China in your Hands..

Sorry the best that I could think of.....

So I caught the train up to GuangZhao a pretty smooth affair, breezed through customs and thought ah this is gonna be ok.... then the touts kicked in.
"Hello.... I am tourist information where are you going?" ..
"Erm" (I cant think of the town I am going to) .. "I'm off to the station."
"Ah great sir, we can get you there in a taxi 100 yuan, we will get you ticket as well as its very busy and you wont be able to get a ticket."
"Oh right, well I have just arrived and would like to take a look about"
".. ok sir"

and repeat until you get out of the station door.

Anyway finally found some money and took a while but managed to get a subway to the station for 6 yuan (100 yuan my arse!) and also even got a 3 hr train journey for 8 yuan. 13 yuan is about a pound!

Bargain!

Arrived in ZhaoXing on the train not really sure where I was going had a hostel that I thought I could stay at but it was just off the map that I had in the guide book. Anyway as I came out of the train station, there was this frenzy as the "laowai" walked down the steps. After thinking I scored a nice taxi - the guy took me towards his bike... hmm .. No. Backpack+Daypack+Bike.... definately "a potential death trap".

Got in a car taxi and pointed to where I thought the hostel was, after a bit of a convoluted route .. the guy definately went round the houses .. reached the hostel it was looking a little shut. Stopped outside the place and nothing nobody around... quick look in the Routh Guide for another hostel .. nada... hotel ok can we go here (point at the map) ... the guy after a bit of time realises what I want and were off....

Anyway the morale of the story is phone ahead when you can... though trying to book a room over the phone is nie impossible unless they speak English. (I guess it wouldnt be if I could speak Mandarin..).

It was a plush hotel though....