Guangzhou

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GUANGZHOU(no photos, sorry!)

I arrived in Guangzhou (gwong-joe) airport an hour past midnight. After 12 hours of flying time from SFO to Beijing, waiting 2hours at another gate in that airport, and then making a second, shorter hop of 4 hours from Beijing to Guangzhou, I think it’s safe to say that today was a LONG travel day.

I make it through the customs checkpoint in Beijing hassle-free so walking off the plane in Guangzhou Baiyun airport was a cakewalk. My problems began w waiting at baggage claim. The room had emptied, the carousel stopped turning. My luggage did not make the transfer in Beijing. Boy, what a way to start a trip!! Baggage claim services filed a report and asked me in broken English to call them in the morning. With a worried look on my face, I conveyed that I would be leaving on a flight to Guilin the next day at 1:55 PM. That left me with an 6 hour window to get my bags. If I missed this window, perhaps they would hang onto my luggage in Guangzhou airport until I returned from Guilin 7 days later? Well, shit I suppose. I’ll might be going "ultralight" to Guilin! =-(

I was greeted at the curb by the hoards of taxi drivers. Most of the cab companies were closed at the hour. Many of these freelance drivers were asking Y550 plus another Y150 for “tolls” to deliver me to the Guangzhou Riverside Youth Hostel in the Fangcun district. In 6.25 Yuan = 1 dollar. There was no way I was going to pay $112 USD for some sketchy cab ride to Fangcun. I’d rather sleep in the airport! Another hour passed and after receiving another offer for Y350 from a man who was wielding a flyer for some unknown hotel (red flag for a ripoff). I finally asked another traveler to write down what he thought would be the appropriate amount for a taxi to Fangcun. His response said “120-150 ”. WOW dude, I’m glad I turned down those other offers! Together we went to the curbside and we asked an attendant to call for a reasonable taxi. 160 kuai to Fangcun. GREAT. I’ll take it.

Happy to be on my way to a safe place. It is 2:30 AM as we drive through the city of Guangzhou. Some shops are still open with people sitting at tables either smoking and playing cards and drinking or gathered with others eating food with chopsticks. There are folks riding bicycles down the side of the road. Motorcycles with the back seated loaded with late-night passengers. Or live chickens. Or meat or crates of beer. I arrive at the Guangzhou Riverside Youth Hostel at 3:25AM in the Fangcun (Fang meaning “village”) district of Guangzhou. I get admitted to my room and wake Elgin to let him know that I’ve arrived but I’m without luggage. We briefly discuss the plan for the next morning before lights out. So much for Day 1.

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