Guangzhou 2009: Day 9

Today I shopped Guangzhou’s famous watch market.  Why is it famous?  Because you can buy a “Rolex” for 100 RMB or approximately 14 USD.  Of course, you must engage in a silly drawn out negotiation as the watch purveyors go on and on about “quality.”  I’m sure, even at 14 dollars, I probably overpaid but they basically beat you into submission with overexaggerated gestures and unintelligible rebuttals.  Furthermore, the location of this market is directly adjacent to a large bus/train station.  I did not understand the gravity of scheduling a trip to China so close to Chinese New Year.  The sea of Chinese fleeing the city for the upcoming weeklong holiday is utterly amazing and can’t be appreciated in pictures.  Think Christmas on steroids in a country of over a billion people.  On top of that we made the mistake of leaving the watch market during rush hour.  Long lines to purchase subway tickets, no personal space in subway cars, and over an hour wait for an available taxi.  Guangzhou makes Chicago feel like Grand Forks, North Dakota.