GuangzhouJul 27, 2004
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Well, waddaya know - just found free internet in a gift shop.
On the 25th I had to move on from the hostel at Tai Mei Tuk because they were fully booked with scouts. I had also had about enough of the hustle of Hong Kong so decided it was time to take the leap into China. Getting through was pretty hassle free, but getting out the other side of the border terminal was a big shock from Hong Kong - chaos.
There was almost no english anywhere and booming roadworks and construction everywhere, and it seemed hotter and smellier. I finally found the bus to the ferry terminal where i arrived 45mins later to find there was no ferry - oops, the guidebook isn't always right. Anyway, as luck would have it there was a bus going from nearby, and it had aircon. The bus terminal was more chaos, and I ended up being hustled into a cab, not really caring about the cost. The driver looked too young and timid to try anything on and it only came to NZ$5 anyway! soo cheap. I am staying on Sha Mian Island, on the Pearl river - a strangely peaceful spot with colonial style architecture, and home to several consulates. Not surprisingly budget accommodation doesn't exist here, so it's a whopping NZ$30 a night for a double hotel room.
I made my way into the city the following day, intending to check out some temples and memorials to the communist uprising in 1927, and other historical sites on the way across town. It was very hot. The markets and rabbit warren-esque (ever seen inside a rabbit warren??) shopping arcades were amazing - electronics, cheap clothes, scientific instruments, engineering supplies, and a bunch (~50) of shops selling what looked like every part you would need to build a mobile phone. I gave up trying to find a bus map of any kind, but stumbled upon the underground train, half of which was marked on the guidebook map. A young guy offered to help me out, and proceded to get my token (no Octopus card here sadly), direct me through, and write my station name down. When I got back to the surface I was somewhere else, not where I wanted! It was right next to where I was going to go on my way home, so a wee change of plans.
A thunderstorm and downpour later I reached the place I was looking for but could not find the building. I was knackered, and realised that I was dehydrated and not feeling too chipper. I grabbed a litre & a half of water and headed for an ex-pat bar nearby, where I found two Kiwis and a South African - all teaching English further north. After chatting with them for a bit, and feeling marginally better but still dry, I got a taxis straight back to the hotel. I can't say the thought of passing out in that place with heat exhaustion really appealed that much, and it was rather reassuring to bump into those guys.
Not surprisingly, today has been a rest day, hanging around Sha Mian and planning the route from here. I am really looking forward to the next stage of the trip; getting away from the intensely populated areas and industrial/urban sprawl of the Pearl River Delta and up towards the mountains and small towns. Hopefully it will be a bit cooler up there.
