I am English learner, so pardon my poor English (I will happy to receive some advice to improve that condition)
Our trip to China was quite busy, Jakarta - Guangzhou-Zhengzhou-Hualan-Zhengzhou-Shanghai-Guangzhou-Jakarta, all only in 5 days. What amazing journey!!!Actually our destination was Hualan, a small town in the Zhengzhou province,and Shanghai. But no direct flight to Zhengzhou, so we use Guangzhou for transit airport.
Day 1.
Our flight depart at 9 am, it took about 4 hours to reach Guangzhou and about 2 pm we arrived at Guangzhou airport, the temperature was quite cold, its about 15 deg Celcius, so we use the equipment we prepare before, except gloves and winter cap. Guangzhou airport is very big and clean, and not too crowded . May be that airport was new or post renovated. I tried took some picture but an officer came to me and gave warning that took picture was not allowed. Hmmm, but why?
The imigration check also had many post, may be more than ten. While waiting my turn, my friend who waited on the line next to me said ,"Look who was behind you",I turn around and saw Marcello Lippi behind me,also waiting his turn to imigration check. Whoa!!!I m not football fan, but since I always watch worldcup, I watched him on TV several time when he was Italian coacher. I also watched some Italian football player who divided on many line, waiting imigration check too, but I dont have any idea who they were. I only know old player such buffon, Del Piero, Totti or Inzhagi, They looked so young, may be new face.
I was thinking to ask some photo with him, but suddenly someone, probably his guide called them and ask them to move to VVIP check post. Well, I was not lucky.
After passed imigration check ,we move to domestic gate to continue our flight to Zhengzhou. Our flight was at 7 pm , and arrived at Zhengzhou about 8 pm. On the Zhengzou , a hired driver pick us and deliver us to The Hotel. He can speak English a little and he said he who will drive us to Hualan for the next day.
China 's Car in Zhengzhou
Day 2.
At 7 am we 've had our breakfast becoz we will meet our driver at 8, and we already check out too, becoz after Hualan we will catch the flight to Shanghai. The journey from Zhengzhou to Hualan is about 2 hours by car. And something that I admire about China is they have big road even only in small town and most of their cars use gas fuel.
In front of the hotel Zhengzhou
Street in Hualan
After spend almost 5 hours in one plant in Hualan, we decide to find someplace to eat, but the driver who was not the same driver with the night before, he is older and can't speak Eglish at all, we can't communicate with, so we decided to eat at the airport (we use sign language with him).
It took about one hour flight to Shanghai from Hualan. At 8 pm, we arrived at Shanghai and the pilot gave us information that the temperature in Shanghai that night was 5 deg Celcius. Brrrrh..it was very cold . I use my gloves and winter cap.
Someone pick us on the airport,some people from supplier company we will visit the next day, he deliver us to the hotel.
Day 3.
After breakfast, we took taxi to the supplier company we will visit becoz their driver can't pick us in the morning. Shanghai is metropolitan city in China, so some taxi driver here can speak English. Our hotel is at the downtown, and the supplier company located at industrial suburbs area, about 30 minutes from hotel. Most of the company employee we visit can speak english very well, becoz it was Eroupe Company, some them from Eroupe too.
We did machines check and technical discuss with them, and at 4 pm their driver deliver us to the downtown. We ask him to deliver us to the shopping center. We spend 2 hours at shopping center (Shanghai Xinyang Fashion and Gift Market) becoz we will meet the supplier boss at 9 pm to discuss about the result of survey machines at Hualan
Near Shanghai Xinyang Fashion and Gift Market
Day 4.
After sleepless night becoz we back to the hotel at 1 am (after late meeting with the supplier), we must wake early becoz that day was the only day we can do city tour at Shanghai. And we only have time until 5 pm and later we will catch our flight to Guangzhou at 8 pm. We already check out from the hotel and deposit our beloging there. Our destinations that day were Nanjing Park, The Bund and China Town.
We use taxi, and for all taxi driver even they can speak little English they can't read latin letter, so we use printed paper we already prepare. It really help!!!And one thing about Shanghai taxi, they are cheap and safe, we only spend about 20-25 Rmb average for an route, except to the airport who rather far.
Nanjing road is just a road who 've had branded stores along the road, but some stores sell food too. We buy some food there and walk to the bund who is not far from Nanjing road.
Nanjing Road
The Bund is a big river who have many high bulding around. On the left of the river from Nanjing road side, it has Victorian Style Building, and the other side of the river , there are so many highest building in Shanghai, one of them is Shanghai TV Tower. I heard that the view at The Bund is very good at night, too bad we visit that in the morning.
The Bund
After The Bund, we walk to the China Town.
China Town in China???
We spend our time for shopping here.At 5, we back to the hotel by taxi to took our belonging and then continue our journey to Guangzhou use night flight. We use taxi to reach the airport and it cost about 90-100 Rmb (I forgot the exactly nominal but it was quite cheap). At the Guangzhou airport, we try to search taxi, but no taxi willing to drive us to the hotel, we dont know why. But so many rented car there and it was so expensive. Finally , after negotiation, they gave their final price, 200 Rmb. We were very tired and it was already passed midnight, we agree on that price. And the hotel is not far from the airport, may be only 5 km far?Fortunately, The Hotel was very good , it was five star hotel. It was 2 am in the morning and after took a bath we had our deep sleep at that nice hotel.
Day 5.
We wake up rather late, had our nice brakfast and use shuttle bus of the hotel to reach the city, we wanted to have our final shopping at Guangzhou. It took about a half hour to reach the shopping mall at the city. The mall was rather small, may be similar with Istana Plaza at Bandung, or a little smaller. But the price was good and had good quality. We spend our left money here, buying food at supermarket for friends in Indo (we already buy many souvenirs in Shanghai) and buy some clothes for my family. And it was really cheap, even more cheap than in Bandung.
We use taxi to drive us the hotel becoz the shuttle bus not come back as he promise to us. And the taxi driver really really friendly and can speak English very a little, but still he try communicate with us on the way along to the hotel. May be he rarely saw Indonesian tourists?Lol. He said that he dont know where Indonesia located, but he know phillipine.
After gathering our belonging, we reach the airport use hotel shuttle bus and had our flight to Jakarta. At 10 pm we reach Jakarta and using rental car that our company hired, we touch down Bandung at 00:00 am (and must work on Monday to prepare ISO audit on tuesday)
My Notes about China :
1. No traffic jam, and they have large road, good public facility
2. Shanghai is metropolitan city, people have good style, good clothes, and clean. But its diffirent at small city like Zhengzhou or Hualan, we saw peoples live in the slum apartement (similar with rusun in Indonesia),notes this only my opinion of what I saw.
3. Probably the water is very limited in China (except Shanghai), that why some peoples not bath everyday?or becoz the weather is so cold?
4. Most of China people dont know about Indonesia, but they know Malaysia and Phillipine. They often think that we are phill 's people from our look. When we ask if they know about the famous Bali, they said they did'nt know neither . I wonder the theory that China people was Indonesian ancestor, who migrated from Yunan to Java Island , that really our ancestor who didnt recognize us (joking)
5. Best place for shopping, becoz the price was so low. But be carefull at the Shanghai shopping center, it was dangerous place. Some people will getting mad if we try to negotiate about the price (even if the price they give very high), and dont even try to ask about price or even ask about things u interested if u not serious to buy. I know that weird, becoz the passion about the shopping is to ask as many as possible and get the price as low as possible. And sometimes we buy things we not really interested or need becoz of the sellers are nice and the things are cheap enough..
And BIG NOTES ....Dont try to shop alone . We saw a caucasian who seems travel alone , went to one shop and then running away , and the sellers who already mad still hunt down him, and may be try to hurt him.We didnt know wether the mad sellers truly hurt him or just try to scare him becoz we didnt follow them. I myself had some sellers getting mad at me too, but I was safe becoz I was with many friends and most men. But if you are solo traveller and urgently need shopping, just choose to shop in the malls. The price in China Malls are cheap too, or you can choose to shop to the place who the sellers have friendly face . Many are friendly and kind too. ^_^ you will be ok.
6. They not shy to express themself ^_^, so you will often heard weird voice come from their throat to remove phlegm, especially on the domestic flight or even when passing on the good street .
That my experiences, hope that soon Indonesia have large road and good facility as good as China so I dont need to have traffic jam almost everyday in my live???.