Day 14: Good Bye Zhuhai, Hello Shenzhen

Today I had to leave the lovely Harborview Hotel & Resort. I’m sure there would be people who would argue about my affection for Zhuhai, I wish I had less smog so I could have seen it in full sunshine because I just know this place is beautiful.

I’m biased because I love the saltwater smell, the palm and coconut trees that reminds me of an island east of the South China Seas.

I had another great cup of coffee at breakfast at the Harborview, it was so strong, it was like drinking a full cup of expresso. It was so damn good!

Seeing a window at the end of my hallway, I wandered down and took some pictures.

Last night, I was disturbed by people running down the hallway, lascivious laughter and general boisterous behavior. I guessed that because it was Friday night, perhaps this was a weekend getaway place, probably explains the ‘emergency kit’!

This is Deyuefang restaurant that looks like an Imperial barge, but it isn't. It's all an illusion.







But the car took me away to Saturday’s meetings. It was strange to see a sunrise, turn a corner and have it blotted out by smog, in my opinion, it's criminal. 

These are the sand formations along the road.

I loved the palm trees that lined Middle Lover's Road!

How sweet to live in a place where a bus stop can be open because the weather is always mild.

The road ran north then around Nansha, we turned east to head to Shenzhen a city that boarders the New Territories, it's the area that the British government had turned over to the People's Republic of China when they turned over Hong Kong. There are several bridges that go over the various branches of the Pearl River Delta. I can't be sure, but I think he's a bridge sweeper.

When I first came to China several years ago, there were no labor controls. So if someone wanted to keep their facilities open 7 days a week, they could. Now, it is legally mandated that Sunday is an off day. How the western Judeo-Christian culture have seeped into the eastern culture. Not that I think the Chinese should work 7days a week, but why Sundays off? Why not Monday? 

This is traffic in Shenzhen, I'm so glad I wasn't driving. But even just sitting in the back seat was so intense. I guess if this is your reality, you just learn to live with it.

I visited a clean room today, very interesting indeed. I was allowed into a room that was used to test for sound sensitivity. So when the door was closed, I felt pressure in my ears and felt something akin to claustrophobia. Sound was suddenly gone, it was disconcerting.

It was a long day, lots of driving, lots of walking around. When I finally made it to my final hotel in mainland China, it was dark. We had a quick dinner and I was offered a salon package and I took it. I spent the evening enjoying a relaxing environment and the best facial I ever had in my life. I was there for 3hrs because the salon insisted that for it to be effective, a massage needed to be 70mins long and a facial at least 1hour long.

If I could pack up my masseuse, I would have! She was this tiny little thing who didn’t even reach my shoulder! But she was able to get the knots out of my shoulders, my back and my calves absolutely melted under her ministrations. As I lay prone on the massage table with my face in the donut hole head holder, I swear I fell asleep and drooled! It was that good of a massage.

Then the facial was amazing, she covered my eyes with cucumbers so I couldn’t see a lot but she had a gel on my face and what felt like an ultrasound machine on my face that she wave all over my face.

Over the past several weeks, the travel and my restless sleep patterns has resulted in large dark circles under my eyes, but whatever she did to my face, when I returned to my room, the circles were gone! I stared at my face for a long time trying to figure out how she did it because it was so good!

Anyways, here’s some shots of my room. I’m so used to walking into a room and see wall to wall carpeting, this place had dark wood flooring that matched the doors for the cabinets & closets as well as the doors and lintel.

Beautiful room, spacious and I loved how bright the bathroom was.

I loved having a big picture window like this, it opens into a lovely balcony with a view of the golf course.

I'm assuming that since this is on the Pearl Delta, perhaps this area used to be swampland of something because in my room was a bug zapper. I was told that the rooms have some hungry mosquitoes.

Then I opened my closet and see mosquito netting. 

Then I got really concerned when I saw not just a breather mask but a full gas mask?! Were they preparing to be bombed?

This was last night, after my salon visit, I couldn't sit down on post. But today, after I finish off reports & send off emails, I will stroll around the grounds and relax. Have a great Sunday all!