Exploring Nanchang

Our Most Excellent Guide, Jenny

I can't quite get over how different this trip feels than our last adoption journey four years ago. I personally am enjoying it so much more for a lot of reasons. When you are traveling to a place that is so very removed from your everyday life to become a parent for the first time, let's face it, folks--it is not exactly a pleasure cruise. This time, we know what it is like to become parents, we know what to expect from the process, we even know a little bit of the language and probably most importantly, Joe and I have both come to really appreciate so much of our travels over here and the people we meet. Combine that with the changes that have been happening so fast in China, add a wonderful guide and you have the recipe for a great trip. So, with the transition going so smoothly, I must admit that my blogging is probably pretty boring this time around. We're just hanging out and having fun for the most part, which is such a fantastic gift. Don't get me wrong--we loved our trip in 2006. However, it is so nice to be more relaxed this time since I am over the first-time parent/first-time traveler jitters.

Chinese Restaurant Lobby in Nanchang

I will say however that I will never quite get used to the driving in China. Riding in a car is like a scary ride on a real-life roller coaster, but it isn't a matter of not knowing how to drive. Quite the contrary, in fact. It takes a great deal of skill to navigate the streets as a driver or a pedestrian. It is like a bizarre ballet of cars, trucks, mopeds, bicycles and pedestrians that all come together in the middle of the streets (and sidewalks, as we saw on several occasions) and somehow end up where they need to be, albeit with a great deal of honking horns. I also realized this trip that the honking of the horns in traffic here is not an act of aggressive rudeness here, but really a necessary part of driving--kind of a "hey, I'm here so don't hit me" sort of thing. Kind of like a turn signal , but louder. So, I kind of came to admire the driving skill, but you could not pay me enough to drive here and I don't think I'll be trying to cross a street anytime soon in Nanchang.

View of the City and the Gan River from Tengwan Pavilion

As I mentioned before, we went to Tengwang Pavilion, which was built in 653 A.D. and has been rebuilt many times over the centuries. Nanchang is famous for this place, along with the many battles that have been fought here over the years, including the Nanchang Uprising in 1929. Tengwang Pavilion sits above the Gan River and is a beautiful place that brings many visitors from all over China. As in our journey last time, we always seemed to attract quite a bit of attention when we are out and about with our girls and I think that we probably garnered the most attention here at the pavilion because there were more people from rural destinations who don't ordinarily see a lot of people who look like us, especially with two Chinese girls. We had a lot of pictures taken of us and were often asked to pose, which Katie was quite thrilled about (not) and I'm wondering if we are going to turn up on YouTube or China's Funniest Home Videos or something. But just like before, the people were so positive and welcoming and seemed so genuinely pleased to see us and that is just one of those things that has always made me feel so warmly welcomed here.

People's Park

Another destination was to buy porcelain to take home. We found some beautiful pieces and all of those classes back home served us well. We were able to negotiate like pros. I think my favorite spot on our trip was People's Park. One of the things that struck me about China is how wonderfully beautiful the parks are and how the people in the midst of these bustling cities gather here. These parks are a center of life here, where the young and old gather to play, exercise or just socialize. There are exercise machines, rides for the kids, people doing tai-chi or playing mahjongg all surrounded by the gorgeous gardens. According to our guide, Nanchang is where feng shui came to be and I can certainly see it in the buildings and the garden design. Beautiful and so serene.


People's Park with the Monkey King (No, not Joe)

Jenny in Tengwan Pavilion

I can't say enough about Jenny. We had just one other family here in Nanchang with us. (And they've been fabulous traveling companions!) So we really had a chance to get to know our guide and she is simply the best. Her compassion and caring shows so much in everything she does and she has gone out of her way and above and beyond so many times for us. One of the reasons that this trip is so great is that we truly aren't worrying about anything because we feel so well taken care of by Jenny. She also has done such a marvelous job of telling us about China and life here. I've been so fascinated hearing so much about the culture and the history and am so glad that Katie is hearing so much about her birthplace as well. I hope we get to meet Jenny again sometime in our future travels.


Jenny Walking Betsy in Tengwan Pavilion