HONG KONG
After standing at the wrong gate waiting for my co-pilot to show up, she finds me. I stutter and apologize and she just looks at me sideways. I tell her the electronic arrivals board told me to wait at Gate B, how was I to know she would come out Gate A? After she forgave me we moved on.
Caught a bus to:
GUANGZHOU, GUANGDONG (CANTON)
Apparently has the most restaurants per capita in all of China. We're surprised at how clean the streets are, after all this is China.
Population 3.24 million
When leaving Hong Kong you have to check out of customs which entails you getting off of the bus and going through a building, showing your passport to an offical who's indifferent (it's always easier to leave a country) and then getting back on the bus. Driving 3 minutes down the road and then getting off of the bus again to enter into 'official' China.
(sidenote: So Hong Kong has it's own currency, government, flag and borders and it's still considered a part of China? Sounds a little like Taiwan to me, except for the whole ROC thing, which is just China showing it's girth.)
For official entry into China for once in my life I was in the short line versus the 'residents' line. I beat my Taiwanese co-pilot who has been issued a 'special' passport.
Although the customs official did decide to have a bit of a jab at me.
"So I see you've studied some mandarin in Taiwan?" "Uh well yes I did study there for a bit." "Really? Could you speak some to me please?" "Uh sure (I ask her how she is and say Thank You) She says that's a bit easy and if I can say anything a bit more difficult. I then ask here where she lives and tell her I'm Canadian. She then asks if I was using Chinese as an excuse to pick up girls.
This is the most forward immigration officer I've ever come across in my travels and I've been to a bunch of different countries. I tell her my girlfriend is in the other line and she's from Taiwan. The woman becomes all business again. I thank her in Chinese as she hands me back my passport and I'm on my way. We take the bus the rest of the way to the city of Guangzhou where the asian paralympic games are taking place.
We jump off the bus and immediately meet a tout. And I'm thinkin' so this is how it's gonna be is it? But he was legit. He says he can get us a hotel room for $188 Yuan, about $28 Canadian, not bad when you're splitting costs. We drop off our bags and then head out to explore.
Bowl of noodles less than a buck Cdn.
600ml of beer for $0.50 Cdn, after living in Australia for a year let me tell you this comes as a bit of a shock and I have to hold myself back from buying up the whole store.
Saturday Dec 11, 2010
I wake her up early and drag her out onto the street. We visit SHAMIAN ISLAND, known for its colonial history of the British and French, each being stored at one end of the island and being kept in with iron gates.
We then head to QINGPING SHICHANG (MARKET), famous for kittens, puppies, bats, owls and monkeys held in tiny cages ready for human consumption. I was a bit disappointed to just find some baby cats and dogs who looked more like they were being sold to the locals as pets. What a drag.
A little north of there and we hit a huge shopping district. HAIZHU GUANGCHANG (SQUARE). Where I load up on some bargain winter clothes. Long underwear for $4? Yes please.
Make our way home, some guy can't understand Miranda's accent when we ask about dinner so we walk away.
Sunday Dec 12, 2010
Visit Yuexiu Park to see the Five Rams Statue, five immortal goats quintessential to the finding of Guangzhou
Mausoleum Of The Nanyue King - tomb of Zhao Mo an unsuccessful ruler who was covered in thousands of jade tiles to preserve him and make him immortal.
Night bus to Yangshuo...
No comments:
Post a Comment