Day 4 – Safari

Kristin’s fingers are tired and blistered from writing the blog posts, so hear I am.

After the police appointment yesterday, Aili wasn’t too keen on me carrying her around. She would burst into tears if she got near me  (no, this isn’t a common reaction by women in my life). Nothing some pasta and a flashlight can’t fix. At dinner I fed her some spaghetti and back at the hotel we played with a flashlight for an eternity a while. She decided to snuggle up and sleep next to me last night.

Aili slept well and didn’t bounce her head off the mattress much at all, which was nice. Per usual, she woke up happy as a lark. She is learning signs quite well so we know when she has to go to the bathroom and needs water. Not really like having a deaf dog ( we miss Gus), but kinda.

We eventually made it to the lobby to meet our guide (Michael) who whisked us off to the zoo. Well, we whisked over to Starbucks. First things first ya know. Aili inhaled a ham and cheese croissant. Raleigh ate some I think, although it looked as if she ran it through a shredder all over the car interior. Sorry Michael. Kristin and I got our caffeine fix. There have to be more Starbucks, McD’s, and 7 Elevens in this city than in all of the southeast US. It’s sad, yet wonderful at the same time. I love Starbucks, there I said. Let’s move on.

Not far from the city is the Chimelong Safari Park and it is incredible. They throw caution to the wind here. Safety be damned as visitors get  nice and close to the animals. It’s a wonderful immersive experience and the park is impeccably maintained. Not having seen so much as a dog her whole life, Aili’s mind was blown as lions, tigers, and panda bears (oh my) were seen at each turn. We were able to feed colorful birds and giraffes. Zoo staff tossed  tasty-looking chunks of flesh at white tigers and brown bears. Raleigh was able to pet a koala (it looked to have been heavily sedated).

We had lunch at one of the zoo restaurants where Aili ate her weight in pizza and then her second ice cream cone ever. Most of it ended up in her stomach or in her hollow legs I presume. She hasn’t emptied the tank yet so to speak. So her first rear entry laxative is imminent. Yeesh. That’s Mama’s job. I’ll be hiding somewhere.

Energy was waning so we hurried along to the panda exhibit. We’re in China, so pandas are must see. One of the zoo restaurants is part of the panda exhibit, so you can watch pandas eat and make avocado shaped turds while you eat. Bummer we had already eaten earlier.

We made it back to the car without any floppy or screaming children. The girls crashed on the way back to the hotel and for a bit afterwards. I highly recommend Chimelong Safari Park if you find yourself in or near Guangzhou.