Back in Hong Kong and oldest bottle of gin

Up at 6, then 8.30, then finally some more sleep till 10, when I knew we’d have to sort things out. Apparently we were able to check in at West Kowloon today, including baggage drop, so we ensured we had enough clothes in our hand luggage, had some crappy breakfast, checked out and decided we’d walk to the station. In a way I wish we’d taken a cab as although we missed the rain it was very muggy. But it was more interesting this way, and only took about 10 mins. I had anticipated going through immigration but there was nothing, so we got through security at 12.20 for a 13.49 train which was slightly annoying but hey.

I’d booked first class for some stupid reason, probably thinking it would give us more space for our luggage, but it didn’t, and probably just meant colder A/C. The annoyance started in West Kowloon where I thought we’d be clever and check in our luggage the day before as I’d read you can. It took a bit of asking but we found out this service was actually at Kowloon, not West Kowloon, but you could walk it over walkways in about 10 mins, which is a bit longer with large suitcases, and quite sweaty. And when we finally found the place to check-in we were told that KLM was one of the airlines that didn’t do day-before baggage drop-off. What a bloody pain - I’m sure I’d looked it up but it was probably more like they allow drop off from Kowloon but only same-day. If only I’d double checked. We agreed to get a taxi to the hotel which was only half a mile away but the queues, although not that long, did not have any taxis at the end, so we agreed to walk it. But I had the “good” idea of taking a free hotel shuttle bus to the hotels but although we were told which one to take it ended up taking us further from the hotel than where we already were. Sod it we walked the 15 mins and got there by which time we fancied a relaxing drink, but I had to pick up the laptop I’d left on 22nd July.

We did come across a car that Leilei thought was very cool though...just opposite our hotel...

...and Leilei even deigned to pose in  front of it

Leilei certainly wasn’t interested in coming so I took the tube four stops up to the place and confirmed they had indeed fixed it (a new motherboard at great expense and barely worth it over a new laptop but I do like this one). They only accepted cash so I had to go out to the now raining streets and find a cash machine. Annoyingly a bloke with a gun was standing outside one of them but I realised it was because they were replenishing it, and actually by the time they left I was able to use it after the bloke in front took out 10000 HKD. I needed a bit less but it was still more than Starling bank were allowing me to take out so I needed to send more money to Revolut via online banking so I would have enough. Jeez...crypto can’t become mainstream soon enough.

Back home with my new laptop I put it online and let the various apps update themselves - it was a joy to use after having used my old laptop for the last few months. Nothing against the old one but it’s getting slow and the screen goes off half the time when it’s not plugged in. Perhaps more importantly this one is louder so I can watch and listen to videos while brushing my teeth. But Leilei was hungry and so was I after my first 5% beer for a very long time. We found a really local place where a couple of old women who were eating there said the duck was great, so we ordered goose and pak choi with rice, and a bowl of soup for me. Leilei actually ate more than he usually would. I’ve realised since we’ve been in China he seems to have become my height, though I’m sure he was two inches shorter when we arrived in Hong Kong. When I ordered a beer the woman said “liang ge?” thinking Leilei would want one too. Well luckily he didn’t but that’s the second time he’s been offered one by someone thinking he’s of age. I thought the bill was a bit steep at 195 but didn’t argue, I just wanted to have enough to buy breakfast on the way back and get the airport express tickets tomorrow - that should be the last of the expenses.

But as I went for a wander I noticed an ancient half bottle of Gordon’s gin in the window of a “Wine shop”, so old it didn’t have the % alcohol on it, just 90° proof . I entered and asked how much for a half bottle of gin. The woman didn’t answer so I asked in English and she said 170 HKD. I looked surprised as even in 7/11 a half bottle is 80, and pointed to the front window. Ah, she said - 55. Well...I probably still had enough and the prospect of a couple of gin and lemonades with the City match in an hour or so was rather mouth-watering so I picked it up. The two shopkeepers were chatting all this time and I realised it wasn’t Cantonese and clearly not Mandarin, so I asked them and they said it was Nepalese. I quite felt like asking them about stuff but I had things to do like buying some zero sugar, fibreful Sprite for myself and some Pocari Sweat for Leilei, which reminded me of Japan 2003.

Pretty nice meal in HK

Oldest half bottle of gin in Hong Kong

Back in the hotel I managed to get Leilei to do some maths homework while my laptop finished updating, and found a decent stream albeit in Russian for the match. A really good display from City against a decent Brighton side who went for it. Leilei stayed up till 12.30 by which time I started watching the Liverpool match but before they scored the first of their three goals I was asleep after a knackering day.

Train to Guangzhou, meal with ex-colleague

So much for 8.30, but I forced myself at 9.30 and told Leilei to get up too, which he managed to for the first time this holiday. I faffed too much but did managed to take the dian dong che to Waipo’s house. Unfortunately A Heng, whom we’d visited yesterday to drop off the spare house key and had told us he’d be in, did not open the door. I was about to drop off the dian dong che keys at security when I had the better idea of just throwing them up to the first floor balcony. The first set was fine, but the second got stuck and were clearly visible in case anyone wanted to nick them, but that doesn’t seem to happen here.

Leaving the keys rather visible on the balcony

Finally filled up my charging card for the bike...just in time

Last pic of Pingguo while waiting for the lift

Recycling a load of Leilei's clothes...at least putting to good use

I walked back as the rain started pouring but I didn’t care. My spirits were already dampened by the thoughts of us leaving Pingguo. We really should have left before 10:50 for the 11:26 train. Most people get there an hour early, but I thought I wouldn’t waste that time and would order a didi che. I then found out the didi che section of WeChat is all in Chinese and if it wasn’t that important I’d have given it a go. But it was important so once outside I asked a neighbouring shop what to do and they suggested a san lun che. Well one was waiting, which was good, but there was no way it was taking us plus baggage like the one that picked us up five weeks ago. Except the people from the shop kept insisting one would be sufficient. It was one of those times I had to break in and tell them they were wrong and we’d get a second one (which had just turned up), and sod losing face. Leilei’s one decided to take a different route and we shouted at the driver to come our way, so he did until the next corner when he went his own way again. By now it was gone 11am and I was getting concerned as I remembered there is about a 100m walk after the drop-off point. Leilei had arrived a couple of minutes before me and had paid so I did the same and we got wetter walking to pick up the tickets. If we had had ID cards we’d have picked them up in a minute but I had to queue for nearly 10. Luckily security was quick except the woman singled out my hand luggage with a bottle of water in it. I asked her what the problem was and she said I had to drink a mouthful, and then it was ok. It’s only a bloody train...what about if it had been vodka - would I have had to have a swig at 11.15am? Almost immediately we were sent out to board, and the 4h17 min journey was relatively without issue except for the initial scare of not finding enough space to fit the luggage. I so tried to sleep and maybe I reached level one for a brief moment as for ages I couldn’t count to more than 5 in German.

Chasing Leilei on the way to the station

Guangzhou South station was its usual bustly self and I remembered to go to pick up our tickets to Kowloon for tomorrow. I would have done this in Pingguo if I’d allowed more time. This time we found a different place without a queue at all, so tickets in hand I had hoped to walk to the hotel but I had no idea if that was possible, so decided we’d get a taxi. There were a few touts who as soon as I said “seven hundred metres” turned away. Then I heard shouting and two blokes came running out of some entrance and jumped on another bloke and took him to the floor. Straight after that about a dozen blokes started running in another direction looking very angry. All this time I noticed there was a police building with a couple of officers, outside doing nothing. Rather disconcerting.

The sanitary bags are becoming more sanitary

We queued 10 mins or so for a taxi and when we got to the front of the queue and told the driver where we wanted to go he said no we needed to be on the other side and get a taxi there. Literally no-one was on the other side, so it appears everyone else was going further outside Guangzhou. As we went to the other side a bloke got there before us and put his large suitcase in the boot and got in the back. A moment later he got out and took his suitcase out. Didn’t the driver want to go such a short distance? No, apparently where the bloke wanted to go was covered by the queue we’d just been in. So it wasn’t just a foreigner making such a mistake.

Our taxi drive was fine about it being 700 metres away but didn’t know where to go despite me showing the address, but that was addressed by me giving them a call and letting him shout at them. We had a conversation over the next five minutes, four of which were spent at red lights, and I felt sorry for the 12 kuai fair and gave him 20. Only taxi drivers won’t refuse such a tip here.

We checked in to the serviced apartment and I contacted my ex-colleague to arrange to meet up in a bit for dinner to discuss business. I got some refreshments for us from a shop downstairs and this time when I tried to pay with WeChat I had some warning message I didn’t quite understand so I had to pay in cash.

We were pretty close to the train station...should have braved the walk

Leilei doing what all 14 year-olds would do in a hotel

Then I was contacted by a driver to come out. We descended to where we’d been dropped off a bit earlier but no-one was there. It was another game of trying to find someone without knowing what they look like but at least we should be obvious, and after another phone call and walking to another road we got a shout from a bloke wearing a tie and standing next to a nice looking black Nissan Teana. It seemed to be some sort of upmarket taxi service and during the 20 minute ride we had a nice chat about stuff, and as soon as we arrived and got out he drove away without asking for payment or anything.

It was good to catch up with my ex-colleague and his wife and kid, and the meal was very nice but so civilised compared to Pingguo. They even had two sets of chopsticks for each person; a white pair for taking food from the plates on the table, and a black pair for actually eating. I continually messed up and ate from the white and took food with the black, but it wasn’t an issue - even if I’d done it correctly it is very inconvenient.

I took the opportunity to ask why WeChat pay wasn’t working and he said that it had been decided to add more KYC security and you’d have to send a quick video of yourself saying who you are, as happens with banks here to be fair. But still, I had 206 kuai in my account and I effectively couldn’t use them now until Li Kun used my phone to confirm his identity. If this had happened just 24 hours ago it would have been ok. Yet another argument for cryptocurrencies.

Another bloke popped around too and thankfully his English wasn’t too good so I was able to have a last evening speaking some Mandarin, and we concluded with just a little beer and a discussion of a possible project in the near future. We had a similar service back to the hotel and I saw it would have cost 31 kuai, but it would probably be expensed, as the meal was.

Good to catch up with ex-colleague

Tired, I cracked open a beer and the two of us watched one of the Fast and Furious films...it was so crap but in my state I found it very watchable, but still didn’t get to sleep till threeish.