August 11th. Nobody warned me that Guangzhou airport was so big! I ran a complete marathon trying to make my connecting flight to Nanning. Immigration was easily cleared and the visa processing was very simple. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. Of course what I feared has happened - my luggage has not arrived. I have only my carry-on to last the next three weeks so far. I only have a two hour layover in Guangzhou and this is going to be a problem. I have filled out the missing luggage form and I am trudging on but time is very tight. Okay, now I am running again to try to find my flight. My flight to Nanning seems to be causing a bit of confusion. One gentleman must have thought that I was returning to Los Angeles as he took me to the international departure custom line. Maybe he just figured this is where a lost meiguo should be. In Chinese airports a pen is your best friend. Have your best friend out and be prepared to write. You must fill out forms for all departures and arrivals both foreign and domestic. If you end up at the wrong gate you must fill out the forms all over again.
Salvation came in the form of a young gentleman with a golf cart. For only 20 yuan, about 2 1/2 US dollars, he expertly drove me through the airport, found the proper terminal, and expidited my course through departure customs and screening. What a wonderful man! LAX should hire this fellow as they sorely need his level of professionalism. Now came the shocker. I found the big board with all domestic departures. My flight to Nanning was nowhere to be found. It had been cancelled apparently. With my phrase book and English-Chinese dictionary I was able to locate the next departure to Nanning, find the gate, and negotiate a seat on the next outbound flight to Nanning. Only an hour and a half delay. This will give me a chance to catch my breath and refresh myself. If you can, try to get your hands on some local currency before leaving home. Guidebooks told me that I could not obtain yuan outside of China but I was able to secure 800 yuan through my bank at home for a small fee. This has been invaluable today and prevented me from standing in line for a considerable time to convert currency at the airport. Unfortunately my delay meant that I would not be able to meet Weiqian on time and I had no way to contact her from Guangzhou. I feel quite terrible about that.
Nanning is just a short one hour hop by air. The fare is definitely worth it as the bus trip is about 12 hours. The landing at Nanning airport was a bit abrupt but otherwise all of my flights went well. Weiqian was not present. I wil call her translator, Jacky, as soon as I am at the hotel. The airport is located well outside of town. The taxi trip is going to cost 100 yuan. My driver was a maniac! What a way to be introduced to Nanning traffic. High speeds with frequent and abrupt lane changes were par for the course. I am a clam person but this taxi driver is unnerving me a bit. No seat belt to be found either. I did manage to arrive at the hotel in one piece. I did not realize this at the time, but later comprehended that I had managed to find the most maniacal taxi driver in all of Nanning for my first experience! Nanning traffic may seem chaotic at first impression but is actually very orderly and the drivers quite skilled. There seems to be an informal hierarchy. Taxis and buses seem to have top priority. Next are trucks and private cars. The following level consists of motorcycles and mopeds. Bicycles and bicycle carts comprise the next group. Pedestrians fill out the bottom tier. This is all terribly logical because if pedestrians had the top priority vehicles would never get anywhere. Please take note, when on foot you are exected to get out of the way. No one is looking to run you over, but everyone else does have the right of way.
I checked into the Nanning Xiang Yun Hotel. A quite nice, historic, 3-star hotel. I got a good rate of 220 yuan a night online through sinohotel.com. The staff are extremely freindly although my lack of Chinese language skills are proving to be a bit of a challenge. The staff are being wonderfully patient on this point. Be prepared to put up a deposit for all the nights of your stay upfront. Remember that tipping is not expected for service, which you will normally find to be excellent. The room facilities are nice and Western-oriented. The bathroom included a tub with full showerhead.
Guangxi Province is hot and humid so be prepared. To give you a feel for it, imagine yourself sitting outside at midday in summer in either South Carolina or Florida. Yes, we are talking Atlanta hot. Now picture yourself drinking a cup of hot tea while sitting outside because that is what you will likely be doing. Air conditioning is present in a few buildings and residences but not to the frosty extent that Americans are accustomed - this polar bear included.
Got settled in and have given Jacky a call. He is going to drop by the hotel to say hello. Weiqian had to return to work for the afternoon so I won't see her until later. Jacky proved to be a quite amiable young fellow and we immediately settled in at ease. I am a vegetarian (ovo-lacto) and was thoroughly pleased to find a vegetarian and tea restaurant in the lobby of the hotel. What luck! Quite a nice place. Jacky is very much the entrepreneur and has an outstanding command of English. After a pleasant lunch and chat, I returned to my room for a nap as jet lag is beginning to settle in. An important note for travellers! I have not stayed at a hotel here yet that has an alarm clock in the room. Bring your own! Wake-up service is generally available but I have always found a clock more convenient. When you combine this with the 13-hour time change from home, I am completely lost as to what time it is.
Anyhow, I finally got to be in the same room with Weiqian! She is adorable and oh so tiny. She only comes to my shoulder and I am not a tall man by any means. It is wonderful to be in her presence after writing to each other for so long. Jacky is translating for now as Weiqian hasn't studied English since her school days and lacks confidence for now in her skills. I have been studying hanyu for only a few months so I don't stand a chance. We decided to head out for a bit of dinner. Only a couple of blocks away was a wonderful bakery. By "bakery" an American would term it a cafeteria. I am happy to say that many veggie selections were available. I seem to have passed the chopsticks usage test. Please fellow travellers, spend a bit of time practicing your table manners before your trip. Combine that with politeness, a smile, and putting forth an effort and you will get along swimmingly. My appetite is a bit off. I think it is the jet lag. After a good meal and a pleasant conversation it is time to return to the room for some more sleep.
