would see us off, but then we would be on our own with the driver.

So I called the boys at the Marriott and asked them to arrive at our hotel between 10 and 10:30 a.m. so that they could watch the girls outside the room while we packed. I wanted to spend a lot of time organizing our things so that we can easily access what we need in Shenzhen, Honolulu, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh without rifling through all of the bags.

Now that the transportation was settled, we went down for breakfast at 8:30 a.m. It was less crowded at this time. I picked up everyone's favorite foods while Peter fed Scarlett on his lap. Sienna won't allow anyone to feed her at all. Even if you put something on a spoon or fork for her and then hand her the utensil, she will remove whatever was on it.

Today was a special day for Peter because I ordered him a custom-made omlette. I had to point to all of the vegetables I wanted in it, and then the chef added the cheese at the end. Peter was pleased with it.

For some reason I put my diaper bag on a chair instead of on the floor today. This made the waitresses uneasy. They kept coming over to our table and offering to cover my bag. Finally I relented. At first I thought it was just a napkin they drapped on the bag, but later I realized that it was a special covering designed to protect bags/purses. (It was like a covering for a giant toaster.) I noticed that other women had their bags covered, too.

After breakfast, we went back to the room and I took a second bath (so I could wash my hair). When I got out, I decided to put on some of the brand new underwear and socks that my mother sent me. It was like a slice of heaven.

Mark and Brian arrived just prior to 10:30 a.m. as promised. We put the girls in their strollers and the boys took them to a video store where they purchased a few DVDs in flat full-color packaging (rather than in a thick case). After that, they went over to Stella's and bought a few more items. They gave the strollers back, too.

Back in the room, the packing continued. We designated several bags that would contain items that we would not need to access during the rest of the trip. And then we put all of the girls' items together, all of Peter's items together and all of my items together. I organized my newspapers and books. I also used the computer to get the address, phone number and hotel directions for the Four Points by Sheraton Shenzhen. I even copied down the map provided.

Mark and Brian brought the twins up to the room. The girls were in red (Scarlett) and brown (Sienna) t-shirts with jeans shorts. Some people in the elevator greeted them by name. They told Mark and Brian that these are the "famous twins." So apparently we have a well-read blog! :)

At about 11:45 a.m., Peter, assisted by a bellhop, went downstairs with most of the luggage. He took Scarlett with him as well. I continued to pack the remaining "loose ends," and then Mark and Brian helped me carry everything downstairs. Sienna wanted to carry a bag that was too big for her, so Mark let her hold one of the handles (while he bore all of the weight in the other handle).

Lea spoke to our van driver about the location of the hotel. She referred to my directions and the hand-drawn map. The driver also phoned the hotel to get more information. We thanked Lea for all of her help and gave her a cash tip and a bag of American goodies (Mickey Mouse items, Post-Its and chocolate bars). Peter pre-paid (and tipped) the driver.

We pulled out of the parking lot at 12:16 p.m. We had nine bags and quite a few carry-ons. The van's seating area was spacious. I started out with a row of seats to myself. Peter had both girls on his row, and Mark and Brian sat in the back. Within five minutes Sienna fell asleep, so we laid her on my row and I sat on the end. About 10 minutes later, Scarlett fell asleep and stayed with Peter. Both girls slept the entire way.

We enjoyed looking out the windows and seeing more of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton). We were impressed with how large the city it. Peter said that the population is similar to that of New York City.

The boys hadn't eaten anything all day, so I got out some pizza and chicken that I had for them. I served them a cold Capri Sun in a sippy cup (minus the lid) and they supplemented it with a can of Coke that wasn't very cold. I finished the basil and cheese pasta and broccoli from Lucy's. Peter said he would eat something later.

The roads we took to Shenzhen were populated the entire way. It wasn't as crowded at some points, but it certainly wasn't rural either. Shenzhen is within Guangdong Province (which is the same province that Guangzhou is in), but it has been designated as a "Special Economic Zone." This means that you need to have a special visa if you want to go into (and out of) neighboring Hong Kong. There is a proposal to combine Shenzhen in with Hong Kong so that it was be an global economic powerhouse on par with New York and London.

We were 99% of the way there when the driver made a cell phone call to get directions. It turned out that he hadn't made any wrong turns, but he was uncertain where to go next. Within a couple of minutes, we were at the hotel. It took about 2.5 hours for the journey which is longer than we expected since the express train can do it in one hour, and the regular train can do it in two hours. (However, our hotel is about 20 minutes by cab from the train station.) But without all of the transfers, I'm sure we still saved time. And we definitely saved anguish! It was like riding in "upper class" (that's the upstairs first class cabin on a plane) vs. "steerage."

We put our luggage on two big carts. Brian noticed a bag in the van and he told Mark to grab it. It turned out that it was the driver's lunch! Fortunately the driver noticed the honest mistake. We gave the driver a bag of American goodies and thanked him for driving us.

We checked into the hotel. Our rooms were not on the same floor, but they are in the same tower (since there is only one). We had to have both luggage carts come to our room so we could take off the proper items, and then the remaining suitcases went up to the boys' room.

By this time, the twins were hungry. I got out some yogurts and Cheerios. That kept Sienna busy. I fed some of it to Scarlett, too. Then I opened some chicken and rice baby food. Scarlett loved it. Sienna demanded that she have some, too, and I acquiesed. As a result, I had to open a second big jar. They were really hungry!

I made Peter a vegetable sandwich to go with his tea. He was able to make calls to his family in England using the Vonage. (I had made a test call to my mother to see if it would work, and she answered right away. Then I realized that it was 3:15 a.m. on her side of the world. I told her everything was fine, that we made it to Shenzhen okay, and that we would call her at another time.)

I went up to the boys' room to discuss our plans for Shenzhen. Mark and Brian mentioned that they wanted to do some shopping in Shenzhen that evening. We also discussed that perhaps Mark, Brian and I should go to Hong Kong on Thursday and even to Hong Kong Disneyland (for the latter part of the day, which could include fireworks). We couldn't get assurance that the girls could go into Hong Kong and come back out, so Peter agreed to stay in Shenzhen with them. He went to Hong Kong in 1985, so he is willing to let us see it, too. Also, we won't be able to stay for the fireworks at Disneyland on Friday, so we thought the three of us could do that on Thursday.

Mark and Brian asked me to look at the other hotel amenities (particularly the restaurants) and give them a report. So I took some time to walk around. All of the restaurants were formal except for a gourmet coffee shop in the ground floor. I also discovered the fantastic fitness center. It has state-of-the art equipment plus a hot tub, cold tub, sauna and steamroom. Also, there would be a "dancing" class at 6:30 p.m. I was sold!

The boys came down to our room and we decided on the final plan for the evening. Mark and Brian would take a cab to the shopping area they wanted to see. They would take a Hong Kong guidebook with them in case they got confused. And they would take a hotel business card (with Chinese characters) with them so they could show the returning cab driver where to go. Peter would take the girls on a walk around the hotel. (No strollers were available though.) And I would ride on my ride to a grocery store to get the necessary provisions (e.g., water, milk, instant noodles in a bowl, fruit, Sprite). And that is what we did.

It turned out that there was a convenience store within walking distance of the hotel, so Peter was able to get a few items there. I didn't know this, so I still got a full order at a medium-sized supermarket. I purchased six bags of groceries for less than $7. (Water is only about 15 cents per bottle.) On the way back, it looked like it would rain, but I made it back without getting wet.

I put the groceries away and talked to Peter about my plans for the night. He agreed to watch the girls while I went to the gym. I told him I would be gone about an hour and 45 minutes (which I was).

When I got to the gym, they told me that the class wasn't just "dancing," but more precisely "belly dancing." I wasn't discouraged though. In fact, it was exciting since I had never had a belly dancing class before.

The fitness center featured a locker room with special changing areas. They gave me a bracelet with a magnet on it that would open locker 140. Inside the locked was a pair of flip flops. I also picked up a bathrobe and plush towel.

The class started about seven minutes early and ended about seven minutes late, so I got more than my money's worth ($10). There were nine women in the class. Three of the women (in the front row) and the teacher wore skirts with jangling coins on top of their work out clothes. No one used castinettes -- although that would have been easier to create (by taping coins to ones fingers) than a special skirt. (Later I saw that the skirts were for sale at the front desk of the fitness center.)

The class was conducted entirely in Chinese. The only words the teacher said that I understood were those for the numbers one through eight. But I was able to understand the song lyrics (some were instrumental but those with lyrics were in English). We learned a number of steps that later were combined to Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" (which is in Spanish and English).

It was a low-impact aerobic workout designed to increase the heart rate not of the participant, but of the participant's audience. In that respect, the class seemed particularly vocational rather than merely recreational.

I really enjoy taking group exercise classes while traveling -- especially in another country, and especially in another language. I took some classes in Japan. Interestingly one of the classes was Chinese tai chi. Then in China, I took Middle Eastern belly dancing. So if I visit Morocco or Turkey, I bet I will take Japanese sumo wrestling! I've also Jazzercised in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and I joined LA Fitness in London for a week in June. And I've gone to numerous gyms stateside.

After the class, I changed into my swimsuit. I stood in the steam room for a minute and then got in the hot tub. I didn't know how to make the bubbles come out stronger. The water was extremely hot. I felt like I was the main ingredient for soup! After that, I sat in the sauna for a few minutes to dry off.

I went upstairs and told Peter all about my experience. I think the only words he heard were "steam room." He simply loves to sit in a steam room. There is a steam room in the Four Points by Sheraton Panama where we often stay, and he loves it! I can barely go in. But I like knowing that there actually is a limit to the amount of heat and humidity that I can tolerate.

Peter had fed the girls hot noodles for dinner while I was at the gym. Sienna also ate a banana. The girls were just beginning their bath when I got back from the gym. I put the girls in their pajamas. Peter brushed their teeth with the new, child-size toothbrushes that Granny had sent. This made a big difference! The plan was to put the girls in bed with me and for us to fall asleep together. Meanwhile, Peter would go to the fitness center.

Sienna was a little worried when Baba left the room and didn't immediately come back. She kept asking for him. I tried to reassure her. The best way to do that, I found, was to distract her by playing with her kitchen set on the bed. Neither girl seemed ready to retire. After all, it was only 9 p.m. and each of them had napped for more than two hours.

Eventually I started to turn off the various lights. I was ready for bed! I'm not sure what time Peter came back from the gym. He put the sleeping girls in the other bed. (Instead of using cribs, they are sharing a full-size bed.) And he curled up with me in our bed. I believe Peter said he spoke with Mark and Brian and that they had a good time on their shopping trip.

I slept soundly until 5:40 a.m. I'll likely sleep until 6 a.m. tomorrow which means that I was have recovered from jetlag just as we are leaving China.