Steve Morgan - www.stevemorgan.me.uk - Charging Through China 2003!

Spot the English in the photo - Nanning

Taxi's out side Nanning station

Yuexiu Park, the 14th century Tower (top) - Guangzhou

The idea was to take a flight from Vietnam to Hong Kong, it's just over an hours flight so that can't be very expensive, right? Or so you'd think! It was so expensive that I found it to be cheaper to take a train from Hanoi into China (having acquired a very expensive visa to enter china, then travel (again by train) overland to Guangzhou. From Guangzhou there are hundreds of buses a day into Hong Kong!

I'd be a liar if I didn't admit that I was pretty apprehensive about going to China. English is hardly spoken anywhere let alone on signs etc. Would I be able to communicate? Would I starve? Would I find a hostel! All of these fears turned out to be completely unfounded. When asking a train station or bus station for a ticket, the clerk would immediately rush off, find a member of staff who knew a little English that would guide us through the whole process! Fantastic people, and a fantastic country, I can't wait to go back!

My route through China

It would seem that not too many western tourists visit here as I was a complete odeysey. I even had my photo taken, with long lens, by a lad who thought I hadn't noticed! When I agreed to pose for a photo with a young lad, it backfired bigtime! I was there fore twenty minutes as whitey posing with the locals! All very amusing!

Guangzhou

The gateway to Hong Kong! A very cool city, more used to the western tourists (and more expensive than Nanning! Not much to see here but the city and immerse yourself into the Chinese culture!

Spot the Beckham - Nanning

View from Zhenning Fort, Renmin Park - Nanning

Posing with the locals! - Nanning


	China
	The idea was to take a flight from Vietnam to Hong Kong, it's just over an hours flight so that can't be very expensive, right? Or so you'd think! It was so expensive that I found it to be cheaper to take a train from Hanoi into China (having acquired a very expensive visa to enter china, then travel (again by train) overland to Guangzhou. From Guangzhou there are hundreds of buses a day into Hong Kong! I'd be a liar if I didn't admit that I was pretty apprehensive about going to China. English is hardly spoken anywhere let alone on signs etc. Would I be able to communicate? Would I starve? Would I find a hostel! All of these fears turned out to be completely unfounded. When asking a train station or bus station for a ticket, the clerk would immediately rush off, find a member of staff who knew a little English that would guide us through the whole process! Fantastic people, and a fantastic country, I can't wait to go back!

	Nanning
	It would seem that not too many western tourists visit here as I was a complete odeysey. I even had my photo taken, with long lens, by a lad who thought I hadn't noticed! When I agreed to pose for a photo with a young lad, it backfired bigtime! I was there fore twenty minutes as whitey posing with the locals! All very amusing! Guangzhou The gateway to Hong Kong! A very cool city, more used to the western tourists (and more expensive than Nanning! Not much to see here but the city and immerse yourself into the Chinese culture!