Bus trip is pretty uneventful except for the stop at lunchtime! It was impossible to find out what the unappetising food was. We ended up buying some bananas and cokes.
When we finally arrive in Gaungzhou it is dark. We walk through the bus terminus and Lo & Behold we find a KFC. It was the very best KFC we have ever tasted (we were THAT hungry)! Once bellies are full we start walking, in this vast city, looking for a hotel. Eventually I find a policeman and asked for directions to a hotel. With many hand gestures he was very helpful and we were almost at the hotel (posh) when we got accosted by the infamous touts.
The first place she takes us to was way too expensive and looked a bit of a dive. Then she starts getting in my face to take us to another hotel. I told her to P... Off (she really was pushy and irritating) so she starts hassling Frank. Next minute a male tout joins in the discussion. He said he would drive us (not far, Hah) to a good hotel. I was terrified of this as I had read many articles of people getting scammed this way but Frank said let's go for it. I was panicking all the way but he did take us to an alright hotel. We finally collapsed on the bed utterly exhausted.
14/07
Up early looking for coffee. Wow we found a place where we could have breakfast and coffee. On going back to the hotel, I ask about their laundry service only to be advised that they don't do laundry and I should use the laundry across the road. No problem except it is closed! I book us into the hotel for another night, let our CS host know we will be with him the following day. Now we wait for the laundry to open. We are down to our last set of clean clothing! Guess what? - The laundry doesn't open! What a waste of time!
Eventually we go for a walk. We find a fruit shop which had beautiful looking peaches and Frank got a hankering for a Peach. I start looking at the peaches and feeling them. Ooooops wrong thing to do!!!! The lady in the shop starts taking off at me in "Gooble-de-Gook" and pointing to a sign with funny squiggles on it! I presume you aren't allowed to handle the merchandise so I take the two I had handled and bought them. Huh! Franks one was ripe but had a split pip which had opened the whole peach, mine was still hard as nails.
15/07 Guess what - Laundry still hasn't opened. We grab a taxi and arrive at our CS host's apartment, dirty clothes an' all! Eli was kind enough to let me use his washing machine. Hooray clean clothes!
When we arrived we were met by Dan, an American, who said Eli (also an American) would be home shortly, which he was. Dan described himself as Eli's 'ex husband-in-law' which rather baffles us. We later find out that Dan had married Eli's ex wife, who he has since divorced.
Lunch was served shortly after Eli had arrived. Mmmmm he doesn't like local food so we had Tuna Croquettes and several different salads. What a delicious meal!The afternoon was spent doing laundry and hanging it up to dry. Everything is hung on the balconies - You don't hang your washing outside on a line here and they don't have driers at all.
We go walking and exploring this new area - Big buildings after big buildings. Grief the high-rise apartments are unbelievable and then of course you have the office blocks and shops. Renting is expensive but buying a property is over the top.
We found a "wild rice research Centre". Unfortunately they gave up the whole project as all we could find was weeds, weeds and more weeds. We were in an area behind apartments and shops. We carried on a little way and came across a veggie garden. How strange to find this in amongst the concrete jungle.We went back to the apartment. Eli came back from work and we sat and chatted. What an interesting man.
16/07
We decide we want to go to the shopping markets. Dan gives us directions and says we need to go to the Garden Hotel and we will find the area easily enough. Hah! We are in the wrong place. Oh well we walk around looking at the shops an' all. We managed also to buy our bus tickets to Hong Kong, from the hotel, so all was not a waste of time. Hmmm now the sky is darkening very heavily with rain clouds. Amazing - What's rain? I really thought we would see a lot more than what we did in Asia.
Only problem after a short shower of rain the sun comes out and just makes everything that much more muggy!
This evening we go with Eli and Dan to a restaurant where CS meet. Unfortunately Eli is not feeling too well so we eat and then leave. Oh dear it has been raining again so there is no chance of finding a taxi (they are all full). We walk back to the apartment, which was not that far, probably about two and a half kilometers
17/07
Ok now Eli gives us directions to get to the shopping markets and off we go. Oh we land up just near the bus terminus where we had originally arrived in Guangzhou. LOL! That means nothing 'cos we still got horribly lost. We walked for ages before Frank lost it and hailed a tuc-tuc. Help! They drive like Idiots! This was a woman driver so I thought it might be better. What a laugh! We give her the address of where we want to go and we set off. Next minute she turns into a main road. No problem, except she is driving on the wrong side of the road, towards on-coming traffic!! I know that we almost knocked over several pedestrians. I don't know how many close calls there were with the on -coming traffic, I had my eyes shut tight most of the time! Ok we get there in one piece. She indicates that we need to walk up this lane where she dropped us. Oooookay!? Yes we did find it after walking passed shops, after shops of clothing.
This place is unreal! One block (and damn their blocks are big) is female clothing, one is men's clothing then there are blocks for watches, leather, computers and shoes. I really have no idea how all of these shops make enough money to survive.
We spend most of the day wandering around this massive area. Shoppers delight if you have lots of money and plenty of space in your suitcase. Needless to say we have neither of these commodities so we just "window lick"!!!
Eli went out this evening so we had our 'doggy-bags' from last night for supper and just chilled.
18/07
We make a relatively early start 'cos we taking the Metro to Xiangjiang Safari Park. It is a fair distance away (almost to the end of our Metro line). The train fills up pretty quickly. It looks like most of Guangzhou have the same idea. We arrive and get on the shuttle bus, with the masses, which is provided. Thank heavens we didn't decide to walk as we travelled a good distance and we would have got lost again.
We go into the Park and I buy a fan with a map of the park on it not realising that a little way on they give you a free map. Oh well not serious at least I can keep myself a little cool 'cos it's going to be a killer day again.
Food was like any theme park. damn expensive and not very good tasting.
We spent almost the whole day walking around. By lunchtime the crowds had really grown. We wanted to go on the 'Ride on Safari' but that wasn't going to happen looking at the queues.We make our way back home and went looking for somewhere to eat. Right we go into this one place. Frank has a pork on rice hotpot and I go for a beef dish. They tell me the one I chose is very hot (spicy) so I change my mind. Then the waitress says they have one that is mild so I go "Ok". Hah! I like chillies but this is ridiculous. It was sooooooo hot that I was sweating and had tears running down my face. Frank tried some (he can eat Hot chillies) and even said he wouldn't be able to eat my food. It was actually tasty when you could get past the chillie. Needless to say I left most of it!
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