Shamian Island

Having a bit of trouble uploading pictures lately, so I'm trying a new format. . .we'll see how this works. . .

this post is actually from yesterday. . .

Photos:

1 - Lili in her stroller, ready to explore

2 - one of the historical buildings on the island

3 - a view of the inside of one of the many shops on the island

4 - pushing the stroller, enjoying the sights

5 - one of the many statues that decorate the walkway down the center of the island

6 -  Lili and Ed strolling 

7 - another beautiful building

8 - a t-shirt we found in one of the shops

9 - Michael's Place, where we had some laundry done

10 - Lili enjoyed watching some people playing a game something like hacky sack. . .she was fascinated

11 - a view of the water

12 - the local Starbucks, where we stopped for drinks

13 - a refreshing drink on a hot day

14 - resting at Starbucks

Today we visited Shamian Island, where adoptive families used to stay during their time in Guangzhou.  The famous White Swan hotel is there, but it is currently closed for construction.  It isn't scheduled to re-open for 2 years!  But the island is a lovely place to visit.  It used to be a hub for foreign trade during the colonial period, and has many beautiful colonial buildings.  It also has lots of shops for souvenirs with shop-keepers who speak English.  So we spent the morning exploring the island and shopping. . .