Trip to Huazhou

We had an incredible trip back to the place of Zoe's birth this past weekend. It took eight hours on a train to get there, but thankfully we were not alone in our unique journey, as we were once again accompanied by our good friends, the Christensen family, who joined us this time last year on our return to Hefei, the place of Ellen's birth.

Zoe was born in Huazhou, Guangdong, a town near the North Vietnam border. We chose to take the train after having found out if we flew it would take virtually the same amount of time due to there not being direct flights near where we needed to go. So, always up for an adventure, some of us more than others, we chose the train. Mmmm, could write a few blog entires on that experience . . .

The pictures are in no particular order, and if you want to get a fuller view of them, just double-click!
Yes, that is actually blue sky and clouds, not Photoshopped in either! I took this on the Star Ferry ride over to Kowloon to the train station.
The view looking out from the orphanage balcony.
Lorne and his camera fans.
Okay, here's the story behind this one: The train stopped on the way to Maoming to let another train pass. That's a good thing. However, when I looked outside the window, I thought, "Oh my word, that's a snake he has!" He went and washed it off in this big mud puddle and then put it in a bag and attached it to the back of his belt (you can see two bags he has attached to his belt) and took off on his bike. Guess we knew what he was having for dinner. I just wanted the train to start before snakeman tried to auction his yummy morcel to someone on the train. Yikes!!!!
Zoe and Hannah standing at Zoe's "finding spot"

You see people transporting some incredible loads in China! Lorne said the bamboo went about 3 feet beyond what he was able to capture with his camera.
Our beautiful smiley girl, Ellen.
The beginning of our train journey to Maoming. The look on the train assistant's face looking at Nadine poking her head out the door is funny. Crazy Gweilo people, she is probably thinking.
The area where Zoe was born was once part of the Vietnam Kingdom, according to our guide, Raymond, and he said that it looks very much like Vietnam today.
Just hangin' out (literally) on the train back to Guangzhou.

Here we are standing at Zoe's "finding spot," located on a busy street across from the Real Estate Bureau of Huazhou. That is Hannah and Noah Christensen and also Raymond, our dear friend, who was our guide for Ellen as well as Zoe.
The three directors of the orphanage treated us to a sumptuous lunch. They indicated to Brad that as the head of the family, he got the "honor" of eating the chicken's head. I had to laugh to myself because he "chickened" out and let Raymond show him how it was done, but they let him vamp for the camera here, after which Brad gladly handed the head over to Raymond.

It was so great to see smiles on the faces of these little ones enjoying the little toys that we brought.