This is going to be a post filled with words and no pictures because my pictures were in my Iphone which was unfortunately stolen during the trip. And no prizes for guessing which part of the trip it was stolen.
We stayed at Sunshine Hostel in Guangzhou and it was as good as any hostel can be. The family running the hostel was kind, friendly and very amiable, always ready with advice and tips about getting around. The view from the apartment was great too with an unobstructed view of Liwan Hu below and the city beyond. There were male dorms, female dorms and mixed dorms with two shared bathrooms. The place was clean and comfortable and very windy throughout the day.
The city itself was another matter altogether. Guangzhou was a massive factory enlarged into a city and frankly speaking, I enjoyed my time in Beijing way more than I did in Guangzhou. There was not much to do in Guangzhou other than shopping for cheap clothes but the city sorely lacked vibrancy. I took a cable car and explored Baiyun Mountain which boasted a breathtaking view of the city's skyline and the bustling streets below. But any excitement I had being at the top of Baiyun Mountain was doused by my stolen Iphone which mysteriously disappeared from my zipped backpack on my way to the foot of Baiyun Mountain. After that I had the honour of scrambling around town trying to lodge a police report for my stolen Iphone and it was no easy feat. Nobody wanted to lodge the report for me, with each police station referring me to the next and when I finally reached the one which could no longer refer me anywhere, the officers were so reluctant to lodge the police report, I was afraid they were going to chase me out the door.
The reason why I loved Beijing as much as I do is because the place oozes history and that charmed me in ways that I cannot describe. But Guangzhou was like a mercenary cousin with all the signs of rapid industrialization yet nothing remained of what it once was. That certainly is a pity but I guess going forward means sometimes you have to forget what you once were.
The train from Guangzhou to Hong Kong was swift and I reached Hong Kong in the sweltering afternoon. When I finally got to Yesinn Fortress Hill, I was led to a room which remained dirty and uncleaned after the last occupant. The staff got around to cleaning it quick enough but the place was still filthy. I would not recommend staying there if you can help it. The location was good though within walking distance to Fortress Hill station.
I made a trip to Ocean Park the last time I was in HK so this time I decided that Disneyland would make a good visit. The heat was close to unbearable at Disneyland and it was madly crowded. There were more souvenir shops than rides with all the shops hawking the same wares but still, Disneyland is Disneyland and it makes you feel like everything is sweet and dreamy even for a short while.
Visited Tim Ho Wan for dinner and was mildly surprised that the queue was not as bad as I expected. I blogged about it here when I visited the quaint little restaurant last year and one year later, this place is still a must-visit for good affordable dim sum in HK. The trick to beating the crazy queue in the late morning was to have your dim sum fix in the evening. Worked well for me!
Visited Temple Street Market to buy more card games. When I came by last year, the uncle gave me a great discount for the card games and I grabbed a box of Monopoly deal. The shop is still there this year and I grabbed a box of Saboteur instead.
It was a good trip and a worthy break after six long months of pupilage!
No comments:
Post a Comment