The path west continued over the hills and past rural settlements
until reaching Guangzhou. Guangzhou, known historically as Canton
(from the Canton Trade Fair), was the capital and largest city in
Guangdong province. Situated along the Pearl River, the town had a
pretty setting. It is the third largest city in China with a population of
19 million.
It took forever to cycle to the hostel. I stuck to the Inner Ring Road
like glue, hoping the road would eventually spit me out close to the
hostel. On reaching the intersection which turned off from the Ring
Road to cross the river, I didn't find a bridge as expected. Still, a ferry
took people and bicycles across at a Yuan. I followed suit and
uncovered the ferry dock on the opposite side, right at the hostel
door. How lucky was that? The hostel had a pretty setting on the
Pearl River, the third-longest river in China, measuring more than
2,000 kilometres.
While unpacking, the weather came in, and I considered it a luxury
curling up under a fluffy duvet.
I went from shorts and T-shirt to all bundled up overnight. The cold
front brought freezing weather, howling wind and bucketing rain.
Happy as the proverbial pig, I watched the dreadful weather through
the window.
With time on my hands, I took the plunge and ordered a Garmin GPS,
which meant staying in Guangdong for a few days until it arrived. The
delivery time was a mystery, but the weather was miserable and
waiting was not a big deal.