Guangzhou

Let us pretend I haven't been away, so I don't have to come up with some lame excuses, and you don't have to read them, ok? :o)

I was in Guangzhou just before the Lunar New year. Didn't get to see actual Guangzhou city that much, as our premises are about 40 minutes from the city centre. But it was nice and warm! Sun was shining and temperature was nice +20-25. It made me want to move there.

One day we called it a day already at 4:45pm, and headed to the city center. We took the local bus, and that was the FIRST time I have used a public bus in China. Think about that! It was a pleasent experience. The ticket was 8 RMBs (yes, less than 1 euro) for about 35 kilometers / 40 minutes trip. In a clean, airconditioned, non-crowded bus.

We walked around Guangzhou with three of colleagues for couple of hours. The whole city center seemed to be under construction! They have a nice river there, and we walked on the river banks.

Well, there were a lot of dead fish floating in that "nice river"... Like, every time you look at the water, you saw a dead fish. Not good...

If you didn't look at the water, you saw boats decorated with flashing lights.

Or chinese climbing on bridge archs.

Another "new" experience was McDonalds. I mean, that Big Mac can be good? It's been maybe 5 years now that I cannot have even thought about McDonalds without feeling at least slight nausea. I have very, very rarely stepped over their door-step. But, suddenly, compared to the local lunch, which, for example, included duck with skin, bones, and, don't ask me how, hair. Not human hair, but animal hair, fur. From a DUCK? What kind of duck is that? How does it look like? They also served beef. With bones. Without beef. Beef bones, that is. Compared, I found Big Mac a feast. I went TWICE during one week. My personal record for this millenium.

It is also a great way to get attention, if you are in need of attention. Just look for a McDonalds from a small industrial area and go there during the lunch time. I guarantee there will be at least 15 people who forget to chew their food, as they are so interested to see what you are eating and how you behave. Well, ok, it also requires that you are non-Chinese. Maybe even non-Asian. Might also be that it helps to be a woman. I couldn't test how they react to a caucasian man, as I didn't have any of those handy for testing.

Our hotel was good. Five stars for less than 40 euros a night. And I really enjoyed having a quiet, nice and safe place to run outdoors. Even if it was just around the hotel bond and around the hotel premises (which was, huuuge, by the way).This was our hotel:

Looks quite nice, huh?


Also the first picture of the post is taken from the balcony of my hotel room.

Alright alright alright, it was a little over the top, but Chinese like it that way. It's their prerogative.

When we had left Guangzhou, my colleague said: "Too bad they didn't ask me if I have any comments when we checked-out from the hotel." "Oh, what did you want to comment?" I asked. Surely, I could have commented that the breakfast was a little on the boring side, and that the waiters take your plate before you have had a chance to finish what ever was on it, but nothing big.

- "Well, they should do something to the cockrouches."

- "What?"

- "Yes, didn't you see them in your room?"

- "NO!"

- "Oh, and then there was the rat."

- "A rat?"

- "Yes, there was a rat on my balcony."

Suddenly I lost sleep retrospectively for the whole week! How can I sleep in such a place? I could feel the cockrouches walking up my leg... Ohhh! And I suddenly remembered the rustling noise I heard from within the wall. At the time I though it was the neighbour. Ugh... Of course, it was a bit too late, as I don't think I ever have to go back there again.

I think I need to train my colleague to TELL me right away if there are such creatures lodging in the same hotel with us. I think. Or maybe ignorance is a bliss...