A day of walking

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Geo: 23.12, 113.25

Mel - For only the second time at this hotel, we all made it down to breaky - no-one was or felt sick.
We were walking down the street when we came across two Canadians who looked very lost. Nana and Pa asked them if they would like to join us. They were looking for a market but didn't know where to go to find one. The four of them got talking and somehow ended up that they were coming with us to the Chen Family Academy.

We walked down the street and over the bridge to get to the underground train station. I bought the tickets using the automated ticket machine. It cost 18c for one person one way. We only had to go two stations to get to the Chen Family Academy Station. It was a short distance from the underground to the Chen Family Academy. There was a park just outside the gate and, in China, if there's a park, there are people selling janseys (refer yesterday shuttlecock). I found some little ones that the man said were only 1 Yuan. I got out my one Yuan and gave it to the man and chose my colour jansey - except he then said it was 3 Yuan, but with a bit of time, I got it back to one Yuan. We walked into the academy into a courtyard. Mum and I played with the jansey for a while, while Nana and Pa talked to the Canadian couple. We went into a building that was meant to be set up like a home in Guangzhou one hundred years ago. There was lots of old furniture from 100 years ago. We went into more buildings with hand fans, (the exhibition is only weeks old) and ivory, camel and cow bones made into cute little sculptures and carvings. We saw a piece of ivory about 1 cm long and ¼ (or smaller) cm wide and when you looked through a magnifying glass you could see pictures of little people of Chinese characters - they were cute. You could not see any of the pictures/writing without the magnifying glass. We saw more of the bronze statues but they were slightly different. I found a green statue and it was the same as one I found in the shopping mall. It was weird because it had a different title this time - it was called Sufferig from Indolence (Yes - spelt sufferig!) and the other one was called Naughty Kids

Kate - We headed back to the underground station but heard a lot of noise so followed it - there was a Chinese dragon outside a shop dancing with a large crowd watching. Nana assumes that it was a newly opened store and it was being blessed.
From there we headed to the station, passing McDonalds on the way. Mel was very excited when she realised that we were going there for lunch. She ordered a nugget meal, Nana a Big Mac and I a Big Mac meal. Pa just had a chocolate thick shake. Mel loved the taste of the nuggets - it tasted like real chicken. I searched for the pickles in my burger and finally found one. My burger had also been made out of order - I got the base of a roll, filling, the top of the roll upside down, filling and then the middle of the roll on top!!!!!! Customers do not use the rubbish bins there - they just up and leave the mess on the tables - McDonalds employs someone to clear the rubbish and wipe over the table between each customer. The poor lady was very surprised when I walked up to the bin with my rubbish. Again, the drinks came, not in the cardboard carry tray the we are used to, but in specially designed plastic bags. It was a nice break from Chinese food - although nowhere near as filling!

From here, we caught the train to the end of the line - got out, walked around, then got back in the train and headed to our station. The underground train platforms are very different to what we are used to. When there is no train at the station, glass panels and doors stop you accessing the tracks. When the train pulls into the station, it stops at exactly the right spot. The train doors open the same time as the glass doors on the platform open. You enter or exit the train, and then the platform doors close with the train doors closing 1 second later. Again the platform is sealed - bad luck - there is no playing on the tracks in between trains!

We went back to the hotel for a much deserved rest before dinner.

We are not quite sure how the weddings here work but from what we gather, the actual nuptials take place first, maybe in the same place that the wedding dresses are displayed. After (or before) this, the bridal party find the clothes they want, put them over their everyday clothes (hence the photo of the bride with the jeans on) then walk around Shamien Island and have their wedding photos taken. They then head back to the shop, remove their wedding clothes and keep going with their day – whether going to a reception or not I am unsure. When we were at the White Swan Hotel, we did see a bridal party and guests arrive and head upstairs for a reception. They would have had to be quite rich to afford this. The other way must be for the average, every day, poor Chinese.

We caught a taxi to the Aiqun Revolving Restaurant. Probably should have been called the Aiqun Revolting Restaurant! The view was great. The restaurant takes an hour to do one circuit and, of course, you can see everything. Unfortunately we could see KFC and Maccas - as we ate our food we would depressingly pass by these places. Even Nana would have let us eat at Maccas again today if it prevented us from dining here.

A few items on tonight's menu

ICE CREAM MIXED FRUIT & PUMPKIN

STIR FRIED DUCK TONGUE AND SQUID

STIR FLIED (spelt as per menu) SHREDDED BEEF W/PEPPERMINT SAUCE

STEAMED CHICKEN & FISH MOUTH W/TENDER GINGER

DEEP FRIED APPLE

STEWED BLACK SNAIL W/TEA SAUCE OR W/ HOT PEPPER

BAKED SNAILS W/RED WINE
We chose Fragrant Fried Sliced Potato in Christ Mountain Style - possibly potato crisps that have been deep fried with herbs, chilies and other un-named things.
Stir Fried Chicken Wing w/Spicy & Sour Sauce - this was pretty normal
Chief Fried Rice - wow. Even with Nana and Pa´s many many trips to China, they have encountered nothing like this before. You will probably have to look at the pictures as I try my hardest to explain this dish. The rice was in bowl shape and was entirely wrapped in very thinly cooked egg - like a blanket - even underneath the rice on the plate. A cross had been cut into the top of the rice (I guess - Christ Mountain style) and spring onions (at a guess) had been sprinkled onto the top of the mountain. The rice inside had (we think) beef. Around the outside of the mountain were the ingredients for you to add as you liked. Tiny pineapple pieces, tiny squares of ham, dried (really dried - Yuk) shrimps and some other stringy thing - your guess is as good as mine.
I thank Nana and Pa profusely for taking Mel and I to this restaurant, but it was by far the worse meal I think any of us have had in China. In fact, it is the worst meal I have eaten in a long time (and that is saying something since I am not a fantastic cook!!!!!!)

We had a lovely stroll back to our hotel along the river front.

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Photos

It was built by 72 villages in Guangdong province
72 villages in Guangdong province where the Chen lineage is the predominant family.

Comments

[amyfisher]

cop out hey you should only eat chinese food in china - dont cop out and go to McDonalds, thats a bit of a shame