Zhongshan - Day 1

Today I went exploring as Julie had an unexpected call from a client.  I started by heading to a local park.  Zhngshan is in terms of China, a small town, however compared to Jiangkou it is huge!  As I crossed the river to the park, the views were amazing.

On the left are the poorer houses and in the right is the hugely tall Sheraton hotel.  The contrast was quite startling but probably doesn't show well here!  

The area on the right of the photo abive this one and this photograph and the area known as the Western Commercial area.  It is where people who are people go.

I went there this afternoon and later went there with Julie.  It looks like this at night:

like everywhere else in China, it lights up at night! Blackpool eat your heart out!  I popped down into the park which was really quite pleasant.  Small lakes, pretty plants and two or three security guards.  Usually sitting in little huts eating noodles.  Thee was also some sort of museum in the park.  I didn't visit it.  I took a photo of the 'standard security guard equipment'.  A 'keep people away pole' and an plexiglass shield.  Just about every security guard hut has them.

I also took picture of a boat! It was in the park.

I then crossed back over the river by another bridge and took a few photos.

After crossing the river, I headed to thevWestern Commercial area, and wandered through some very poor areas which were adjacent to the new areas.  See below.

Which way did I go?  Right of course!  I think I made the right choice.  At the top of the street, something caught my eye.  It was a smoked meat stall.  This is what drew my attention to it.

Look carefully if you haven't already spotted it.

Duck and pig!  The bacon here tastes like my favourite German bacon.

As I wandered I saw lots of little shrines.  Here are a few of them.

There really were lots of these shrines.  The one at the top is the person who protects your home!

I need to do more research into these 'gods'.

After this, I went to the new area, which was more or less the same as any city centre anywhere, except for the shop assistants occasionally standing out side their shops clapping their hands and shouting.  I soon returned to the old area and wandered along some different streets.  There were little shrines dotted here and there and the occasional shop selling these shrines and 'gods'.

There was also one of the grottiest dentists that I have ever seen!

And right at the bottom of the street was interestingly named 'Mentality Health Department' of the Zhongshan Hospital, complete with missing 'y'!

After this, the shops became more industrial.  One one side of the street Were lighting shops and my side of the street had vinyl printing shops one after the other after the other as if someone started one initially, and, everyone else, seeing it made money copied it and started their own.  Strange, because I would imagine then that the trade would be shared between the myriad of similar shops and no one would be making much money.  This seems to be a pattern everywhere in China...even Jiangkou! As I wandered further of the bigger streets, the businesses got smaller.  This guy is extracting the frames from unserviceable umbrellas.  

Next to his home was an interesting collection of 'things'. It didn't appear to be rubbish as such!.

After this I wandered back to the hotel.  I loved this area.  Far better than the glitzy-white new area.  The people were so.much more raw and straightforward, and there were signs of spirituality.  When I got back to the hotel after maybe five hours of walking, I had a bath!  I needed one .  Temperature today had been around 26 degrees.  Not seen a bath for maybe seven months!  Even if I didn't need one I would have had one, 'just because I could've' 

In the evening I went out with Julie to a local vegetarian buffet restaurant.  Really nice food and not too expensive!  I just piled it on my plate and ate.

I never was very good at making it look pretty.  Julie managed better than me!

After this she took me to the commercial area again as it is quite different at night with all the led-lit buildings.  It was my chance to ask all those niggling questions like 'How do you hire the numerous electric bikes that were everywhere, 'How do you pay on the bus?' and 'How do I get my taxi app to work?'. She patiently showed the 'big kid' how to do all of this.  Eventually we got back to the hotel area and parted.  She lives nearby.  Tomorrow I am meeting Julie and her friend.  We will try all of these things!  Tonight I am shattered, but strangely I am not sleeping well.  I have a feeling that it is because my room is completely silent.  I am not used to silence in China.  Everything is noisy and big noisy at that!