Each culture has its own idea of a bed. In China, the beds were rock
hard, and, seemingly, the fancier the hotel, the harder the bed. The
bed was so hard that my hip went numb, and I contemplated using
my sleeping mat.
Chaozhou
Early morning, I discovered less expensive accommodation in one of
the alleys. At the fancy Chaozhou, I giggled as the staff didn't know
what to do with a person on a bicycle. The porter looked awkward
(although keen) trying to help pack the bike. Chaozhou is a historical
and cultural city well known for its ancient temples. The remainder of
the day was spent discovering its many attractions.
It felt like I was the main attraction (other than Chaozhou's ancient
temples), which wasn't surprising, considering the lack of Western
tourists. Nonetheless, I braved the crowds and stares and began
investigating old Chaozhou's narrow walkways and temples. My effort
was well rewarded as the buildings date back to the Silk Route days.
Most remarkable was the Guangi Bridge, originally a 12th-century
pontoon bridge. Even though the current bridge was from a much
later era, it remained a pretty sight. In addition, a large section of the
old city wall and its gates remained intact.
Paifang Jie (Street of Arches) offered an abundance of food and thus
the place to head when hungry. Moon cakes were plentiful and
immensely popular, but I still needed to develop a taste for this
delicacy. It was a relief to discover the Western version of Chinese
food or Western-style fortune cookies didn't exist in China.