I slept reasonably well – this time it was Val’s turn for a night disturbed by sickness. She was struck by stomach pains, + even threw up, but we suspect it may have been the result of eating the ham we had brought from Macao, now a little old, rather than anything more serious. Because she was still feeling unwell, we weren’t able to make an early start. Most notably, we had to neglect the opportunity of going for a dim sum breakfast, strongly recommended to us. Perhaps tomorrow. It wasn’t just Val who was feeling ill – my own stomach was still severely disturbed. Eventually, tho’, we got ourselves moving, catching the bus up thro’ the city to the railway station, where we were heading to change some money. I found the journey horrific, finding the uncertainty destructive of my nerves, so I was relieved when it was done. I need not have worried. Val, sitting down so that she could see out, + armed with a map, had been able to chart our progress. I hadn’t known this.
We changed some US dollars at a big hotel opposite the station, receiving Foreign Exchange Certificates (FECs) for them at a rate of just over 2 to 1. These FECs are supposed to be used by tourists like us, at par for the local money, or RMBs. However, FECs are heavily in demand, since they allow people to buy things in special stores that they couldn’t otherwise get hold of, so there is a healthy black market in them. We had discovered the current going rate (1.38) + the best place to obtain this (where we were), so we were hanging around, waiting to be approached. In time, we were, + after a brief haggle, 1.38 was indeed agreed upon. There now followed, however, an amazing chase, with the guy leading us thro’ countless back alleys, usually muddy. Every so often, he would signal us to stop, + each time we thought the deal was about to be made. But no, it was just a precautionary measure, presumably to check we weren’t being followed, + after a pause, off we would go again.
Just when we were beginning to think we were being seriously messed about, the transaction was made. Val was the one with the cash, + she was beckoned into a ladies latrine. So, amidst the scenes pertaining to such a location: a child with noisy diarrhea, old women squatting over the trough, the 2 sets of money were counted, + found, give or take a couple of yuan, to be correct. It had been a farce, inept + amateurish espionage, which at the time only exasperated me. Only afterwards could I see the funny side.
On the way back we got off the bus early to visit one of Guangzhou’s famous sites, the 5 Banyans pagoda. It was nothing very special, however, especially since the Banyans were no longer there. I sat at the bottom + read, while Val paid her money + climbed to the top. Even from there, she said, the view was nothing special. We split up there for the rest of the afternoon. I was feeling pretty rough, so caught the bus back to the hostel – + a desperately crowded bus it was too – while Val wanted to walk around a bit. She also went out to buy our boat tickets for tomorrow. A Canadian guy staying in the hostel, name of Aden, had been organising dinner out for small group. It makes sense, since it enables one to get a bigger variety of dishes, + is in any case more sociable. If only the bloke himself weren’t such a bore. So a group of 7 of us went out together. It was not, unfortunately, a great success, tho’ the setting, in a restaurant with a veranda overlooking the river, was very fine. The food was dull, however, + the meat stringy + tough. My neighbour at the table was a Newfoundland Canadian called Mike, + tho’ at first he seemed cocky + forceful, he turned out to have a good sense of humour. When we got back to the hostel, he invited us + another Englishman, called Allen, to join him for coffee in the luxury hotel across the street. We ummed + erred for a bit, since it threatened to be a little expensive, but eventually we agreed. I’m glad we did, for we found out some days later that it had been Mike’s birthday. The Hotel was truly internationalese, even down to décor, + the prices not far off, but we stuck to coffee + ice-cream, + chatted pleasantly enough.
And our exploratioln of China has begun. A good deal of reliance on other travellers seems to be the orderof the day, sensible enough as there is little enough traveller information available any other way. But that does mean taking people as they are… and somethimes who they are is not the person we want to spend time with.
