Haizhu Square

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Our last stop was a short one. We'd spent too much time in the park. But my friend really wanted to see the Pearl River, so I took her to Haizhu Square. Strolling along the river is a wonderful thing, in both sunshine and rain.

After the river we hopped over a street so I could show her the markets. Most of the markets in Haizhu are wholesale and it's not uncommon to see several in a row all selling the same thing. And when I say selling the same thing, I mean each shop only carries a few items and it carries a lot of them. As we walked along I pointed out the plastic bag shops, rubber band shops, plastic cup shops, Xmas tinsel shops, shops that have a variety of dried fruit and nuts, and finally my favorite, the shop that carries Mediterranean foods (cous cous, olive oil, pasta, cheese, etc). She was amazed by the diversity and the simplicity. I have to admit, it is quite a sight to see a shop that only sells plastic bags, but has them in every color and size imaginable!



After we finished our shopping, we stopped briefly in Starbucks to caffeinate up and then we hurried back to the East Railway Station to get her bags and catch her train to Hong Kong. As we hurried to the station, a few minutes behind schedule, she noticed that she was supposed to be there 45 minutes before it departed. We broke into a run. While she got her bag from the baggage claim, I darted around trying to figure out where the platform for HK trains was located. (There is one almost every hour, and because of customs they have a separate track and location.) I finally found the escalator we needed and yelled for her to come in my direction. We had 20 minutes to go.

We got to the top and found ourselves in a big, empty, rotunda with no signs. Lots of plants and lights, but no signs. You'd think finding a train to HK would be easier than this. As we looked around, starting to panic, I noticed a sign at the top of a two-story escalator for the HK train.

At the top was her gate. I waited to be sure she got through security and was allowed into the waiting room. If they'd decided to turn her away (unlikely, since lateness is normal in China), she'd need my help to buy another ticket for the next train. With a smile and a final wave, she disappeared into the waiting room.

Relieved to have made it by 15 minutes, I turned and started my way back down all the escalators. I was grateful that my trip home was uneventful.

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Photos

Playing cards
And avoiding the rain.

Angry Birds costume
You can buy anything here.

Church of the Sacred Heart
This one's actually listed in Lonely Planet. Usually when I walk by, it's closed, so I've never gone in.

One last photo
In the Starbucks we started in, we finished in. Note the beautiful necklace she gave me as a thank you gift. She bought it in Lijiang.