Guangzhou might very well be the crappiest, ugliest city in all of China.
There is no tourism here, no sights to see, nothing to do, per se.
That’s ok though, Guangzhou doesn’t claim to be anything that it’s not.
I grabbed a bus, headed downtown, and began taking in my first views of China.
Not the fanciest place in the world, but then again, I’m really not that fancy either.
I ditched my bag and began scoping the neighborhood and getting a sense of my surroundings.
I guess this is how people transport water on the other side of the planet.
Hanging out one minute, supper the next.
Well, not really.
Although Guangzhou isn’t the most polluted city in China, it’s damn close.
This picture was taken well before sunset, and gives a sense to how dense the smog actually is.
Never once did I ever see the sun, or clouds.
Having pet ducks as a kid, this was a little unnerving.
Lots of random back-alley fish and meat markets to wander into.
Nothing is refrigerated or sanitized so the smell can become a bit overwhelming.
Yep, that’s some sort of black bird.
My friend Alex Bohn decided to join me in China after a few days.
In search of something touristy to do, we found a park that overlooks Guangzhou.
Having badly sprained his ankle the day of his flight, he was confined to this cheap Chinese wheelchair.
Heading up the mountain by electric mini-cart.
The view from the top, overlooking the city on an unusually clear day.
We headed back down and grabbed some street-side hand carved pineapple treats.
And I do mean fresh, like still alive.
Alex scopes out our dinner.
Yummy, chewy sea fungus.
The selection of live animals to choose from was staggering.
These crabs are actually still alive, all tied up to prevent their escape.
Other animals however are already dead and ready to eat.
Next up, Hong Kong.
