Safari Park

Today was a great day. Even though it was drizzling in Guangzhou it was fairly nice, or nice for China weather, in Puna. Safari Park puts all zoos in the US to shame. This is the first time we have gone to a zoo and all the animals are out and active. And the exhibits are not crowded together and they are very well cared for. They have an amazing variety of animals also. We saw all the usual zoo animals, but they had at least 10 Pandas, 6 Koalas, including the only set of twin Koalas in the world, white tigers, white rhinos, at least 10 elephants including 2 babies and countless other animals.

There was also a safari ride through the animals. You ride in an open train and the animals are just a few feet from you. We did not understand how the tigers, lions, bear and other predators were kept in their individual areas. The fences were very low. All the signs were in Chinese in the safari ride area and we figured this was so the crazy Americans did not know to keep their arms and legs in the train and the animals would get their afternoon snack!

We were able to get an awesome picture of Samie holding a baby white tiger. She loved it and said it was so soft. It was starting to get a little agitated when it came her time to hold it and we were wondering again if the crazy American might be a little nibble for it.

After the safari Park we came back and did a little negotiating at the shops. We finally had to come up to the room and let Tim go back to negotiate on his own. Samie kept getting upset with her Dad for trying to go lower on the shop keeper's prices. She keeps forgetting how this works and will shout out, "Daddy!!" And we have to shush her! I hate it too, but we found Chops, which is a name stamp, at one store for 90 Yuan. The keeper would only come down to about 60 Yuan. And this was for only the Chop, no ink or box. We walked around the corner and got the same Chop with box and ink for 25 Yuan. Daddy does know what he is doing sometimes!

I want to thank everyone for their prayers about Sierra's TB test results. It is looking negative, no swelling and no redness whatsoever! We go tomorrow for the official reading, but if it was going to be positive it would have been raised and red by now. So thank you!

Tomorrow we are going to the Six Banyan Temple and to do shopping at the govt shops, Samie doesn't have to worry about us bargaining there- not allowed, and to the Pearl Market. YYIIPPEE!! More shopping!!