Guangzhou

Last night we met at the appropriately named bar The Pilot. 

We had a drink there. We then repaired up the street to eat. The menu was western but our main aim was to find a restaurant with off street dining as the smog here is at a very high level, though today it was regarded as moderate.  

I think the air pollution is the only concern J has but it appears it is far worse in Bejing!!

We taxied back to the hotel. 

I slept quite well but with a 2 hour break and I awoke refreshed at 1100hours. 

We set off by Metro to Guandzhou South Station to collect our tickets for the train to Shanghai on the 2nd and Xian on the 5th. The Metro is priced depending on the Kms you travel We purchased a 24 hour ticket for 20 ¥ ( c. 7¥ =€1) or 50¥ for 72 hours. It simpler  to purchase one of the passes. 

We arrived at Guandzhou South. What a station !! I think it might be larger than Osaka, Japan, if not, it would definitely rival it! There were exits numbered A- L and each exit had numbered doors!

We decided to search out our tickets at Departures. It was the correct location and having waited in line for c.20 minutes, both sets of tickets were issued.   There was a small fee of ¥5 per ticket for the Xian tickets as we were not collecting  them at the departure station. I would advise to get tickets issued previously, the day before, if possible, and check location of the 'waiting area' as one wouldn't want to be arriving too close to departure time without having 'sussed the joint'. We asked where the departing platform was? The operator didn't understand and called another with better English. Initially, she did not understand. I was going to leave it and check at the hotel but she was anxious that I understood and finally I did. One goes to a 'waiting area'and then to the platform which number is written on the ticket and when the glass doors open, one boards the train. I have to say that the Chinese make every effort to answer any query one might have. 

We pre booked our tickets in Ireland through Iris Wang Travel Advisor- email iris@chinahighlights.me. On payment, she issued a confirmation, excellent instructions and the collection was faultless. One has to give one's passport number to book and bring one's passport to collect. Tabs are kept on your whereabouts!!

We retraced our steps by metro but when we arrived back at Tiy Xiu such was the crowd that we were not allowed to exit Exit E. We exited D but could we find E on the street- not a hope.? We could not re-enter the station either, there were so many people in the system that entrances were not to re-open again until 21.00 hrs - it was now 1830! A walk of 10 minutes became an hour as we tried to locate the hotel - and of course not a taxi to be found! 

We were advised not to go to Canton Tower as it will be very crowded but worse still - it would be impossible to get a taxi between 20.00 and 04.00hours so we're going to the Terrace Bar here in the hotel to ring in the New Year and hopefully see the fireworks display? Though staff speak some English, it is quite basic.  

We went out to get some Chinese food. We found a Chinese / Mongolian restaurant and had an excellent meal. We returned to the hotel to ring in the New Year. 

Today, I could taste the coal as I breathed!! So much for the Paris summit!!! 

Amsterdam

So how, you might well, ask was the Red Light District?? I will neither confirm nor deny that I was there....... You'll have to come and see for yourself ! 

We walked to a famous Brown pub. They are very small not unlike the Dawson lounge on said street in Dublin. It was Monday night but the street was buzzing as was Cafe Belgique. I was wondering if the Dutch partied every night but of course I remembered it was still Yuletide. 

We proceeded to Dam Square, where off the Square was restaurant no. 41 Ness Street. The Guardian had given it excellent reviews. It had a very simple ambience, no menu as the waitress recites the menu - a choice of 4 starters, 6 mains and 3 desserts. Prices recited as starters €4-6, mains €14-22 and dessert €4 if one wanted the precise cost of a dish one had to ask! The cuisine was excellent and a snip at the price! The meal commenced with a date and blue cheese melee and chicken pate, followed by an excellent beef fillet with a intense red wine reduction and a moist duck, a Dutch apple cake, loaded with cloves, completed an excellent meal.

As we retraced our steps towards Centraal Station and our hotel, we encountered another pub - the building was old - 1618 but the pub is of recent origin. This was explained to us by a local with whom I fell into conversation. We subsequently  discussed the Irish and Dutch economic collapse, the poor architectural standards in both countries and the disintegration of the inner city! And I mislead you, according to my friend the Amsterdam cyclists appear  to be as law breaking as their Irish counterparts!!!

Having finished our drink, we bid our friend good night. 

We retired

Amsterdam

                    ITINERARY

Dublin - Amsterdam - Guangzhou - Shanghai - Xian - Guangzhou - Amsterdam- The Hague- Dublin

I haven't been in the Netherlands for a while.......Flying over the Netherlands, one could appreciate the saying: God made the world but the Dutch made Holland! The symmetry of the polders was awe inspiring as were the wind turbines (similar to ours but) perfectly located to reflect as a piece of sculpture might. 

One can travel from the airport to any part of Netherlands by train. A16 minute train took us to Amsterdam Central 

(12km with trains running every 10 minutes) where on exiting the main door of the railway station our hotel, Hotel Victoria, on Prins Hendrikkade, lay before us - a couple of minutes walk across the canal. The area was alive with trams, cyclists and walkers. Bikes everywhere - proper bicycle lanes and cyclists observed the traffic signals, without exception in my brief survey!! 

As our room wasn't ready, a voucher for two drinks was immediately proffered. We repaired  to the Brasserie for lunch. 

We're sitting here at 1545 (we're an hour ahead), having flown from Dublin to Amsterdam, checked in for our flight to Guangzhou tomorrow lunchtime, taken the train to the Amsterdam Central, lunched and now settled on our room 

After a short respite, we left the hotel and walked down Damrak; the main shopping thoroughfare. 

It was alive with what appeared to be the population of Amsterdam bargain hunting at the sales, which are in full swing. We entered de Bijenkorf emporium. It was not dissimilar to BTs Dublin, no surprise as it is also owned by Galen Weston.

It is larger than the latter and had a wider range of goods, particularly of the more upmarket brands. After a stroll about, we engaged in some retail therapy but Ryan Air's baggage allowance curtailed excess!! Indeed on departure a bag weighing 16.3 kilos as opposed to the 15k allowance - I wonder does any authority check airline scales?- had to have something removed to accord with the allowance.  The old Ryan Air hasn't gone away you know!!' Ladies, I would recommend a weekend shopping trip to Amsterdam to lift the spirit! 

We're off to sample the infamous Red Light district - in the interests of blog research, you understand dear reader. More tomorrow........