Next stop China!

Next stop China! We signed the papers accepting the referral of the lovely Jade Eden and now we await our "TA" (travel approval). It should be a four week wait for the TA and then we will have approximately 10 days heads-up to get to China. We will most likely fly to Hong Kong as the Yangxi SWI is in the southern province of Guangdong.
We will be based in Guangzhou for the our two week stay in China. As you can see from the map, it is very close to Hong Kong. Since we will be in the south the weather will not be too different from LA. We are expecting 70's. We will be staying at "The White Swan Hotel" which is located on the historical Shamian Island overlooking the Pearl River. According to the hotel's website, "the White Swan Hotel remains an oasis of tranquility from the hustle and bustle of this busy city. The main building has the height of 34 storeys.The exquisitely beautiful Atrium lobby is an indoor microcosm of the famed landscapes of Southern China. Here waters abound, with a veil-like cascade and a spectacular rockery. Atop the rockery sits an elegant Chinese pavilion, octagon-shaped, with its richly ornate gold top, and a profusion of luxuriant vegetation and flowers. Shamian Island, where the White Swan Hotel is located, has a total area of 0.3 sq. Kms. Nestled on the west, facing the famous Swan Lake, surrounded by the Pearl River, Shamian is one of the Guangzhou's most prized possession. Striking in it rich history, having once been a British and French Settlement which is clearly visible in the more than 150 European-style buildings and 158 old trees that flank its streets, Shamian beckons with its unsurpassed charm and beauty." The hotel is the traditional last stop on an adoptive family's journey. Every family comes home with a picture of a row of little girls proper on the long red sofa in the lobby. In addition, the hotel presents each adopting familty with a "Going Home Barbie" which is Barbie on her way home with her Chinese baby.