Today we ventured out using the Guangzhou subway. We used a machine to pay our fare and received 2 green plastic coins (not tickets). We walked to the turnstiles expecting some kind of slot to put them in and there was none. Hmmm, so we watched. Most people had a monthly pass and they tapped it on a metal pad and the turnstile would open, double hmmm. After a few moments watching, luckily a little girl walked up with a green coin and touched it to the metal like the pass and the turnstil opened, yeah, we did the same and got through. Upon exiting there is a slot you drop the coin in to get out. Actually pretty cool since they can be reused.
Our destination was a pedestrian shopping street. It was about a 15 minute walk from the station we got of at. During the walk we passed a section of about 3 large citiy blacks with hundreds of small shops that only sold shoes. Mens shoes, womens shoes, kids shoes, slippers. It was kind of crazy. Think the kind of shoes you buy at Walmart and mulkiply it by 100,000.
Beyond the shoes we must have come to the random parts district. Again for blocks there were small shops that's main item seemed to be bags of nails and screws. There was also metal chains, some drill presses, you get the idea. But there were hundreds of them and they all had the same things and no one was buying anything, talk about excess inventory.
We finally reached the pedestrian shopping street and we think all 10 million people that live in Guangzhou were there. It was packed. Not a thing I would buy there. Mainly clothes, but defintiely the place everybody goes to.
After that we got back on the subway and ventured across town to what was supposed to be some kind of computer marketplace. It turned out to be quite a bust but we did see a fight break out between a police man and a street vendor.
It was back to the subway which was insanely packed, we almost missed our stop getting through people. It was a definitely a day hanging with the locals, I didn't see another non-asian from the time we got on the subway.
The day ended meeting the other couple from our agency for a drink at the hotel bar, now eating some dinner and then off to bed. Tomorrow afternoon we meet our baby girl!!!!!!
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