Hope: One Less: Free Day

Today we had another free day. At breakfast, we were reunited with the new friends we made at last night's reception. We spent time playing on the playground and hung out in our hotel room. The days are going so fast and yet we are so ready to be home. This afternoon our guide, Kelly, took us on a shopping trip. Our first two stops were to pick up some traditional souvenirs. Common purchases are jade and pearls. She took us to the pearl market which was a multi-level building with literally hundreds of wholesale vendors. All types of jewelry were available.

Our excursion turned from shopping to learning pretty quickly as she walked us through several local "markets." We walked along a pedestrian only street that was filled with people. She said Guangzhou has a mere 16 million. The street was lined with clothing stores. We turned down a side street and entered the "pet market." This consisted of a whole section of vendors selling cats and dogs in crates. Then we entered the "herbal medicine market." We saw all sorts of things but the worst was the bins of creepy-crawly scorpions. I still have creepy-crawly skin just thinking about it. Next, we visited the "food market." Shoppers could buy fruits, vegetables, and meat. We saw a lot of fish and black-skinned chicken which is used for soup. Our senses were on overload with all of the unusual smells. She said it is common for younger people to shop at Walmart but people her parents' age prefer to shop at the local markets.

We opted for McDonalds for dinner and also enjoyed some ice cream. Our two extra value meals and happy meal were less than $10 USD. As soon as we got back to our room, Lixia thought we needed to eat again so we headed upstairs for a nightcap of shrimp.