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Guangzhou 广州 2009

Unexpected stay at Guangzhou after a late connecting flght....
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  • 20090831_3117 Fresh produce markets as seen from my hotel window. 

Due to a very late flight from Chengdu to Guangzhou, a mistake at the ticketing department at Guangzhou and my inability to communicate my predicament, I was unexpectedly stuck in Guangzhou for a few days, waiting for the next flight to Australia. They put me up in a hotel, which fortunately was right next to fruit market stalls (open from 7 a.m. to approx 11 p.m.)

    20090831_3117 Fresh produce markets as seen from my hotel window. Due to a very late flight from Chengdu to Guangzhou, a mistake at the ticketing department at Guangzhou and my inability to communicate my predicament, I was unexpectedly stuck in Guangzhou for a few days, waiting for the next flight to Australia. They put me up in a hotel, which fortunately was right next to fruit market stalls (open from 7 a.m. to approx 11 p.m.)

  • 20090831_3118 Directly below my hotel window

    20090831_3118 Directly below my hotel window

  • 20090831_874 Fruit market around the corner (behind) the hotel.

    20090831_874 Fruit market around the corner (behind) the hotel.

  • 20090831_876 The 'permanent' wet market close to the hotel. I don't suppose they were selling those turtles as pets...though one of those turtle was as big as a dinner plate.

    20090831_876 The 'permanent' wet market close to the hotel. I don't suppose they were selling those turtles as pets...though one of those turtle was as big as a dinner plate.

  • 20090831_877 The undercover market next to the hotel. The total size of the fresh produce market within two hundred metres of my hotel was about equivalent to Victoria Market in Melbourne.

    20090831_877 The undercover market next to the hotel. The total size of the fresh produce market within two hundred metres of my hotel was about equivalent to Victoria Market in Melbourne.

  • 20090831_880 Fruit sellers in Guangzhou are very keen and competitive. Just walking by, many will call out, in Cantonese, about the freshness etc. of their product. Many, but not all, advertise at least some prices in front of their produce. Unfortunately, they all use old-fashioned scales and balances, rather than electronic balances. Overall, fruit prices here were cheaper than in Xi'an, Chengdu or Kunming. Quite often, fruit of different ages but of the same type were sold at different prices e.g. 1.0, 1.2 and 1.5 RMB per jin (pound) for bananas.

    20090831_880 Fruit sellers in Guangzhou are very keen and competitive. Just walking by, many will call out, in Cantonese, about the freshness etc. of their product. Many, but not all, advertise at least some prices in front of their produce. Unfortunately, they all use old-fashioned scales and balances, rather than electronic balances. Overall, fruit prices here were cheaper than in Xi'an, Chengdu or Kunming. Quite often, fruit of different ages but of the same type were sold at different prices e.g. 1.0, 1.2 and 1.5 RMB per jin (pound) for bananas.

  • 20090901_3125 ornamental lake and pavilion at Guangzhou (South China) botanical gardens 华南植物园.
 Tree : cinnamonum camphora (Linn.) Presl

    20090901_3125 ornamental lake and pavilion at Guangzhou (South China) botanical gardens 华南植物园. Tree : cinnamonum camphora (Linn.) Presl

  • 20090901_3126 hibiscus at Guangzhou Botanical Gardens

    20090901_3126 hibiscus at Guangzhou Botanical Gardens

  • 20090901_3128 overlooking the main lake at Guangzhou Botanical Gardens.

Maybe I was fortunate that there was a bit of blue sky in Guangdong province!

    20090901_3128 overlooking the main lake at Guangzhou Botanical Gardens. Maybe I was fortunate that there was a bit of blue sky in Guangdong province!

  • 20090901_3129 palm forest at Guangzhou Botanical Gardens

    20090901_3129 palm forest at Guangzhou Botanical Gardens

  • 20090901_3132

    20090901_3132

  • 20090901_3135 Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.

    20090901_3135 Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.

  • 20090901_3140

    20090901_3140

  • 20090901_3141

    20090901_3141

  • 20090901_3142 tillandsia

    20090901_3142 tillandsia

  • 20090901_3145

    20090901_3145

  • 20090901_3148 pond at the orchid house. Guangzhou botanical gardens.

    20090901_3148 pond at the orchid house. Guangzhou botanical gardens.

  • 20090901_3160 orchid

    20090901_3160 orchid

  • 20090901_3161 Guangzhou botanical gardens. Orchid house

    20090901_3161 Guangzhou botanical gardens. Orchid house

  • 20090901_3162 Guangzhou botanical gardens, orchid house

    20090901_3162 Guangzhou botanical gardens, orchid house

  • 20090901_3163 Orchid house. Guangzhou Botanical Gardens

    20090901_3163 Orchid house. Guangzhou Botanical Gardens

  • 20090901_3165 bonsai, auditioning for  a starring role in 'Day of the Triffids'. Part of the bonsai collection next to the orchid garden. Guangzhou Botanical Gardens.

    20090901_3165 bonsai, auditioning for a starring role in 'Day of the Triffids'. Part of the bonsai collection next to the orchid garden. Guangzhou Botanical Gardens.

  • 20090901_3167

    20090901_3167

  • 20090901_3169 Two of the enclosures. The one in front is the exotic/rare plant enclosure. It is surrounded by buried aquatic plant exhibits (each in individual tanks). Lots of lotus in the pond between these two enclosures, but ALMOST NONE were in flower... :(

    20090901_3169 Two of the enclosures. The one in front is the exotic/rare plant enclosure. It is surrounded by buried aquatic plant exhibits (each in individual tanks). Lots of lotus in the pond between these two enclosures, but ALMOST NONE were in flower... :(

  • 20090901_3171 lotus at Guangzhou Botanical Gardens. next to the central enclosure. There were several lakes filled with lotus at the Botanical Gardens. The peak season for lotus in Guangzhou is apparantly June, rather than September!

    20090901_3171 lotus at Guangzhou Botanical Gardens. next to the central enclosure. There were several lakes filled with lotus at the Botanical Gardens. The peak season for lotus in Guangzhou is apparantly June, rather than September!

  • 20090901_3173 desert plants outside the enclosures

    20090901_3173 desert plants outside the enclosures

  • 20090901_3175 water lilies

    20090901_3175 water lilies

  • 20090901_3179 water lily

    20090901_3179 water lily

  • 20090901_3180 Inside the main enclosure (tropical rainforest)

    20090901_3180 Inside the main enclosure (tropical rainforest)

  • 20090901_3181 orchid inside the main enclosure

    20090901_3181 orchid inside the main enclosure

  • 20090901_3182

    20090901_3182

  • 20090901_3187 alpine house flowers

    20090901_3187 alpine house flowers

  • 20090901_3191 flowers inside the alpine house

    20090901_3191 flowers inside the alpine house

  • 20090901_3193 desert house, Guangzhou (South China) Botanical Gardens 华南植物园

    20090901_3193 desert house, Guangzhou (South China) Botanical Gardens 华南植物园

  • 20090901_3194

    20090901_3194

  • 20090901_3195

    20090901_3195

  • 20090901_3197 'couple trees' inside the main enclosure

    20090901_3197 'couple trees' inside the main enclosure

  • 20090901_3198 Inside the 'rare and exotic plant' enclosure

    20090901_3198 Inside the 'rare and exotic plant' enclosure

  • 20090901_3199

    20090901_3199

  • 20090901_885 Guangzhou (South China) Botanical Garden entrance. Having been stuck at Guangzhou airport for two days waiting for the next available flight to Melbourne, I decided to take the 26 km taxi-ride to the Guangzhou Botanical Gardens.

    20090901_885 Guangzhou (South China) Botanical Garden entrance. Having been stuck at Guangzhou airport for two days waiting for the next available flight to Melbourne, I decided to take the 26 km taxi-ride to the Guangzhou Botanical Gardens.

  • 20090901_889 Pleasant tree avenues at the Gardens. Normal bicycles were not for hire, I think only employees were allowed to ride inside the park.

    20090901_889 Pleasant tree avenues at the Gardens. Normal bicycles were not for hire, I think only employees were allowed to ride inside the park.

  • 20090901_890 And much older tree-types as well.

    20090901_890 And much older tree-types as well.

  • 20090901_891 This was the 'wilderness' walk, ostensibly for the education of high-school children.

    20090901_891 This was the 'wilderness' walk, ostensibly for the education of high-school children.

  • 20090901_892 With trees tumbling across the unswept pathways and hordes of hungry mosquitoes, it really was a wilderness walk!

    20090901_892 With trees tumbling across the unswept pathways and hordes of hungry mosquitoes, it really was a wilderness walk!

  • 20090901_893 At least some of the bromeliads in the bromeliad house/garden were still in flower.

    20090901_893 At least some of the bromeliads in the bromeliad house/garden were still in flower.

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    20090831_3117 Fresh produce markets as seen from my hotel window. 

Due to a very late flight from Chengdu to Guangzhou, a mistake at the ticketing department at Guangzhou and my inability to communicate my predicament, I was unexpectedly stuck in Guangzhou for a few days, waiting for the next flight to Australia. They put me up in a hotel, which fortunately was right next to fruit market stalls (open from 7 a.m. to approx 11 p.m.)
    20090831_3118 Directly below my hotel window