Our Unexpected Stop over in Guangzhou

We left Brisbane airport just before lunch, destined for Guangzhou where we were to change to a domestic flight into Shanghai. Our flight was a little late coming down but we had an hour or so before needing to board the next leg. Through Customs and immigration and finally we saw the signs to domestic where we were stopped and told that our flight had been cancelled and we needed to go to certain booth and get rescheduled. The airport was well signs in Chinese and English so not too much of a drams except that they couldn't put us on a plane until the next morning. What!

The girl then told us that we would be put up at a hotel for the night but we needed to go downstairs to organise. Our luggage would not be available until we got to Shanghai. It took a bit to find the place and we asked at a couple of places, airports are so big these days.

We had our booking and boarding places and we were offered a choice of 8 hotels, the girl said they were all the same, we took the first one and then were directed to an area to wait for 30 minutes. Thank goodness we didnt go anywhere as i doubt if it was more than five minutes when they collected us. It was about a twenty minute ride in a nice car to the hotel and we were dropped off. The hotel boasted English speaking staff. Out with our passports again to check in and we were given dinner vouchers as well and told where the dining room was and what time they were open until. It was dinner time then so we dumped our back packs in the room and went down.

Not had dinner vouchers before but we were familiar with breakfast vouchers and assumed it would be the same.

We entered the dining room and handed our vouchers to the girl at the door she then took us to a table and left. A waitress with a water jug came to the table to fill our glasses, I asked her what we needed to do as we could see the Bai marie set up but didnt know if that included us. She giggled (a dead give away that she was embarrassed) and said "Ting bu dong" she didnt understand us.

No-one was looking our way, I looked out for a waiter/waitress in black waist coats, they are usually the more senior/experienced and more likely to speak English. Nope, none of the staff in the dining room spoke English and our Chinese wasn't good enough to ask about the meal. Another guest came to help, she had limited English and was telling me that if we ordered from the menu we would have to pay but there was fast food? I am thinking Maccas, KFC? We are getting somewhere but slowly then two waiters appear with trays, penny drops, THIS is our fast food. As we had vouchers, we got a set meal.

Our meal was stewed beef, very tender, rice and boy choy and a bowl of very green liquid. The meal was good except I find that the boy choy is never cooked quite enough for me and it in one piece which is difficult to pick up with chop sticks. We had been asked if we wanted fork and spoon, lucky we know those words. i thought that was good of them but we didn't need them.

Warren tasted the soup, its common in China to have soup with a meal, often that is the only liquid and usually a thin soup. This was thick and bright green, surprise surprise it was mushroom soup. I didn't taste anything else in it but mushroom so no idea why it was so green.

Back to the room and a shower and climbed into bed, room was good and we had to be down ready to go at 7 a m. After losing my luggage a few years and only having the clothes I travelled in from a cold place to the tropics, I have since always packed a spare set of suitable in my back pack. Shower gel, soap shampoo even toothpaste and brushes and a comb have been in all Chinese hotels that we have stayed in so no issues there.

Checked out at 6.45 am and we were given a box each, haa, it was breakfast.

A steamed bun, the white in the middle, a boiled egg, a cup cake and a small carton of milk.

Of course wouldn't you know it a couple were late so we didn't get going until 7.15 a m the driver was not happy as the later it got the more traffic built up. Our flight wasn't til 10 but its annoying when people are told a time and they are not there.