M-whY

Officially across the border, it would be another hour and a half to Guangzhou. My first impressions of China were upbeat. The roads were modern and the traffic reasonable. So much so that I kind of missed the heartstopping taxi and tuk tuk rides of southeast asia. Without a thrill every minute, I dozed off and slept until we came to a stop.

We were dropped off in front of China Hotel, a five-star establishment out of my league. I went off in search of a cheaper place to spend the night, and was approached by a laid back tout wielding a brochure of his hotel. "[Only 180 yuan!]" he advertised, urging me to follow him. It was located near the metro line, and the price didn't sound too bad, but today, I was intent on staying at the Guangzhou Youth Hostel on Shamian Island.

Using the metro system wasn't too hard, but upon exiting, I found myself disoriented. It took maybe 20 minutes of trudging around before I located the bridge to Shamian Island. The reason I was so keen on staying here is because this was supposedly where most travellers stay. Staying on the beaten track is sometimes worth the convenience. A room at the youth hostel ran 180 yuan a night anyways, and so it wasn't like I was overpaying for the location.

Green, leafy, and covered with parks, the island was the perfect refuge from the city. Numerous American couples strolled the streets with Chinese babies. As I learned later, nearly 80% of foreign adoptions take place in Guangzhou. Shops catered to this observable fact, offering stroller rentals and selling little China doll outfits. It was quite a sight.

First order of business was a haircut, and then after that, hitting up an ATM. Of the two that were on Shamian Island, one was out of order, and the other wasn't linked internationally. My search for money led me back across the bridge. So much for convenience. I must've tried three more cash machines, and none of them cooperated. In no other country had I encountered so much difficulty. Would it be like this throughout all of China?

It wasn't until I reached a huge pedestrian mall that an ATM accepted my card. I punched in the maximum amount allowed, 3000 yuan, and broke into a grin as the machine whirred and presented me with crisp 100 yuan notes. Parts of China are can get pretty expensive (US$19 for a room is about what I was paying in Australia), and as I don't want to be caught in some rural area with no cash, I made a mental note to make another withdrawal soon.

For now though, I was set. I went off in search of food - I hadn't eaten all day - and ended up eating at one of the food stands, consuming 2 skewers of squid, a piece of chicken, an ear of corn, and a cup of milk tea for 12 yuan. It's a comfort to know that at least eating can be done cheaply.

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