Guangzhou, China(1)- Always travel in official transport vehicles

Have you ever been to Guangzhou? Sure, you've been asked the question before. We all have. Perhaps it has even become cliche. But seriously, have you? If not, you've missed something. I'll explain.

Guangzhou is a typical Chinese city, in that it is very large, and like most large cities, it exists around water. In this case, it is the Pearl River that serves as a basis for import and export for Guangzhou. Think of the Pearl River as a very immense, murky brown, slow-moving mosquito-magnet. It splits the city in two, and connects to the South China Sea.

Because of its close proximity to Hong Kong (75 miles northwest), trains run directly to it, as do flights. I arrived via train, which was scary because my Mandarin was terrible. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise because they don't actually speak Mandarin in Guangzhou. They speak Cantonese. So I dodged that bullet. The scariest moment for me on that 2-hour train ride had to be when the train stopped at a smaller town. I had no idea whether to exit, since I didn't expect to stop. I decided not to, since most everyone wasn't. This turned out to be a wise decision, since it was not Guanzhou, but a smaller town. Honestly, looking back, I should have known that a city of approximately 10 million would have a larger depot than two taxis and a well-trained and highly conversational water buffalo.

It is also possible to arrive in Guanzhou via ferry or hovercraft. I'll be needing to travel via hovercraft someday, but I bet its one of those things that sounds more exciting than it is.

Upon arriving in Guangzhou, I was greeted by a host of taxis, including some guys who target foreigners. You'll need to be aware of this, since they will engage in English immediately, and deftly steer you away from the actual taxis to an awaiting van. The fee is then multiplied exponentially, with the foreigner unaware that most taxis cost one-tenth of the negotiated price. I mention this because I was hoodwinked the first time I arrived in Guangzhou, and later found out that many of my fellow travelers were likewise tricked. For the single female traveler the practice could end up especially dangerous.

The drive to the hotel was very informative. The parks were full of people practicing Tai Chi, which is like martial arts in slow motion. It was fascinating to see hundred of people in synchronized movement. Many of the practicioners were elderly, but it seemed to be an activity that excluded no one.

Another thing that struck as me as I viewed the city was how pragmatic everything was. At one point, there was a motorcyclist who had stacks of dried fish attached to the back of his bike. I'm not sure as to which health code violation I was witnessing, but the answer has to be either "all of 'em", or "none of 'em". You could make a case for either.

I checked into my hotel, made a mental note of which channel CNN was on, planned on an assault at McDonalds, and reminded myself to take taxis next time. Apart from the minor setback, a massive case of jetlag and homesickness, I felt victorious in completing my objective.

I was in Guangzhou, on mainland China, and ready to embark on further exploration of the largest Chinatown this foreigner had ever seen.