Okay, just one more post...

On my last day in China Brad, Xian and I went to Dongmen Market in Shenzhen. It wasn't so much a market as a giant shopping area. Street after street of shops and food stands. Meat on sticks was the popular food of choice. Squid, pork and lamb, grilled in a delicious spicy sauce. Yummy. We wandered around the shopping area for a while, then dug a little deeper into the less-travelled areas and discovered a secluded neighbourhood with a narrow alleys so full of character it felt like Indiana Jones could jump out at any moment. It was the China we all imagine it to be. 

Dongmen Market

Meat stick garbage.

Burning garbage in the street… because he can.

Food market of the beaten track.

This is a photo from a while back. These girls wanted their picture taken with the freaky tall woman!

One more day

Right before I came to China a good friend of mine told me there are two places in the world that will change your life forever - one is South Africa and the other is China. I can't vouch for SA but China… absolutely. It's an incredible country that is full of surprises. It is intense, relaxing, and freeing. 

I am so thankful for Brad and Xian, who have made me feel so welcome in their home, and who even encouraged me to extend my stay. I truly hope to be back some day!

With only one day left, this may well be my final post, so I will sign off with a small mix of photos.

Thanks for reading!

safe travels,

Helena

Xian and I.

I am constantly amazed by bicycle transport here.

Ancient phone booth.

Jeff and Brad, hard at work.

Local Szechuan supply shop.

Cheers!

A real meat market.

My idea of heaven… piles and piles of veggies.

Xian buying clams for part of a delicious feast she cooked up that day. (Yes, I admit, I am spoiled here.)

Birds at the market.

And one bird that has had enough.

Fresh catch

One of my favourite places here in Shekou is the waterfront, where all the fishing boats are. There are always boats unloading fresh catches of fish, eel, crab, squid, prawns, shellfish, and all kinds of sea creatures I've never seen. There is a buzzing energy of people unloading the boats, sorting their catch, and cleaning and moving containers around, combined with the people who are watching closely, looking for the prime catch of the day and no doubt, for a prime price. It's a scene I can't seem to get enough of, and although I stand out like a sore thumb in the crowd, I enjoy the atmosphere so much that I just can't help myself. 

This morning I woke up at a decent hour and decided to go for a walk along the waterfront. I found a nice park where people were flying kites and hanging out with friends and family in the shade of luscious trees. There's a nice boardwalk area, where many people were out for a Sunday family stroll. 

The puttering sound of a boat engine caught my attention, and as I got closer to the waters edge, I noticed the slight traffic of fishing boats making their way to the pier, where they were unloading their morning catch. 

There was a line of vendors under large umbrellas, with their goods in colourful sieves and plastic bins, kept fresh and alive with water hoses  It's fascinating to watch transactions - you chose your fish (or other sea critters,) it's put live and squirming into a dark plastic bag, then gets weighed, in what westerners would consider an antique weigh-scale. It doesn't get any fresher than that!

Unloading the fresh catch as people stand by and watch.

Along the waterfront.

Path through the park.

The park

I love the contrast of greenery against soaring apartment buildings.

Tied up at the pier.

Rafting together.

Weighing it out.

Such a colourful life.

Fathers and sons, fishing off the pier.

The "shipyard" area.