5 days in Guangzhou (广州5日游) 9

广州5日游, 5 days guided Tour in Guangzhou (8 Sep 2011 – 14 Sep 2011)

白水寨瀑布 / Mount Baishui Waterfall

基于消费和时间的考虑, 第二天 (10/09/2011)早上我们14人都在旅店餐厅用早餐. 旅店餐厅的早餐是包含在旅费里, 是已经付过费了, 不去吃是一项浪费, 出外吃又要付钱. 再说, 我们要在0800hrs退房, 0830hrs出发第二天旅程, 出外吃早餐会很匆忙.

Cost and time considerations, we took breakfast at the hotel restaurant which had been paid for included in the tour package, and it would be unnecessary spend money to go out for breakfast. And we were told to checkout at 0800hrs and leaving the hotel at 0830hrs. It would be rush to eat outside.

通常旅行社供应给旅客每天一瓶矿泉水以表示欢迎和使旅客开心. 昨天我们的导游没有分发矿泉水, 今天也没有, 接下来的三天也没有, 全程5天都没有, 一瓶矿泉水大约人民币5元, 这样, 导游为旅行社一共节省了人民币350元 .

Usually the travel company supply a bottle of mineral water to tourists daily when they board the coach as a token of welcome on board. However, our tour guide did not do so throughout the entire 5 days, she had saved some RMB350 yuan  for her company, that was the cost RMB 5 yuan for a bottle of mineral water for 5 days for 14 person.

第二天广州5日游的第一处观光行程是白水寨风景名胜区: 这里一共建了9999梯级登山步径. 最高处是海拔1088米.

The first tourist attraction for the 2nd day in Guangzhou was the Mount Baishui Waterfall: the highest point is 1088 meters above sea level, and there had built 9999 steps mountaineering trails.

到了白水寨山脚入口处, 导游提议我们搭电动观光车, 上山到1299梯级处, 从那里登山. 我们搭电动观光车, 来回每人收费人民币20元. 我们在1299梯级处步行登山, 一小时登山路程, 步行在瀑布边, 感受到大自然风光和清新的空气.

The coach brought us to the foot of Mount Baishui Waterfall where the entrance was. The tour guide suggested that we take the electric sightseeing car, go up the mountain to the 1299 steps,  and to start our climbing from there. We paid RMB 20 yuan per person for the electric sightseeing car which took us up and later took us back to the entrance. We walked up the mountain from 1299 steps, and we were given only one hour. We walked alongside the waterfall, and we had enjoyed the natural scenery and the fresh air.

我们都是乐龄人士, 计算好回程时间, 我们只能上到2199梯级处, 就得回程回到1299梯级处, 坐电动观光车, 回到白水寨山脚入口处. 这是一场好健康的攀山活动.

We were senior citizens, climbing up slowly, calculated carefully the time required for return trip. We managed to arrive at 2199 steps from there we started to return trip back to 1299 steps, and took the electric sightseeing car, back to the foot of Mount Baishui Waterfall, the entrance. It was a good mountain climbing exercise.

5 days in Guangzhou (广州5日游) 8

广州5日游, 5 days guided Tour in Guangzhou (8 Sep 2011 – 14 Sep 2011)

第1天结束 / End of Day 1

早上出发前我们向导游反馈说旅店的早餐水平差强人意,  导游要我们提出实例来说明.

我就举例说明: 鸡蛋只有一款, 水煮熟蛋, 没有厨师值班为顾客当场准备煎蛋或洋葱煎蛋. 中式早餐没有豆浆, 西式早餐没有熏肉(bacon), 不设沙律柜台. 水果只有香蕉一款. 炒馃条和面类, 还炒得不错, 可是, 没有保温, 食物冷冰冰的.

In the morning before departure, some of us feedback to the tour guide that the breakfast provided by the hotel was unsatisfactory. The guide wanted some specific illustration.

I gave the specific illustration: only hard boiled eggs were prepared, no chef on duty for customers to prepare omelette or to fry eggs with onions, the Chinese-style breakfast without soyabean, the Western-style breakfast without bacon, salad bar was not available, only banana for fruit, the fried noodle was good, but it was cold, they did not keep food steam warm.

结束夜游珠江, 我们乘旅游巴士回到旅店, 在广州市, 我们在这间四星级酒店住两个晚上. 回到酒店, 在酒店大堂, 遇见酒店经理, 导游要表现她是一位负责任的导游, 马上把握机会, 大声的对酒店经理说, “新加坡客人对你们的早餐不满意.”说完叫我和这位酒店经理重复我的反馈. 我把早上的话再对酒店经理重复一遍. 我和酒店经理都感到很尴尬.

At the end of the Pearl River night cruise, we traveled by coach returned to the hotel in Guangzhou City, in which we stayed for two nights. At the hotel lobby, we met the hotel manager, the tour guide wanted to show us (wayang) that she was a responsible tour guide, and immediately seize the opportunity, loudly said to the hotel manager, "The Singapore guests are not satisfied with your hotel breakfast." She then passed over to me, asked me to repeat my feedback. I repeated all the comments I had said in the morning. Both the hotel manager and I were felt embarrassed.

好像大家都不满意旅店的早餐, 于是Joyce提议明天出外用早餐. 尝尝广州市菜市场的早餐. 但是没有人表示同意, 因为旅店既然有早餐, 何必出外破费. 我也反对出外用早餐, 我不好意思说反对. 我很婉转的说明天退房时间是0800hrs, 出发时间是0830hrs. 如果要出外用早餐, 我们得要在0700hrs出去. 会很匆忙赶回来.

It seem everybody was not satisfied with the hotel's breakfast, hence, Joyce suggested to go out for breakfast next morning and to try the local food in Guangzhou. However, no one responses since breakfast was provided and why spend unnecessary money to go out for breakfast. I said that we have to check-out at 0800hrs and leaving Guangzhou at 0830hrs, and it would be very rush if we were to go out for breakfast.  

5 days in Guangzhou (广州5日游) 7

广州5日游, 5 days guided Tour in Guangzhou (8 Sep 2011 – 14 Sep 2011)

夜游珠江 / Pearl River night cruise

在广州北京路步行街自由活动一小时后, 登上旅游巴士，先去吃晚餐 - 八菜一汤. 之后是自愿参加和自费的夜游珠江. 导游收取每人人民币120元帮我们买船票.

After one hour free and easy walk at Guangzhou Beijing Road Pedestrian Street, we boarded the coach and processed for dinner – 8 dishes and 1 soup. Then was the optional event, on our own expense for the night cruise on Pearl River. The tour guide collected RMB 120 yuan per person to purchase tickets for us.

今晚不是中秋节, 是农历八月十二日, 不是人山人海, 但是也排长龙登上游船. 导游把船票分给我们, 人手一张船票, 我们和广州民众一起排队登上游船. 可惜,  旅行社集体购买的船票没有注明价钱. 我和一起排队的广州民众搭讪. 他们的船票是有注明价钱, 人民币106元, 他们说包含自助餐的价格.

It was 12 day of eight moon of the lunar calendar, three nights before the Mid-Autumn Festival, it was long queue to board the cruise. Our tour guide distributed us the tickets, unfortunately,  the collective purchased tickets by the travel agency did not indicate its cost on the tickets. As we were lining up with the people of Guangzhou, I started a conversation with them and I noticed that their tickets had stated the price, RMB106 yuan. They said that the price was included a buffet dinner on board the cruise.

登上游船后, 我们被带引到没有自助餐的甲板. 我们和两对年轻男女搭讪, 发现他们的船票是人民币48元, 没有包含自助餐的价格.

After boarding the cruise, we were directed to a deck without buffet. There were two young couples (2 ladies and 2 guys) with us. When started a conversation with them, we found out that their tickets were RMB 48 yuan, the price does not include buffet.

农历八月十二日, 天上一轮明月, 坐在游船上, 欣赏珠江两岸景色, 有新建筑的亚洲运动会主要的运动场, 广州电视台广播塔 - 小蛮腰. 最难忘的是那两对年轻男女和我们一起, 请我们吃月饼赏月. 分享新加坡和广州两地的人文知识. 好愉快的夜游珠江.

A full moon above the sky and we were enjoying the Pearl River scenery as the cruise moved slowly. We admired the Asian Games Stadium and the Guangzhou TV broadcast towers. The most memorable was that the two young couples invited us to have moon cake with them. We exchanged and shared culture of Singapore and Guangzhou among us. Indeed, it was an enjoyable night at Pearl River.

5 days in Guangzhou (广州5日游) 6

广州5日游, 5 days guided Tour in Guangzhou (8 Sep 2011 – 14 Sep 2011)

广州北京路步行街 / Guangzhou, Beijing Road Pedestrian Street.

参观了四季果园, 登上旅游巴士，去广州北京路步行街之前, 导游征求意见, 问我们晚上是否要夜游珠江. 这个项目是自费的, 每名团员收费买票人民币150元.

After visiting the orchard, before going to the Guangzhou, Beijing Road Pedestrian Street, on board the coach, the tour guide asked if we would like to participate the optional event of Pearl River night cruise. It would be RMB150 yuan per person. 

Wang Khim问导游, “在行程表上注明夜游珠江收费是每名团员收费买票人民币100元. 为什么你收人民币150元?”

Wang Khim asked the tour guide, “on the schedule specified that the Pearl River night cruise fee for a ticket is RMB 100 yuan per person. Why you charge us RMB150 yuan per member.  ”

导游很老练的回答: “现在是中秋节假期, 船票价增加了.”

The tour guide replied calmly with experience model answer, "Now is the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, the cruise ticket price has been increased."

最后, 导游不必有什么行动, 比如打手机询问等等, 她自行决定, 每名团员收费买票只收人民币120元. 我很迷惑.

Finally, the tour guide no further action or whatsoever, she did not make a call using her hand phone to check the price of a ticket, and she just decided on her own that each person would pay RMB 120 yuan for a ticket. I was suspicious.

下一观光地点是广州北京路步行街, 那里是广州有史以来最繁华的商业中心区, 是个千年古道遗址.

Next we came to the Beijing Road at Guangzhou. It was ever the central business district in the past millennium – an ancient central business site.

在广州北京路步行街, 我收到一张旅游广告单张, 上面介绍夜游珠江, 船票是每人人民币30元,

At Beijing Road Pedestrian Street, someone distributed me a tourism advertising leaflets, in which I read that a Pearl River night cruise ticket is cost RMB 30 yuan per person.