Shenzhen and Guangzhou Trip Back Stories a) That red carpet is seriously everywhere. Dong says it’s the same carpet they have in his house (he’s Chinese but grew up in Austria), we saw the same carpet in the elevator and later on in Beijing as well. b) Streets of Shenzhen c) Bar hopping until we found a place without an entrance fee. The bar was pretty cool, we were the only ones actually dancing at first, so we eventually took the stage. Haha. d) Taking the train to Guangzhou and then to our friends’ apartment. Funny story # 1: So it was a last minute twist in our non-existent plan that we stay with our friends. Aside from the fact that their apartment was really nice, spacious and clean (and free!), we found out that night that our trip buddies booked the hostel in Guangzhou for the wrong night. The hostel was full but the hostel owner was generous enough to offer his house to them for free. He also advised them where to go and what to do in Guangzhou. They said he’s a pretty cool guy. I guess we were all pretty lucky that night. e) the dumpling restaurant near our friends’ apartment. It was so cheap and I really loved it. I hope I get to eat those again someday (I really loved them, just saying). f) Before sleeping, Bernice and Kevin toured us outside their apartment which happened to be just right next to the Pearl River. We stared at the river while comparing experiences we had so far. Then we walked on these stones on the floor which was supposed to be really soothing but it hurt my feet instead. They said, it’s a bad sign if you get hurt on these things. Hohnoes. g) We toured a bit in their university, National Sun Yat-Sen University. I liked their campus because it had plenty of trees and you got everything inside it. h) Guangzhou train single journey ticket. It’s cool that it looks like a coin. Swipe to enter then drop in the slot to exit. i) Street performers near Shamian Island j) hotpot lunch in front of the church. It was a hotpot weekend since we ate the same in Shenzhen as well but this one was way cheaper and the food tasted great k) Taking the train back to Shenzhen (where we can take the Hong Kong MTR) Funny story # 2: We missed the last train leaving for Shenzhen that Sunday night, so we had no choice but to stay an extra night with our friends (Seriously, we owe them big time). There was a taxi who offered us a ride to Shenzhen for a pretty high price so we said no. Later, we found ourselves in the middle of a group of angry drivers with their vans behind them. The taxi driver went out of the cab and talked to these angry drivers while the other angry drivers opened our trunk. Apparently, there was a misunderstanding. We didn’t want to take the special ride to Shenzhen and supposedly the taxi driver had to pay these angry drivers something. It was very, um, disturbing at that time but of course now, I can just look back and laugh at it. Well, what can I say, I guess this weekend really did turn out to be an adventure. Definitely one to remember!
“In the end, I’ve come to believe in something I call “The Physics of the Quest.” A force in nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity. The rule of Quest Physics goes something like this: If you’re brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting, which can be anything from your house to bitter, old resentments, and set out on a truth-seeking journey, either externally or internally, and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher and if you are prepared, most of all, to face and forgive some very difficult realities about yourself, then the truth will not be withheld from you.” -Eat Pray Love (I love this book and I wrote about it before. I love it.)
