k (about 8 pm), but I could already tell that the city didn’t have the same closed in feeling of Shanghai. (See the blog called Info on Guangzhou for more information on the city.)I reached my hotel about 9 pm, after a trying, but funny time with a taxi driver and a ‘helpful’ fellow passenger.
A young Chinese man, who sat beside me all the way from Shanghai, didn’t speak to me until we were waiting to disembark. We said good-bye and individually proceeded to the luggage carousels. Later we said good-bye again, as I had mine and he was still waiting for his.
A young Chinese man, who sat beside me all the way from Shanghai, didn’t speak to me until we were waiting to disembark. We said good-bye and individually proceeded to the luggage carousels. Later we said good-bye again, as I had mine and he was still waiting for his.
At first I went to a counter in the airport to ask about a taxi and discovered they were a service to take passengers to their hotels. They told me it would cost me 300 rmb to get to where I needed to go, but I said that was too much and walked away. Outside, a man stopped me and asked if I needed a taxi. I said yes and showed him the address, but he wanted 250 rmb. I tried to get across to him that the price was too high, and then suddenly there was the same young man beside me again. He told me to get a proper cab that was lined up farther down the lane. He needed one too, so he walked along beside me.
To make a long story short, he decided to take a cab with me and we would save money. He proceeded to tell the driver where he needed to take me and then would drop off him. Well, the taxi driver wasn’t too keen on his job, and at one point he stopped the car
and pointed down the street to where I needed to go. The problem was that we were on a freeway and I would have had to lug my luggage up about 50 stairs, walk across the bridge and back down and equal number of stairs and then find my way. It seems he didn’t want to have to drive a few extra blocks turn around and come back down the other side of the freeway. I said no way was I going to carry my luggage, but he could do it for me. My young friend didn’t want to do that either!
The driver put the car back in gear and off we went. It really wasn’t that far to turn around and soon we were on our way. Only the driver missed the little street he needed to go down and we were still on the freeway and he would have to tur
n around again, but it would be a much longer drive. My companion said he would help me and make sure I got to my hotel, so off we trundled. We had to ask two or three people where the hotel was and they always said a couple of minutes ahead.
At last, I said to my new friend, "Look, you have to get a taxi to go to your hotel anyway, let’s jump in one and get them to take us to my hotel and then you can go on to yours.” This turned out to be a good decision as it was a bit of a hike to get to the hotel. I’ve never experienced such a lazy taxi driver before….usually they want to spin the trip out to make more money off you, but this guy must have been anxious to go home!
Bird’s Eye View
My fifth floor hotel room is very spacious, though a little on the seedy side. The bed is hard of course, but today I folded up as many blankets and things that I could find, so I should have a better sleep.
To make a long story short, he decided to take a cab with me and we would save money. He proceeded to tell the driver where he needed to take me and then would drop off him. Well, the taxi driver wasn’t too keen on his job, and at one point he stopped the car
and pointed down the street to where I needed to go. The problem was that we were on a freeway and I would have had to lug my luggage up about 50 stairs, walk across the bridge and back down and equal number of stairs and then find my way. It seems he didn’t want to have to drive a few extra blocks turn around and come back down the other side of the freeway. I said no way was I going to carry my luggage, but he could do it for me. My young friend didn’t want to do that either!The driver put the car back in gear and off we went. It really wasn’t that far to turn around and soon we were on our way. Only the driver missed the little street he needed to go down and we were still on the freeway and he would have to tur
n around again, but it would be a much longer drive. My companion said he would help me and make sure I got to my hotel, so off we trundled. We had to ask two or three people where the hotel was and they always said a couple of minutes ahead.At last, I said to my new friend, "Look, you have to get a taxi to go to your hotel anyway, let’s jump in one and get them to take us to my hotel and then you can go on to yours.” This turned out to be a good decision as it was a bit of a hike to get to the hotel. I’ve never experienced such a lazy taxi driver before….usually they want to spin the trip out to make more money off you, but this guy must have been anxious to go home!
Bird’s Eye View
My fifth floor hotel room is very spacious, though a little on the seedy side. The bed is hard of course, but today I folded up as many blankets and things that I could find, so I should have a better sleep.
This morning I stuck my head out my window and took shots up and down the street. The day seemed sunny and clear, but the smog was evident.
If I can't find a place on the university campus, I may be living in this area, so I'll have to familiarize myself with the surroundings. I hope I find one there, otherwise it will be a 45 minute bus ride each way.
Breakfast was on the second floor restaurant with the most unusual buffet I have ever witnessed. I really had a problem with some of the food and ended up eating some steamed buns and some kind of boiled meatballs, though I couldn't finish them. 
I really had trouble this morning with picking something out, even though there was such a wide selection of food. The problem was that I don’t know what to choose, and some of it so gross looking that I couldn’t stomach it….I know it didn’t have eyes, and that is one of my hard and fast rules (not to eating anything that has eyes looking at me), but the finger, wormy like things didn’t do much for my stomach either.
At noon, I had another Chinese dish, some rice, some kind of green bulbous vegetable a
nd some curried chicken (with lots of skin) at one of the university eating places. The food kiosks are all around the outside walls, with massive rows of long tables and benches for the students in the centre.
nd some curried chicken (with lots of skin) at one of the university eating places. The food kiosks are all around the outside walls, with massive rows of long tables and benches for the students in the centre.
I couldn’t face Chinese food again tonight, so I bought a box of crackers from the store next door and some kind of a herbed flat doughy thing like an East Indian nan, though
not nearly as good.
not nearly as good.Eating seems to be my biggest challenge here. Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a good green salad or tuna sandwich!
GZ is definitely much warmer than Shanghai, and I didn’t even need a jacket today, which is great. Whoever told me in Shanghai that the smog in Guangzhou would be less was lying. The pollution here is horrendous! I have the pictures to prove it!
Through the haze there are actually tons of high rise buildings, but you can't actually see them in some cases. (For an overview picture of GZ see: http://www.breitbart.com/image.php?id=iafp070620070744.u3mly8ttp0&show_article=1)
