YiWu by Plane

June 29 - July 2 (click here for this location on the map)



Having arrived in the commercial centre of the world, that is to say the chances are that your Christmas tree and all ornaments have been produced or at least traded here in YiWu, we found our next dear hostess Jessica at the hotel reception.



Aileen and Jessica

As we discovered that the large discount stores were only a couple of steps away from our hotel, Aileen & Jessica and myself went over to find clothes, shoes (!) and ... magic tricks.

I found a branch office of Mr Tang's Magic Shop (based in Shenzhen, a place we will be visiting later on). The branch manager was very kind, tried his best to set his wallet to fire and had his young assistant speak English with me. This is an example of their brochure text in English... be amazed ;o)

"Make greatest efforts the seashore city- Shenzhen that the magic thing limited company of world locates the beauty, is the subsidiary of whole of the limited company that makes greatest efforts international development Shenzhen, we are local scales biggest, the most whole professional magic development in product. Produce. Sell the base."

I bought a trick called the Magic Mirror. Ahum, I had to buy at least ten of them in fact... a big achievement after opposing to their initial minimum quantity of 307 pieces! Well, I might try to sell them forward to Edinburgh's Magic Circle at our next meeting ;o)

Below I have enclosed a short (!) film of the dinner table in the restaurant which we visited with Aileen's Chinese workmates.Dinner table filmed from the spinning disc on the table, called a 'lazy Susan'

Guangzhou by Train

June 27 - 28 (click here for this location on the map)



After a successful ride by train from Hong Kong into mainland China we arrived in Guangzhou to meet the charming Mei.


Aileen and Mei at the hotel in Guangzhou

She and we had dinner in the city centre after a hectic cab drive through the busy streets. The day following Aileen conducted her China first examination in English with international students from Guangzhou's school.

Afterwards we enjoyed the hospitality of the hotel and packed our luggage for the flight departure to YiWu.

Hong Kong by Plane

June 25

Arrived after a considerable delay with British Airwa(it)s, we have met up with Fergus who lives and works as an English teacher in Hong Kong. The first evening we have admired the city light scape at the harbour.



Hong Kong harbour

Fergus has showed us the Island of Hong Kong from high up places such as the Peninsula hotel with the Felix bar on the top floor.



Great views from the Felix bar



Left-to-right: Fergus and Aileen

The day following we have visited the suburban town of Stanley to shop for clothes (such as my knee-zipperable trousers) that will cool us down from the 35 centigrades we are faced with outside. Aileen knows how to cope with the heat due to her years in Seville (Spain). Although it still comes as a shock to the system.

Luckily the dinner at Simply Thai restored our enthusiasm (and batteries) for Asia.



Simply Thai at the 5th floor of the shopping centre above Mong Kok KTR station, next to our Royal Plaza Hotel.

TIP: Curry with seafood served in a coconut

On Tuesday, after yet another delicious breakfast (chop sticked!) we met Maggie, Aileen's lovely Hong Kong examination coordinator who she had met in 2004.



Aileen and Maggie

Maggie took us up a series of walk ways to the Soho district, after which we ate a Vietnamese dish in Lan Kwai Fong: Prawns on a Grapefruit Salad!



Later that evening Willem unwrapped his new toy: a digital photocamera from SONY.

Wednesday we will take a train to Guangzhou (2 hours), our crossing of the Chinese border. A different country all together ;o)