Introducing China

Welcome to China

Meet Guilin.

Population: 1.34 million

Our plane landed on a cold (as in 12 degrees), overcast afternoon and presented us to China. It wasn’t a formal introduction. We collected our baggage, found our “tour-guide” (our brother-in-law), and took our first Chinese taxi. We were in China.

We drove from the airport to a restaurant and had our first Chinese meal: sweet and sour pork, taro-cakes, stir-fry, fried egg-plant, fried greens, and tea. (In China they fry everything…in lots of oil…to the point of extinction. Even the greens.) Then we took another taxi to the bus-station. Our first taxi-driver had decided, very nicely, to wait for us. Due to limited street-parking, he just drove the taxi, full of our gear, onto the sidewalk. The Chinese have lots of ingenuity.

The First Bus Trip

We took a rather loud, noisy bus to Nanning. That was an experience and a half. First a cheaper deal was found and the deal-maker grabbed hold of the Thermomix we were delivering to Rachel and Jason, and took off across the street. And this, was no small Australian street. Six lanes could turn into eight at any moment; there were only traffic lights for those who wanted to go straight ahead (if you were turning, just go whenever you want); and zebra-crossings didn’t mean pedestrians have right-of-way. For those of us who have never been outside of Australia, we received quite a shock. Our deal-maker disappeared, Thermomix in hand, across the street. We froze.

Traffic doesn’t halt for pedestrians in China. We later learnt the delicate art of crossing roads with no lights, of walking (not running) past huge oncoming buses, while dodging electric bikes and scooters. But on that first day, it took gumption and an act of faith (did we close our eyes?) to get across that road.

Yes, we are standing on the road, not at the side.

After that, China just became more exciting. Mime and I enjoyed ourselves thoroughly–from the five-hour bus ride (where the passengers had an argument in loud Chinese right over the top of our seats), to the taxi that took us to Rachel and Jason’s apartment in Nanning.

Cars wove in and out of the traffic, bikes and scooters zipped past with apparent unconcern for the huge bus right behind them. And everyone blasted their horn. If there was a scooter lane, it was okay for the taxis to zip down it too. And if there was a hold-up with the cars in front, you just go on the opposite side of the road and drive until you’re past it. Thrilling? Of course!

It’s only Day 2 of our holiday and we’ve seen so much… Get ready China. Here we come!