Guangzhou

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Bec

To start off I feel like I should offer you some interesting facts about Guangzhou, as for David and I it was three days of being in one place for the first time is ages, sunning ourselves and applying for vietnam visas!

So here we go.... in the 1700's all Chinas foreign trade was restricted to Guangzhou. The British were busy shipping tons of opium over and quickly getting the Chinese well and truly hooked. So there the history is a very old trading port (the Lonely Planet describes it as a massive shopping mall) I think that's more interesting.

When we arrived we decided to head to a small sand island called Shamian Dao which is noted for its colonial buildings left over from the British and the French. Its a really pretty place however is is also a place where westerners go to adopt Chinese babies. As were are not in the market for a baby and the island was full of new families and shops with push chairs for hire we quickly moved into the centre of town by the Zhu Jiang River.

So the t-shirts came out, David supported a pair or shorts and the Chinese pottered around in winter jackets and thick clothes.

That's all I have really got to say except Guangzhou was another eat-a-thon, one afternoon (whilst writing a sketchy plan of our remaining month in china) we sat in a busy side street with a cold beer and watched the cafe owner make wantons and dumplings and then we munched them!! We also went to a massive dim sum restaurant and got freaked out by it all, table and table of dim sums, tables and tables of chinese people, far to much to choose from and one unhelpful waitress standing over my shoulder, so I panicked ordered and we ended up with custard buns for starters and some ginger and pork trotters and a bit of spicy cucumber for our main...... NICE

Finally Guangzhou is not just one big shopping mall, its a place where beer costs 30p a bottle street food is delicious and cheep and a place you can ditch the winter warmers and get your vietnam visa!!

Its also on the way to Hong Kong, David can tell you about that!

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