Thursday 7 August 2014

Guangzhou Budget Trip Day 1

So hubby and I went to Guangzhou for 4 days and 3 nights.

It was pretty crazy because we do not know what to expect and we barely studied the place.

Day 1

We were at Nanning at first because I had a training session there. We googled hotels in Guangzhou that's convenient to take public transportation and clean. We choose hotels based on reviews and the testimonies are rightly reliable and we got the best hotel in Guangzhou! That is Bauhinia Hotel. Got it through Agoda for about RM120/night but no window. Clean, modern and comfy. More than enough for us. The best thing is the strategic location, just 2 blocks from Onelink Plaza.

Clockwise: The bed and the "window", curtain hiding the otherwise see through bathroom, TV and desk, and the bathroom

Onelink Plaza is a shopping mall full with home decorations, souvenirs and cute items. I went on highest excited mode soonest I saw the prices, so freaking cheap! I couldn't believe my eyes. Till this day, I am not able to shop in Malaysia because of this. A necklace normally RM15 in Malaysia costs RM2 in Onelink Plaza. I could never buy anything ever again. The price difference totally messed up my mind.

On our arrival day, we went to Onelink Plaza and we just couldn't get enough from that place. From cushions, table lamps, mirror furniture to solar powerbanks, fancy gadgets and so many interesting items. Ordinary items made appealing because of its price and creativity. I wish I had tons of money back then.

The famous Onelink Plaza, heaven for home decorations, souvenirs and cute items
When we finally got out from this place, we came across Uighur Muslim selling fresh juice and grilled lamb just around the corner of Bauhinia Hotel. The lamb skewer was pretty popular and comments from the internet said that the lamb skewer is a must try. Knowing I rarely eat red meat and hubby loves lamb, we ordered 10 sticks, that was about RM2 each, plus a bread.

Our dinner that night
And yes, the lamb skewer tasted so good and it was my second time I consume lamb in my whole life. I definitely ate a lot. Hubby just laughed and teased all the way because of that. We should have bought more. Then we were thinking what was the spice mix the Uighur boy sprinkled just before he wrap for takeaway. I found out the name is Xinjiang Chili Lamb Skewer and the recipe is available in the internet. The secret ingredient are the cumin and Szechuan peppercorn. One day I'll try to make it.

Bauhinia Hotel provided free wifi and we chat with family members all night taking orders like China silk, Cheongsam and fabric. Also we updated them of what China was like. Guangzhou, among other things that I noticed were, the transportation system was great and the crowd really was huge.

End of Day 1