Travel Report Shenzhen, China

Travel Report Shenzhen, China

Shenzhen, China
one stop on Wendy's & Joe's world tour 2004/05

Shenzhen, Guilin
 

 
Journal Update 04th Sept 2004 / Shenzhen China 

We are finally in mainland China in a new city called Shenzhen. First impressions are

1. It looks a bit like a very big Baisingstoke
2. It is mad busy
3. There are no round eyes about (anywhere)
4. Everyone stares at you
5. You cannot read anything
6. Joe says the beer is very cheap
7. It smells a little phooey
8. They sell live frogs in the supermarket and terapins (not for pets we think)
9. Everyone has a little baby
10. Our apartment is very swanky

Off for some noodles Love
Wendy and Joey
 

Journal Update 06th Sept 2004 / Shenzhen
Well we have made the transition from Hong Kong to China quite smoothly now (touch wood). I was really daunted when we first landed at the port in Shenzhen as literally everything is in Chinese characters and very little is translated in to English.

Before we came here we read a very sad story in the China Morning Post about an old lady who went to Shanghai with her daughter from a very far off province. She went to use the lavatory and came out of the wrong exit. In her confusion she lost her daughter and no one could understand her because she spoke in a very different dialect. So she spent two days sleeping rough. But that isn't the end of this sad tale. She decided to spend all the rest of the money she had left to buy a ticket back home. But when she went to the ticket counter the person misinterpreted what she said and sold her a ticket to a province to the other end of the country. The poor old woman then spent two weeks sleeping rough before eventually she was rescued.

 
With all this in mind CHINA is bloody difficult if you cannot converse in Mandarin or Cantonese. Lesson learned never use a public lavatory in China.
I would say the Chinese here are very friendly though and quite jolly in comparison to the stone faced "Hong Kongers" who I think suffer a little like the Londoners of too much work and too much consumption. In Macau we met some nice people, particularly a security guard at the Macau Museum who was a Vietnam baby from the Philippines (he was born in 1966 with an American father). We had a great chat with him about MP3 players and he was most impressed with our I Pod.

We are very proud that so far we have managed to get around on the buses which cost 2 yaun anywhere in Shenzhen (which I think is about a penny). Joe is so happy at the good value. We did however get a lot of help from a very kind guy from Taiwan who kind of rescued us and showed us where we needed to catch the buses and where they all go.

We have been eating some nice Dim Sum (which is Chinese breakfast) this consists of small portions of things like deep fried spring rolls, shrimp dumplings, steamed pork dumplings (Joe), stuffed bean curd and mango for desert. We are also really enjoying the Jasmine tea which is very refreshing.

Shopping wise have done very well. Joe (1 pair of Levi's 100% jeans - 5 pounds, 1 pair of Diesel short which are off a decent length - 10 pounds) Wendy (1 Marc Jacobs coat, curiously made in Poland 15 pounds, 1 Marc Jacobs jacket 15 pounds and 1 pair Diesel Jeans 6 pounds). We went to the post office today and sent some of our stuff back as I nearly had a hernia the other day carrying the pack. Note: We were very impressed with the efficiency of the Chinese post office and their packing skills. We gave the man a hearty hand shake for his professionalism.

Then we went on a bus journey to a very ugly place called Humen. Lots of stares and giggles (must have been at Joe's shorts falling down).

Any way we were going to go on the train to Guillin tomorrow but went to buy the ticket and they said the journey takes 17 hours. Joe said f***k that so we bought two plane tickets instead. I am not entirely sure that they are to Guilin though as they seem to spell it very differently. We are flying on South China Airlines so keep an eye on CNN for any news of any downed planes as knowing our luck.

And if you don't hear from us in the next two weeks think of the poor old lady who got lost in Shanghai!!!!!
 

Journal Update 07th Sep 2004 / Guilin
Hello From Guilin China

Opposite there is a man who is fast asleep with his head on the keyboard snoring loudly!

We arrived safely you will be glad to hear at 2.40pm our time it is now just coming up to 6.00pm. Guilin looks quite scenic in the pictures but we haven't seen much yet. We just had some interesting food, I can't say it was nice but I can say one of the menu options was SPICY PIGS PENIS! Honestly (Joe took a picture). Now we are in the most amazing internet cafe ever. About 400 machines with Chinese kids all playing games, very high tech. The flight was quite good actually in a jet as opposed to a prop plane and quite smooth. It only took an hour.

Glad to be out of Shenzhen it is a bit of a toilet actually. Looking forward to continuing on to Yangshuo tomorrow or the day after which is about an hour by bus. Apparently this place is a back packers paradise. Then we plan on getting the train to Shanghai but we are playing it by ear.

PS. Mum when we were in Hong Kong we had a go of a massage machine which you put your feet on and all hold these dumb bell things. It gently gives you kind of shocks to exercise the muscles. I think it is called I Sense and they sell them in England. I can report after 10 minutes our legs felt great. Look it up on the internet (the company also sells massage chairs)

Wendy Brierley

a further stop on Wendy's & Joe's world tour 2004/05