In this line of work, one thing that happens faster than anywhere else I've worked is that people come and go China travel deals. Every six months my social group changes. In some ways it's great because you get to meet new people frequently. On the other hand, sometimes you feel like you didn't get enough time together, no matter how much you hung out. The end of the spring term is always worse since most work contracts run Sept thru June. And since it's June, it's not surprising that someone important to me is leaving. I haven't talked about her much in this blog, but she and I spent a lot of time together in the past year and a half. Much of it was Saturdays in Guangzhou and we referred to each other as "Guangzhou Buddies." For our last free bus into the city, she and I and a few other close friends spent one more day in the city.

We started out at YueXiu Park. Unlike last time I was here, it wasn't raining. But it was hot and humid and after walking around for a little more than an hour we'd had enough.

We went across town to eat lunch. A very popular chain restaurant in Beijing and Shanghai top 10 China tour packages finally opened a location in GZ. They serve up very fresh western food with a few Asian things on the menu, too. The whole staff speaks English. It feels like I'm in the US again. We all opted for salads of some form (a rarity in China) and some people also got pancakes (with real maple syrup!), Elvis French toast, and we all got freshly squeezed fruit juices and smoothies. We were all in food heaven.

Lastly we went to Shamian Island. During the 19th century it was an important port for foreign trade and after the Opium Wars it was divided into two concessions, one for the British and one for the French. I've heard that Chinese nationals were not allowed on the island during this period, but I can't verify that. Sufficed to say, the island is still flush with old European architecture, lush trees, and feels more peaceful that the rest of the city. Since few cars drive on the island, it's one of the quietest spots in the city. We strolled, we chatted, we drank coffees, and relaxed. The perfect end to a perfecy day.

Then, back to the bus for a much needed nap on the ride home.

tags: travel to China and China tourism