Fun fact #1: Hong Kong has a serious mold problem. Never read about that in the guidebooks? Me neither.
Fun fact #2: I’m all for security with all the things technology is allowing us to do, but sometimes it goes too far when you’re trying to make reasonable transactions in foreign countries. Read about the troubles and travails of the week. Continue reading
Now to pick up where I left off – Part 2 of our first trip to mainland China: Guangzhou.
March 1, 2010
There was a little drama at the Guangzhou train terminal, because two of our girlfriends, Soohyun and Ilaria, didn’t get off the train at the right stop, luckily, they were able to contact us even though normal Hong Kong SIM cards don’t work in mainland China, and get back on the returning train just 20 minutes later. We found our hostel, which was super nice and clean and safe, without much trouble or asking people on the streets, checked in, were directed to yet another cheap and delicious restaurant a 5-minute walk from our accommodations (there was absolutely no English or pictures on that menu, but thankfully Angela and Soo knew enough to order great food for us all). We walked along a street right beside a river running through Guangzhou, which the hostel was situated on before collapsing for the night. Continue reading
I thought I had acclimated to China after almost two months of living in Hong Kong. Boy was I wrong. Once I arrived in Shenzhen, China, the culture shock was back on! Below is Part 1 of my 2 Part post diving into China head on.
March 2nd, 2010
The entrance to Nirvana for just $21 USD for 24 hours.
Though all parts of the same country, Hong Kong has little in common with mainland China. The differences were stark and stunning. After my first visit I could barely express how glad I was to be studying in Hong Kong, China and not mainland China. I thought I had culture shock in Hong Kong; but I was going through a culture earthquake in Shenzhen and Guangzhou! Let me back up though, and start from Friday when we left for the motherland.
Did you ever expect a tropical island in Southeast Asia to get close to freezing? Neither did I. Here’s how I lived through one of the coldest snaps (not happily I might add) that Hong Kong’s seen in recent years.
Vittles and Voyages 