Hey Hey and a Big G'Day toya,
 
Military Military!
Let's talk about the military again shall we.
Not only did they take away my nice comfortable and carpeted room.
This time they had the nerve to take away my nice comfortable second bed.
 
When I travel I always get a double room with a bath room.
Why a double room for a solo traveller?
 
They are always much cheaper than a single room and I can use the second bed to scatter all my belongings on if I am staying awhile. Why don't I use the huge cupboard space that always comes with a Chinese hotel room? This is China and would you put your stuff in a Chinese hotel cupboard. Trying to identify the 'stuff' splattered on the walls is enough for me I really don't want to think about what could be on the shelves. Besides that, I've actually never understood why a double room is cheaper than a single room. I actually don't know anyone who wants a single room when they travel alone and wouldn't the hotel make much more money if the double room was more expensive than the single room?
 
And why does a solo traveler have to pay more than a couple or group of people.
Isn't it enough that they are 'alone' without having to pay extra for it!
 
Anyhow, late last night I got a knock on my door and the Beauty Front Desk Girl timidly asked me if it was ok if they took away my second bed as the Soldiers needed it. I simply laughed and reminded her that it wasn't her fault that the Chinese Army can simply go anywhere they please, do as they please and get whatever it is they please so we then set about pulling the bed apart and relocating it to the sixth floor.
 
To her surprise I took my shoes off to remind myself how comfortable and warm carpet can be.
It took a few minutes but she finally saw the funny side of what I was doing.
 
Ok, back to today.
 
After walking eight hours each day for the past week I decided it was time for a day of relaxation. I tried and tried to sleep and by nine I gave in and grabbed all my washing and spent the next hour or so doing my hand washing and hanging it to dry on my balcony. I then jumped on my bed set about reading and watching CCTV9 but my feet began to get itchy so around one thirty I was making my way towards the train station with Liuhuahu Park as my destination.
 
Getting through the crowded streets around the train station was more than frustrating.
I then remembered why I began taking the subway to and from the Sanyuanli station.
 
Like Liwanhu Park, Liuhuahu Park is two thirds water and it would be one of the most beautiful parks I've been to here in Guangzhou. It was exceptionally quiet and clean and very well maintained. The park is broken into sections and each was as beautiful as the section before it. My favourite was the Bonsai gardens and the little rose garden given to Guangzhou city by Germany when Guangzhou celebrated its two thousandth birthday.
 
I can not comprehend such a thing.
I remember when I was in secondary school, Australia celebrated its bicentennial.
 
I spent hours in Liuhuahu Park, in fact I scrapped the idea of heading to Shamian island completely. I sat and read and I relaxed on the grass. I watched and waved to the happy people in the peddle boats and walked and took a million and one photos. If Guangzhou is on your travel itinerary make sure you head here first. All parks and gardens here in Guangzhou City cost less than ten Yuan to enter and many close well after six in the evening.
 
Change the cities name to Suzhou and you could slap another hundred Yuan on the entrance fees.
In fact, build a wall and add a huge entrance fee on any patch of green that comes with a tree and a rock.
 
Instead of Shamian Island I spent the late afternoon and evening walking around the bustling little side streets between Renmin Zhonglu and Jiefeng Zhonglu until I found a Mc Donald's and felt the need for a ElcheapO Coffee, a rest and a an hour or two catchup writing.
 
Beers N Noodles toya.....shane
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The soundtrack to this entry was by Melbourne's own, Underground Lovers
The album was the blissful 'Dream It Down'
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