Wenhua Xiang Road

Today was a free day.

Xiulan appeared here at 10:30am, in her usual whirlwind fashion.

Both families opted to hang on their own. I wanted to find an art gallery, and had done some research. Let's just say that the concept of walking in search of art, funky coffee shops, etc. was foreign to our 71 year old guide (pun intended.)

With a shrug of her shoulders, Xiulan finally relented and deposited us curbside outside of the Yunnart Gallery (although we had offered from the beginning to fend for ourselves via taxicab.) We had a leisurely stroll around another section of Green Lake Park, stopped for tea, and headed back up to the Wenhua Xiang Road area and it's combination of backpackers, ex-pats, hipsters.

We scored souvenir T-shirts from Salvador's, where we have now eaten twice, and enjoyed beer from Laos.

Again, Ella hung tough. She is a constant attention magnet. We are seeing more Caucasians that when we first arrived, but we are still adistinct minority, and a few people, especially school age children, will shout out "Hello" and attempt to engage us in conversation, as if to practice their budding English. It's really quite sweet. The blond hair and blue-eyed Heather can also generate her own set of stares and smiles.

The weather continues to be great. The taxis continue to scare us out of our whits, about once every 10 blocks, but deliver us safely.

We have discovered Ella's lung power, and we're beginning to see a pattern of finicky eating. Ella was still holding on to her last orphanage meal, if you know what I mean, but after three days we finally had our first stinky diaper. Tomorrow we get her passport, and even up for the hotel bill, etc. before flying out on Friday morning.

Larry