mmmm...happiness is a warm hamburger

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So anyway, I got into Zhaoqing no problems. What a relief.
At the train station I caught a cab into the city centre. I figured out how it is that Chinese people are able to drive on thier roads. They appear to follow two simple rules: heirarchy and scope of responsibility.
There is one sentiment that pervades all Chinese transportational dialogue, most often vocalised through honking and yelling, which is "you must get out of my way because my car/truck/bus/ is bigger than your car/truck/bus" Its like one giant game of chicken. Although I dont understand any Chinese I see them all mutter under thier breath "C'mon, try me! I'll take ya!"
The second rule can easily be described by the phrase "somebody else's problem" (thanks to Douglas Adams). It means simply that what is in front of me is my responsibility, whats behind me is yours. I have never seen a Chinese driver check thier blind spot. It has probably never occurred the them that that is something that they should do. And they would probably be terrified by the 4 tonne truck bearing down on them on the inside lane if they did.
Needless to say, the taxi ride was....um.....exhilerating. The taxi driver couldnt find the hotel I pointed out on the map so I got him to drop me off in the vacinity. I discovered about half a confusing hour later that the reason he could not find the hotel that Lonely Planet had vhememntly recommended was because it had since been turned into a shopping mall.
It was getting dark and I was tired. The only other hotels I could find were really flash places with officious looking bell boys guarding the front door. These places scare me witless. For some reason I have the irrational fear that they will smell my lack of money and the officious looking bell boys would chase me down the street if I look edge ways at them. But I was getting tired. And it started to rain. So I did what I had to do, and waddled my scruffy, smelly, soggy, sorry looking self up to the front of one of the more modest looking ones.
They didnt chase me away, instead they were very, very (overly) nice. Then I remembered. Oh yeah, I am foreign, and by assumption, I am rolling in dosh. So I checked into the standard double room. When the officious looking but very, very (overly) nice bell boy took me to my room my jaw dropped. My last hotel had spit stains on the walls, god know what stains on the sheets and a byo toilet paper and soap policy. This room had its own private bathroom (and bath!), complimentary slippers and smelt like lavender. My last hotel cost 95juan a night (about $15) and this rediculously sumptuous room cost 200juan a night (about $35). I was in free shampoo heaven.
Refreshed by my luxurious discovery, I set out to get some grub, some luxurious grub, more specifically, McDonalds 😊
I vowed never to eat McDonalds while I was overseas (just like I vowed never to drink coffee). But in a moment of weakness those golden arches drew me like a moth to flame. I will say only this in my defence: It was fantastic.
So the next two days floated past like big fluffly clouds. I did some shopping, I watched some english tv and I slept long hours in a very comfortable bed. It was my holiday from my holiday. (At not even two weeks into my trip I feel a little sheepish to admitt how good it felt)
There were two interesting encounters during my reprieve. The first was my discovery of Chinese Kmart. It was sooooo much cooler than our kmarts, especially the produce department. They sell whole dried stingrays, live eels, and you can pick out a live turtle that they will butcher in front of you. Gorey.
My other discovery was that China really is still a developing country. There are lots of flashy part, but it is all just a glossy vaneer. It is easy to forget when you are living in a luxurious hotel in the middle of the CDB. I went for a walk to kill some time and just twenty minutes out of the CBD I was in another world. Dirt roads and shanty houses and children with dirty faces sitting in the gutters playing with sticks. And I encountered my first pack of street dogs. They growled at me as I approached and quickly surrounded me. They could easily smell my fear, I could smell it myself. I am not embarrassed to admit that I was terrified. They looked every inch like the would have ripped my thumping heart from my chest. I beat a hasty and undignified retreat. I have resolved to give dog infested areas a wide bearth in the future.
So that is all of Zhaoqing, tomorrow I am heading up into the mountains of Dighushan. I have heard it is very beautiful there and I am looking forward to getting away from the city.

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