Guangzhou, Shenzhen, HK travel advice?

[cjolley]

We are going to be in Guangzhou for two weeks starting on Friday.
We may get to take a day trip to HK on Sat or Sun.
And Shenzhen on the following thursday.
Considering the vast reach of MURC, I figured I might get some tips.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Chuck

[Brian R.]

Bring alot of bottled water - Don't drink the tap water or the water in the jugs in the hotel.

Don't watch the road while a local is driving. You don't want to know.

Avoid rural toilets. Bring toilet paper everywhere.

Buy fruit. It is usually great. Even the dried fruit is good.

[Sasq]

aye, on the bottled water.
There are some great resturants in HK, try the Mandarin for afternoon tea.

[Wombat]

Originally posted by Brian R.
Bring alot of bottled water - Don't drink the tap water or the water in the jugs in the hotel.

Don't watch the road while a local is driving. You don't want to know.

Avoid rural toilets. Bring toilet paper everywhere.

Buy fruit. It is usually great. Even the dried fruit is good.

Why would the water be bad for you, but the fruit good?

[Sasq]

ever heard the term 'Bali belly'?

[Wombat]

Originally posted by Sasq
ever heard the term 'Bali belly'?

No, but I looked it up. Sounds like "Montezuma's Revenge," or any other local dysentery.

I asked, because in Mexico, not only is the water bad for you, but also fruit, or anything uncooked/unboiled.

[XHotKolaX]

Hehe. Whereas here, there's too much lead and chlorine. And whatever else that stains orange.

I don't drink the tap here unless I boil it, either. More due to taste than anything else.

[Wombat]

Originally posted by XHotKolaX
Hehe. Whereas here, there's too much lead and chlorine. And whatever else that stains orange.

I don't drink the tap here unless I boil it, either. More due to taste than anything else.

That's iron.

And boiling the water won't take the minerals out.

[Brian Ellis]

I survived in rural China for several weeks without any stomach problems, although one colleague on the team did get a bad dose of jelly belly.

I agree wholeheartedly re toilet paper: most toilets (except in Western style hotels) are positively revolting, often even in good restaurants. Do NOT wash your hands after using such a toilet; use an alcohol wipe.

I have never had problems with local bottled water but make sure that it is sealed. Most hotels put bottled water in the fridge for free consumption. One hotel in Hunan Province gave you the choice of free refilled bottles and sealed bottles at RMB6 each. The latter is the better value

Peeled fruit is fine and safe, but ask to have it washed before peeling it. Never eat unpeeled fruit or salad (except in a top-class Western style hotel).

Beware of ice cubes. Freezing does not necessarily kill microorganisms. If they are made from boiled water, they'll be OK.

Recommended: much of the rural cooking in China is wok stir fries done over a coal stove made from a clay-lined 200 litre drum with a ventilator which turns it almost into a blast furnace. The wok turns red in seconds, if allowed to! The food cooked therein is fantastically tasty, as the cooking is only a matter of seconds, while the searing temp makes it safe.

And boiling the water won't take the minerals out.

I don't know where Lansdowne is, but the water in parts of VA can be terrible, especially in the North, where it is used for the 7th time out of the Potomac. It is very heavily chlorinated and tastes awful. Boiling does get rid of the chlorine. It will also reduce the quantity of lime and iron in hard water areas (just look at the inside of a kettle to see the rusty lime deposits!). However, lime and iron, in moderate quantities are good for you. The worst water of the lot is ultra-pure water (:"18 megohm" water) which is undrinkable.

[chaoliang]

China has big problems with manupulation scandals in food processing industry. Do be careful. Watch what you eat and drink. Avoid small, untidy restraunts. Never eat on the street. It's better to buy fruits and food in good super markets instead of on local markets. Of course it will be a bit less enjoyable to travel in this style. But one wish defenitely to ENJOY the journey. It's really no joke.
Guangzhou and Shenzhen are not interesting enough to stay more than several days. You can try to make trips to Xiamen or in west direction (Yunnan, Guizhou and so on), where there are many minorities and different cultures.
Have fun!

[GuchiGuh]

HAhahahahah I can so see that you peoples only went to asia for holidaying

[J1NG]

Of course, why else go there? Surly not for the water?

J1NG

[Brian Ellis]

Originally posted by GuchiGuh
HAhahahahah I can so see that you peoples only went to asia for holidaying

Wrong!

Not counting the fact that this island is geographically in Asia, even if culturally and politically in Europe (), I've been in Asia many tens of times, but only twice have I been there for holidaying, in both cases to places where I had not been professionally.

[cjolley]

We got our hep a & b series and polio and tetanus boosters.
Plus we will be taking prophylactic cipro.
We are all over the water thing.
So I think medically we are as prepared as we can reasonably get.

We will be exposed to a large number of children though.
And my experience with that is that I was sick virtually my entire first year as a teacher, and that was older kids.

We will be staying in the White Swan hotel in Guangzhou the entire time.
The closest we will come to Holidaying is a side day trip to HK right after we get to Guangzhou.
(Thanks Sasq Becky would love that!)

The day trip to Shenzhen will be business (sort of).
So, no rural trips

Of Guangzhou being dull, I have heard.
But the museum is supposed to be very good, as is the zoo.

Any other "can't miss" things in HK?

Thanks Guys
chuck


PS The last time I was on an airliner was 1973!
Talk about jumping back in with both feet

[cjolley]

Originally posted by J1NG
Of course, why else go there? Surly not for the water?

J1NG

Heh.
Ill tell you next Wednesday.
It should be official by then
Chuck