Hollywood to Taipei

It is Sunday morning 4:00 a.m. Taipei time. Despite taking all of the advice from globetrotters on how to beat jet lag, it hit us all pretty hard yesterday. Once we got settled in our room we ventured out for a walk around this part of the city and then came back to the hotel to nap. We had planned on having dinner with our friends Tami and Ralph (who are also here to adopt a daughter) but everyone was still pretty beat and Emma was out cold. Eventually we woke her up and got room service. After eating, we all went promptly back to sleep again! They're both still sawing Z's - lucky!!!

Today our guide will take us to the Longshan Temple. It is supposed to be amazing! We don't know how many pictures we'll get. We've heard that many parts of the temple are considered sacred and you cannot photograph them. We'll post again soon!!






Emma's hands are smaller than Emma Watson's from Harry Potter but her feet are bigger!



Flat Stanley makes his first appearance on our blog!! For those without school age kids, Stanley was flattened by a tragic blackboard accident. Since he's now so handy to mail or pack, he tags along with traveling families all over the world. Our Stanley was sent to us by our friend Janelle's son Ethan. We were told by the characters outside of the Mann theater that there is now a Flat Sally - too bad Stanley didn't run into her :)



Stanley found Mickey Mouse's star!



The AMERICAN GIRL STORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Since we're traveling over Emma's birthday, she got an early present when she got to hang with her "cousin" Claire at the coolest store! The AG store is in an uber-cool outdoor mall called The Grove - VERY L.A. - there was even a red carpet with velvet ropes set up. Matt saw someone famous there - you know someone with body guards and people with walkie talkies and stuff. When asked who it was he said he didn't know. I asked what they looked like and he said "a gangsta." We'll never know :)


Doll day of beauty. Good thing - Claire's doll Kaia was almost to the dreadlock stage but she left with a beautiful new "do."


Claire's little sister Ellie got a Bitty Baby. She was SOOOOOO excited! It came "wit a bottle and everyting." Her new baby's name is Winne the Pooh LOL!!!!!!


After our trip to The Grove, Misty had us over for a wonderful steak dinner at her house. She even got cupcakes to celebrate Emma's birthday! THANKS Misty and Jason for dinner and the help with our bazillion bags at the airport!!


Here is the flower market about two blocks from our hotel. They have the most amazing orchids and tropical flowers! If customs would let us bring them home we'd have a whole suitcase of exotic flowers. Here's Emma with some of the Bonsai trees. The biggest one in this photo cost about $100.