We took a DiDi directly from our hotel in Zhuhai to our hotel in Guangzhou, covering a distance of about 124km. The journey lasted approximately two and a half hours, mostly along a motorway with a toll of 65CNY that we had to pay in both directions. Ultimately, the total cost was around £50. While this might be considered costly here, the convenience it provided was worthwhile for us, as it avoided the need to transport Peter on public transport with his wheelchair. Guangzhou was previously known as Canton. It is the largest city and capital of Guangdong Province, a vast port city located on the Pearl River.
Our accommodation in Guangzhou was The Sofitel Sunrich Hotel. After checking in, we received a lovely room on the twenty-fifth floor. I noticed several vintage cars parked outside the hotel's main entrance, although I was unsure of the reason for their presence. We had access to the executive lounge, which offered afternoon snacks, an evening meal with drinks, and breakfast. Shortly after checking in, we visited the lounge, where Peter was thrilled to discover tuna sandwiches with chips as his snack.
Following our afternoon snacks, we went to explore the hotel's indoor swimming pool, but we didn’t swim at that time. I unpacked our belongings, and believe it or not, we were traveling with just one small rucksack for this trip. I mentioned that it would be too challenging to take Peter's wheelchair and a suitcase onto the boat to Zhuhai, resulting in a lot of hand washing of clothes. Later, we returned to the lounge for dinner. The weather was rainy and foggy, but on certain days, the views from the lounge could be quite stunning. I could see the famous Canton Tower faintly in the distance.
The next day, the weather seemed a bit improved. We had breakfast in the lounge before taking a DiDi to Shaiman Island. Originally a sandbank in the Pearl River, Shaiman Island became a significant site for foreign traders when Guangzhou, then known as Canton, was one of the few places in China open to them. British and French merchants built European-style structures and conducted trade here. The island is beautiful, featuring many old colonial buildings that have been exquisitely restored, with several converted into restaurants or cafes. Although I wasn't familiar with most of these buildings' pasts, they were delightful to behold, many painted in vibrant colors. One, painted blue, was home to a Starbucks, arguably one of the most charming Starbucks in the world. Upon returning to Hong Kong, I might look up what these buildings used to be on Google Lens.
As we explored Shaiman Island, we encountered two churches, and I ventured inside one called the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes. During our visit, a Chinese secondary school student approached us, saying, “Welcome to China. How may I assist you?” He was merely being courteous, not trying to sell anything. We asked him to take our photo, and he wished us an enjoyable stay.
At one point, we passed through an open-air craft market. Shaiman Island has lovely flower-filled gardens, and the majority of the island is pedestrian-friendly, enhancing its appeal. Beautiful buildings surround the gardens, and we enjoyed walking among them. There was also an exercise area and a children's play area, both of which seemed quite popular.
All over the island, numerous statues depicted interactions between the Chinese and foreigners, aspects of Chinese culture, and children enjoying themselves. On one side of Shaiman Island, there is a canal, and on the other, the Pearl River. We took a stroll along the waterfront, where a modern arts center became visible in the distance.
Despite the continuous rain, it remained hot and humid. We spent a considerable amount of time on Shaiman Island before feeling exhausted, so we took a DiDi back to our hotel to rest before dinner in the lounge. After dinner, I decided to swim but was asked to leave by the lifeguard for not wearing a swimming cap. I had to purchase an expensive cap to re-enter. We later discovered that most swimming pools in China require a swimming cap, and for some reason, I'm not particularly enjoying swimming here.
We took a DiDi directly from our hotel in Zhuhai to our hotel in Guangzhou, covering a distance of approximately 124km. The trip lasted about two and a half hours, with most of the journey on a motorway that required a toll of 65CNY. We had to pay the toll in both directions. Ultimately, the total cost for us was around £50. While this may be considered pricey for the area, it was definitely worth it for the convenience, as it spared us the challenge of getting Peter onto public transport in his wheelchair.
