Hello Chairman Mao!
After a quick five hour flight (hey
that seems fast after the 14 hour one) we arrived in China.
Guangzhou, also
known to the Western world as Canton is where we pick up our translator, aka -
Anthony Zueck - Bill's cousin, Dave's eldest son who had been studying Chinese
in Kunming. We had a blast teaching him the Bill School of Travel - no
eating - no drinking - or arguing about what we are going to do next (just
kidding!). Anthony was a real sport and we had an absolute blast seeing the
sites with him.
Guangzhou is very industrial, their
American sister city is Los Angeles. The Statue of the Five Rams, in Yuexiu Park
holds a many memories for me. The Ram or goat is my
Chinese
zodiac. The legend goes that the city of Guangzhou was visited by the 5
immortals who rode on the backs of 5 rams who held rice grains. That rice was
then given to the city so that the people would never have famine.
When the immortals left the five goats turned to stone.
1990 |
2008 |
| In 1990, I
think we were the only people in the park that day. A young man took us
around the city on our bikes for a few bucks.There is a shred of blue
sky in the background. In 2008, there are throngs of Chinese tourists, we took a subway to get there and we past an Ikea store on our way to the park. Did I mention there are 9 Starbucks in the city? As for blue skies in 2008, the child in the first photograph mostly likely has never seen a blue sky in her life. |
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| "V" is for Victory! | Some things don't change... |
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Close up from above left:
dried sea horses |
Close up from below right -
dried snakes
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| The bun guy...fresh for you! Special price... | And navigating the subway... |
Next page please:
Enlightenment,
shopping, and flames on the run?
or
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