Last day in Shanghai

Yesterday was our last free day in Shanghai, and we really accomplished some sightseeing. Our guide, Tracy, took us to The Bund, which is an area along the Huangpu River lined with dozens of historical buildings. We walked about 1/2 mile with Charlie in the stroller and Madi climbing every flight of stairs she could find. The weather was perfect for some fresh air.

After our stroll, Tracy suggested that we see the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, which is located across the river. We had never heard of it, and it was really cool, especially for Madi. We took an elevator up 263 meters for an amazing panorama of Shanghai. The special attraction of this "sightseeing needle" is that there is a glass ledge along the perimeter of the sphere. Walking on that ledge tests every bit of your fear of heights and your faith in construction! Madi, of course, had no problem going out onto the ledge. I, on the other hand, conveniently stayed off to take pictures most of the time. Madi wants the world to know, "Daddy was scared, and he's 44. I was fearless at 5 1/2!"

At the last minute, we decided to take a ferry ride to see the Shanghai lights last night. The kids took a long, late nap and Madi really wanted to see some lights. Our guide did not accompany us on this adventure, and boy was it an adventure. Thankfully the taxi driver dropped us very close to the port. The security guards, seeing that we were foreigners, kindly shuffled us to the front of the line and got our tickets for us. They were so accommodating. Thank goodness, because the masses were crazy. This was Madi's first experience with "forming a line" in China. There is no such thing as single file here! It was a bit of a melee and Madi was actually afraid. Many people approached us, speaking Chinese, and trying to communicate. We know they were curious and fascinated by our family dynamic. We also know they were being kind, but the attention still made Madi a little standoffish and self conscious.

Charlie is adjusting so well. He is attaching to us very quickly. We can see that he seems to be getting stronger everyday. He's still eating like a champ too.

We are now waiting for our official papers to arrive from the notary office. We will take a 4:45 flight to Guangzhou this afternoon for the last leg of our trip. We look forward to a change of scenery and a more tropical climate. We feel like Charlie is really going to like some warmer weather to prepare him for sunny Florida!