Last Batch...

This will be my last post as the Rossi's are heading home!  Being able to put this together for them has been awesome!  It appears as though the Gentis and Rossi Families - China Trip Summer 2013 was a vacation of a lifetime!!  -Nic

"Today we headed out early for a day trip to Zhijiajiao.  This is a "water town " outside Shanghai. It took about an hour to get there. We started off walking over the bridge to get to town.  It was breezy today, so it turned out to be a nice leisurely walk."  -Robbin

"We walked and waked through the narrow streets.  There were shops that sold everything from fashion to fans.  We stopped at an art gallery and met the artist.  He sold Ying Ying's favorite kind of colorful paintings, so we asked him to paint some for the Kelly's. They came out great!"  -Robbin 

"Like any good " water town" there is a boat ride.  We took the boat ride all the way down the river and in and out of the small canals. It reminded us of Venice....slow and picturesque."  -Robbin  

"Here is a pretty view of he canal."  -Robbin

"Here is Tian thinking deeply.  I wonder what he's thinking about? Red Sox, orange soda, lunch....who knows."  -Robbin

"I wonder what Zee is thinking about?  Snacks, souvenirs, lunch..who knows?"  -Robbin

"The kids are soaking up the last bit of free wifi in the lobby before we leave.  Thanks to Karen's friend Nicci, for posting all our pictures, for us.  We appreciate all the time you put onto it, Nicci...THANK YOU!  It was fun to be able to share our trip with everyone.  Ying Ying is homesick today and can't stop thinking about nana and papa and their pool.  She also can't stop talking about Lilly."  -Robbin 

Rossi's in Shanghai

"Well, after a great visit in Luoyang, we flew to Shanghai.  We slept late and started out at 10, which is VERY late for us.  We headed to People 's Square first.  The buildings are really cool.  That's the Shanghai Museum behind Ying Ying.  Jackie will be happy to know that Ying Ying finally got her umbrella and it works like a charm.  She's thinking of bringing this style to the states."  -Robbin

"We made a quick stop at a pearl store.  Ying Ying was interested in finding out how people find pearls. We stopped at the shop afterwards and bought some pearl moisturizer for Nana."  -Robbin

"Next we walked along the Bund.  This is a walkway along the waterfront with really beautiful views.  Shanghai is known for its architecture."  -Robbin

"Tian really wanted to go to the top of this tower.  He had seen it on Amazing Race last year.  So he and Ying Ying went up to the top.  There were 101 floors and they went to the the 97th floor.  They took an elevator that took 66 seconds to the 94th floor, then an escalator the rest of the way.  The views were unbelievable and they took great photos.  The top of this building is shaped like a beer opener... it's a long story why... we'll tell you later."  -Robbin

"Old Shanghai  was next. It was the oldest part of the city with a lot of shops and restaurants.  We saw a steamed bun place that had a line down the street.  The guide said it is like this everyday..steamed buns are Ying Ying's favorites (she has eaten about 1,000 so far) but we didn't wait.  We also Had a funny experience here on the Zig Zag Bridge that we'll tell you about when we get home..."  -Robbin

"We ended the night with a river cruise with a close up view of the Shanghai buildings.  These buildings are in the new part of Shanghai, which I believe our guide said is only 16 years old. It was really beautiful.  It reminded us of an evening Manhattan cruise that we took for Nana's birthday last year. That building in the back that looks like a bottle opener on the top is the one Ying Ying and Tian went up to the top of.  It's the tallest in Shanghai."  -Robbin

Rossi's in Luoyang

The Rossi's continue their travels!  Karen and Jackie made it safely to Boston last night.

"This morning, we headed out to Luoyang, so Zee could visit his nannies.  We found out that they moved into a new building a few months ago.  The building has 11 floors and is set up to take care of lots of children.  So many nannies were happy to see Zee.  They came from lots of different floors to say hi and look at pictures."  -Robbin

"Zee had lots of caching up to do with his with his nanny.  He asked lots of great questions and she shared some memories, too.  She used to take Zee to her house to play with her own son. Our visit was just about over and I knew Zee wanted a little more time so we invited her to dinner and she accepted.  She said she would bring her son, too."  -Robbin 

"After seeing the brand new building, we drove to the other side of town to see the old building where Zee lived for many years.  There was a gate across the entrance and we were so disappointed that we couldn't take a look inside.  Before we knew it, the gates started opening.  The man at the gate said we could go in."  -Robbin  

"Zee sat in the front yard for one more picture before we left.  He remembers playing with his friends there. The bus behind him was for the children went they took field trips."  -Robbin

"Later in the day we visited the Longmen Grottoes. We got to see many many Buddahs built into the mountains.  It was cool."  -Robbin

"We met Zee's nanny for dinner and we were so happy that she brought her son along.  He and Zee were buddies when they were younger and spent time together. He was so funny and nice and was glad to see Zee.  He spoke a little English, too...he actually called it Chinglish... he and his mom were so cheerful and fun.  Mr. Lee, our guide was there to translate for us.  Zee's nanny brought a photo album of pictures that she had of Zee and his friend from Luoyang.  They went through each photo reciting the names and where the children were."  -Robbin

"Zee fond the playroom where he used to play wit his friends. Ying Ying wanted to take a picture of Pikachu that they found on the wall."  -Robbin

"At the end of the evening, we had to be kicked out of our private room. We were there for a leisurely 3 hour dinner.  We talked about everything from music to politics to Calvin Klein underwear.  We heard that it cost 500 yuan for one pair of Calvin Kleins.  Ying Ying suggested that we send some underwear overseas... what an idea!  After we took our final photos, we said goodnight. It was a really great day for Zee."  -Robbin 

"This is a special nanny who took very good care of Zee when he was little.  She heard that we were coming and drove to Luoyang to see Zee.  She had retired a few months earlier.  I recognized her immediately because she was the nanny who brought Zee to meet me 10 years ago."  -Robbin 

Mag-Lev Train to Changsha

"We got on the mag-lev train in Changsha. Our trip to Luoyang took about 4 hours.  The train goes so fast, but you don't even feel a thing.  Ying Ying explained that it hovers along the track magnetically.  It was a great way to see the area.  The landscape was beautiful and green, with some cities in the background. I was worried because we only had 2 minutes to get off but luckily we made it.  We met our guide, Mr. Lee, a former high school history teacher, so we learned a lot of information in the 30 minute drive from the airport!  We'll be all ears on our way to the Shaolin Temple and the Longmen Grottoes tomorrow."  -Robbin

"Today we stared with the Shaolin Temple. It was a 2 hour drive, up a mountain, too.  This is the home of Kung Fu.  People come from all over he world to train in Kung Fu.  It is also the home of Buddhism, I think.  We saw many beautiful and large buddhas."  -Robbin  

"We were in time to see the outdoor show.  The people used weapons, as well as lots of movements.  Some of these artists performed at the 2008 Olympics. It was a good show."  -Robbin

"Mr. Lee taught the kids how to relax...I think it worked because everyone dozed off in the van, on the way home!  He has been a fun guide, with lots of good stories and information."  -Robbin

"We have never seen so many pagodas.  Some were single and some were shared. The boys wandered up into the forest with Mr. Lee.  Ying Ying naturally got some mosquito bites, so we nurtured them, down below.  Mr. Lee got some tiger balm for the bites and that seemed to do the trick."  -Robbin 

Last Day in China for Karen & Jack

"Jackie found a music store.  Owner was very talented and played multiple instruments."  -Karen

"Shopping in older section of town."  -Karen

"Karen and Jackie at zig zag bridge."  -Karen

"The flowers looked like shower heads before they bloomed. Later on we found them in the marketplace as they're edible."  -Karen

"So many cool buildings in Shanghai.  We wanted to take the riverboat cruise on our last night to see them all but after a full day of touring with Jean (great guide) we were looking forward to swimming at the hotel pool and a great relaxing dinner.  Goodbye Shanghai.   We will miss you.  For that matter goodbye China!  Our flight departs tomorrow AM.  Hard to believe our trip is coming to and end.  It's been fantastic! Zai Jian."  -Karen

Block Party in YiYang

"After dinner we decided to return to the old site of YiYang.  When we got there we saw the storekeeper we had met earlier in the day.  He was really welcoming again.  Before we knew it, all the neighbors came out to say hi.  One woman cut open a watermelon and before we knew it, we were having a block party. It was so much fun."  -Robbin

"We were so glad that we visited the old site.  The street was so clean and everyone was so friendly.  One old woman told us that Tian and I looked perfectly matched... we both had the same smile.  That was nice.  The storekeeper told us that the old part of town would be torn down and rebuilt next year, so I'm glad we made it this year.  He and his wife were happy about the new construction.  It was a great way to end the day."  -Robbin

Hotel Dinner

"We decided to stay in and have dinner at the hotel tonight.  It was a great call.  They had a buffet to die for.  Only 227 yuan for the two, so $35 got us all the seafood we could eat.  I think Jackie went back for 5 servings of the king crab legs.  Chopsticks proved helpful for pushing out the crab meat!  Their dessert bar was something else as well with tiramisu and a chocolate fountain, too."  -Karen

Seafood Feast

Chocolate Fondu

Fireworks - View off Balcony (video)

Karen said it was a great way to end the day. 

Winchester Electronics - China Office

"This morning my company, Winchester Electronics set up a diver to meet us at the hotel to drive Jackie and me to Suzhou.  The ride took just a little over one hour since we missed traffic.  We almost thought we wouldn't be able to see our friends in Suzhou as the city announced an electricity ban for today just the evening before.  I was fortunate that Chan, our GM, and some of his staff came into the office anyway so they could spend time with us.  We spent time discussing our trip through China as well as caught up on some business with our key accounts.  It was very helpful as I had not met the entire team before since my last visit to China for business was ~ 5 years ago.  Afterwards they took us to a lovely restaurant that over looks Golden Chicken Lake.  The view or the lake was really beautiful.  Unfortunately it was very hot that day with temperatures close to 100 degrees so we didn't get to walk around the lake or visit the many gardens Suzhou is known for.  Next time!  But our meal was delicious with many local specialties of fish, eel and other.  As usual, we also had many vegetables that were all so flavorful.  It was a really nice visit and both Jackie and I were appreciative they came into the office for our visit, despite not having electricity!"  -Karen

YiYang Children's Center

"Tian was greeted warmly and enthusiastically by a pretty little girl.  She was so friendly and  it was a wonderful way to begin our visit." -Robbin

"We got to YiYang before lunch, so the children were reading and playing. It was fun for us to interact with everyone."  -Robbin 

"This room is for the children to have therapy lessons. The room is maintained by Half the Sky Foundation. Each child gets what he/she needs. The nannies were very friendly and welcoming. It was fun to visit."  -Robbin

"This is Tian in the site of YiYang when he was a baby.  This is in the old part of town.  I remember this scene distinctly from 16 years ago when I was here last. We met some friendly neighbors in the area."  -Robbin 

"Here is Tian in front of the old YiYang children's center.  It brought back a lot of memories to me."  -Robbin

Nanning

I received some photos out of order.  The two prior posts (made earlier today) below this one are actually after these photos.

Majestic Hotel lobby in Nanning

"We had a very large swimming pool at the hotel.  It was very busy at night with many families using it. Water temperature was perfect.  It felt really great after a long hot day with temps reaching over 100 degrees." -Karen

"Jackie and Ying really enjoyed the pool.  They spent an hour and a half swimming our last night.  Bathing caps were required at all hotel pools much to their dismay."  -Karen

"Our journey takes us in different directions today.  The Gentis family flies to Shanghai today.  The Rossi family flies to Changsha today.  We were sad to say goodbye but will follow each other's travel via the blog and look forward to our reunion in Boston later this summer!"  -Karen

Pizza in Shengahi

"My colleague Merlin took us to a very fun part of Shangahi that had every nationality of food imaginable. Jackie chose Italian and we had a Caesar salad, pasta and pizza.  Food, atmosphere, company were great.  Thanks Merlin.  Just what we needed after 2+ weeks of Chinese dining!" -Karen

Jackie & Merlin in Shengahi

First stop in Changsha

Looks like an exciting day for Tian!

"On the way to the hotel, from the airport, we stopped at the Hunan adoption center.  This was built years ago, but after I adopted Tian, so it was my first visit. We expected to stop by and look around but instead, we were welcomed by the director and staff." -Robbin 

"It was a wonderful visit. Tian, aka Yi Tian, is looking forward to tomorrow, as well, when we hit the road to YiYang, his birthplace." -Robbin

"We attended a reception with another Hunan family.  The staff told us about the center and all of the work they do." -Robbin

"The ladies presented Tian with some gifts; a map of Hunan, a pen, calendar and other things.  They were kind enough to include a gift for Zee and Ying Ying, too. While looking through the calendar, we noticed a photo of our friends the McDaniels..it was such a surprise. The ladies gave us an extra calendar for them, when we told them." -Robbin