China Blog #64
Express post folks! Sorry for any typos and the structure, lol 
, I just scribbled it out between closing eyes! 
This past week I've had issues with being refused in hotels due to no foreigner rules. This happened a lot when I walked through the centre of the country from Mongolia to Vietnam two years ago. However, up until now on this east coast leg, it only happened a couple of times in the last few months. I have heard that hotels have to pay an extra premium to have foreigners stay but I don't really think it's fair. Imagine if that happened in the western world that the Chinese or other foreigners were refused. The R-word would be bandied about, and rightly so. One man suggested that the hotels also don't want the hassle as they don't speak English. I don't really buy that one, perhaps the odd place.
One night I was in the shower and asked to leave saying that they made a mistake. I just refused and closed the door. It was lashing rain outside, what would you have done?. I figured they didn't want to make a scene or get into trouble with the cops and that's why they didn't insist and the security man just banged on my door gingerly. Then they just left me there that night. It's not that the hotels are squalor dollar places and unfit for foreigners. It just seems to be random and when it does happen I'm often told they have special tourist hotels, and no doubt at a tourist rate. A few days ago and after the same hassle I ended up sleeping in a train station which was closed for the night. I just snuck in and found a quiet area. Then I settled down and had a great nights sleep on my air mattress and sleeping bag.
Lately, the roads have improved and I have had nice wide hard shoulders and even some bicycle paths to walk on. Today I walked through Zhuji which calls itself a green city and has a few hundred rainbow lamposts. Something we in the west are told the government tries to discourage rainbow and anything gay. Interesting one that.
March 6th after three refusals in a large city I walked three kilometres further and had a bit of luck when I found one that just took my money and didn't even ask to see my passport. That suited me after my 45-kilometre stint on the road.
This past week I've had issues with being refused in hotels due to no foreigner rules. This happened a lot when I walked through the centre of the country from Mongolia to Vietnam two years ago. However, up until now on this east coast leg, it only happened a couple of times in the last few months. I have heard that hotels have to pay an extra premium to have foreigners stay but I don't really think it's fair. Imagine if that happened in the western world that the Chinese or other foreigners were refused. The R-word would be bandied about, and rightly so. One man suggested that the hotels also don't want the hassle as they don't speak English. I don't really buy that one, perhaps the odd place.
One night I was in the shower and asked to leave saying that they made a mistake. I just refused and closed the door. It was lashing rain outside, what would you have done?. I figured they didn't want to make a scene or get into trouble with the cops and that's why they didn't insist and the security man just banged on my door gingerly. Then they just left me there that night. It's not that the hotels are squalor dollar places and unfit for foreigners. It just seems to be random and when it does happen I'm often told they have special tourist hotels, and no doubt at a tourist rate. A few days ago and after the same hassle I ended up sleeping in a train station which was closed for the night. I just snuck in and found a quiet area. Then I settled down and had a great nights sleep on my air mattress and sleeping bag.
Lately, the roads have improved and I have had nice wide hard shoulders and even some bicycle paths to walk on. Today I walked through Zhuji which calls itself a green city and has a few hundred rainbow lamposts. Something we in the west are told the government tries to discourage rainbow and anything gay. Interesting one that.
March 6th after three refusals in a large city I walked three kilometres further and had a bit of luck when I found one that just took my money and didn't even ask to see my passport. That suited me after my 45-kilometre stint on the road.
I was checking out of the hotel the following
morning I met the owner Mike who speaks decent English. I took him up on
his kind offer of a complimentary rest day and a chance to do my
laundry. The next day I waited for him to get back to the hotel after
his tennis practice and he kindly took me out to lunch before I
departed.
I camped the two following nights so was in
need a shower. One of those nights I stopped in a village and chatted
with the locals in a grocery store. This morning the owner kindly
brought me over some breakfast (see photos)
There was a day when I walked throug a town and a ,burst pipe flooded the main street. I have started to notice the odd electric car hire station which I believe is similar to e-bike rentals. I believe when this concept catches on that a lot of low mileage people won't have a need to own, a car. Instead they will rent as required.
28,410 kilometres walked for 837 road days, and you know what I'm going to say..
Life is precious and early cancer screening saves lives.
There was a day when I walked throug a town and a ,burst pipe flooded the main street. I have started to notice the odd electric car hire station which I believe is similar to e-bike rentals. I believe when this concept catches on that a lot of low mileage people won't have a need to own, a car. Instead they will rent as required.
28,410 kilometres walked for 837 road days, and you know what I'm going to say..
Life is precious and early cancer screening saves lives.
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