Monday, July 11, 2011
Another early morning with an unwelcomed morning call from the front desk – I roll out to breakfast and yawn through the bites of food. The stir-fried noodles are a welcome surprise and super tasty. There is a last minute change in events, and the girls have to go change into clothes they can ride bikes in. Miriam Lau (contestant #6) is front an center on the morning newspaper. The luxury import cars are back to take us out again.
I was under the impression that the girls would go for the bike ride first to beat the oppressive heat, but after a long ride up to the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park which encompasses the land on which he grew up, replicas of his home later in life, and a museum, it’s just another stop on the press junket. My father is going to be so envious! He has always wanted to see where Sun Yat Sen grew up. The girls attract a lot of attention from the other visitors, and it’s a lot of commotion to handle all at once. Just trying to get in to hear the tour guide and see the exhibits was a bit tough in the tight space and all of the gawkers. Some of the girls did manage to ask some questions of our tour guide amidst all of the flashing light bulbs.
Back into the cars to make it to the next stop . . . a riverside bike ride. The driver of our car is a local, so he has been filling in the gaps about the history of the Zhongshan, it’s most famous prodigal son, Sun Yat Sen, and the disappearing local culture.
He points out buildings and structures. We drive past large swathes of farmland still being tilled by hand. The next generation is not going to know what a crop field looks like , and they won’t know where their food comes from . . . an effect of education, I suppose. The sun is beating down on the concrete roads. The Coast Guard posted at the gate is sweating bullets as we drive up to our destination. When I stepped out of the car, the heat is so much more oppressive than I was expecting. The weather forecast did predict thunderstorms for the region, and the heat and humidity were the build up to a big summer thunderstorm payoff.
All of the girls set out with a few of the drivers bringing along umbrellas to shield them from the sun. The breeze off the of the river is actually very cooling, but the rays of the sun are overpowering, and a few people come back early. There was a nurse on standby, but luckily, none of the bike tour need her services. My riding companions and I are so very thankful for our driver who already had the forethought to park the car in the shade and start the air conditioning a few minutes before we get there. Off we go for a seafood lunch at a restaurant down the street. The selection was amazing for a building that looks so old and rundown. It’s a bamboo log building sitting on stilts out on the mud brown river. It is actually one of many along the road, and judging by all of the construction along this tin concrete road, it won’t be the last one either. A lot of the fishing culture will change in the area as the government takes over the land forcing the illegally built homes to be taken down, etc.
A long ride back to the hotel brings a welcomed afternoon nap. The thunderstorms predicted earlier begin to settle into the region as we get ready for the poolside party. At the last minute, I decide not to go because of the thunderstorm. A few of us order in some Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and sit around and chat for a bit. I highly recommend the peach topped custard tarts at the KFCs in China, if you ever get the chance to stop by. There is a national toll free number to order delivery, or you can order online, but the website is a bit more confusing than it ought to be.
I can’t wait to see what Macau is like. I’ve only ever seen it in the movies and on the travel shows, but sometimes, there isn’t any better view than in person. A few people have already gone ahead to scope out photo backdrops. The driver mentioned that it’s only about a 30 minute bus ride there, so should be nice. I have to fill out separate forms in order to enter the country, so this is going to be interesting tomorrow.
Stereotype Rebel 