Transport: to Chang Ping (PART 1)
First, a brief description of the scene outside the Zhuhai immigration (coming from Macau). Once you step onto the great motherland, you will be greeted by a BIG open ground, very much similar to a parade square, or probably like what you would see in Shenzhen. You will also see some escalators and stairways leading to a massive underground shopping arcade….. …..more on that later. Facing the open area with the numerous buildings supporting the backdrop of the wide open sky, you may like to know that to the direction of 1 o’clock would be where the infamous Lian Hua Lu (莲花路) is located. I will write more on this wonderful road after my postings on Chang Ping. To the 11 o’clock would be where some hotels are located and where a lot, a lot, a lot of health centers are situated. These health centers are also MASSIVE man.!!!!! Sorry again….. I will post review later. Both the Lian Hua Lu attractions and the health centers are about 10 minutes walk away, assuming you are carrying a samsonite or likewise suitcase with rollers. Note: the only way is to walk, as the design of the landscape here, do not allow any mode of transportation. The walk, however, is extremely pleasant as you would be maneuvering through numerous shops and eateries.
Ooops….almost forgot….have to make our way to Chang Ping.
Brother Jinger (mmmmm….should I give a description of him here?… mmmmm….Ok I’ll think about it) led us down to this underground arcade and boy …..what a sight! You can get almost everything here. Fake watches, art collection, hamburgers, noodles, phone cards, …… you name it….they have it. Yeah….one point to note: The money changers here give pretty good rates if you want to change RMB to HKD or MOP. Not sure if it is vice versa. Once we stepped out of the downward escalator, we were approached by a few touts offering rides to the various nearby municipals. 你要去那里啊? …they would blabber while they twirl their eyes wondering how much they should markup for us to bargain. Point to note: Theses guys are not the drivers who will take you to your destination. They are just salesmen who will, after securing your deal, outsource it to a driver among a pool of waiting unlicensed transporters. 我要去常平….800…700…600.. the prices fell as we maintained our disgusted look. From the earlier posting of other helpful brothers here in this forum, we knew that a good price would be RMB450 one way. Brother Jinger then started to negotiate with one of them and got away with 430. BRAVO!!!!! Brother Jinger!!! Split between 4 of us, he saved us S$1 each for the two hour journey. Hehehe, I was then thinking…. Where to find RMB7.50 loose change (on top of the RMB100 note) to pay him for my share when we reach our destination?????
Brother Jinger then relinquished his duty of being the chief trooper with the successful salesman taking the lead to show us to the pickup point. Just like Chicken Little with luggage in tow, the four of us followed mother hen (the tout) through one of the many shopping alleys (note: we were still in the underground arcade). All this while, the salesman had his handphone pressed to his ears and was gibbering away in Cantonese. It was a language that I learned, grew up with and made to cherish…but the funny thing was, he was talking so softly, very UNCHINESELIKE,….in a crowded alley that was so dammed noisy and I couldn’t make out what he was communicating to the other person on the line. SHIT!!! I am feeling uncomfortable man!!! I had to forgo looking at the wide array of display items lined up on both sides of the alley and tried reading his lips. NO JOKE…. I was trying to read his lips….hehehehe….
I couldn’t laugh when I thought I heard him saying…oh sorry….when I read him saying….”Where are you guys? I have four cheapskate idiots now with me who just haggled with me over a miserable 20 bucks! Come quick!!! Lets get the job done!!!!
……….to be continued