No pictures yet agin, wifi is poor
No matter how much planning, and checking by Tony the guide the day before and on the way to the airport, we were delayed at Xi’an airport on our flight to Guilin. The cause is said to be bad weather in the south of China. On the news the night before we see snow falling somewhere and wonder whether this is the cause.
We are waiting in the departure lounge until about half an hour before the flight is due to leave at 12:05. Departure boards show a number of flights marked in red. Then ours is announced as delayed as well, until 14:20. A handwritten banner is placed on the boarding gate, and people start to move toward a couple of airline personnel handing out packets of biscuits and Pepsi cans. No doubt to stem any future compensation claims. It is all good natured though. The revised time comes and goes, and then another announcement changing the departure gate. We board now, and the cabin crew prepare the aircraft for departure. Twenty minutes go by and with no sign of movement, the captain makes an announcement detailing further delays. The cabin crew now serve lunch while we are on the ground. We eventually depart at 15:45.
Arriving at Guilin airport we deplane by stairs to waiting coaches. Past the current apron there is a vast new airport terminal being built. Once through the arrivals hall with our luggage we are met ny our new guide Maggie. On the way to the hotel now past tree lined avenues with many berberis and osmanthus trees. Maggie explains that the city name Guilin means osmanthus gui town lin. The new airport terminal she confirms will be finished in 2019 and will be able to handle international flights, tourist numbers will undoubtedly increase.
We arrive at the hotel much later than anticipated, and rather than having an expected case shuffle and laundry session. There is a quick freshen up and down to the restaurant. We give our room number when asked, and are shown to a table with a reserved sign on it. We sit for a few minutes, then ask for a menu. The young waiter appears hesitant, and fetches another colleague. She explains that we are to have a set menu, much too much for what we want, and we do not have any choice, it has been arranged in advance for us. We debate the point at length. The lady goes away, and returns with a telephone. There is a CITS guide on the other end, this one called Mo. After a minute or two we understand the mix up, the waitress confused the room number and on seeing foreigners assumed us to be the ones for the set dinner. All sorted out we order our food. One beer braised fish, some rice and vegetables. Very tasty indeed but lots of bones. The couple arrived for the set dinner, but as we are now occupying their table there is some frantic activity to clear a table with a pool view like ours. During the meal we ask for more water and beer which the waiter poured a glass of and then took away. He is reluctant, but my fellow traveller does a very good job of changing his mind. He fills our glasses and tries to take the bottles away again. This time my companion grabs the bottles and tells him to leave them where they are. He mumbles something then goes away to tell his boss. We finish the food, water and beer and relax at the table when a group of men appear. One is resplendent in his complementary hotel bath robe, eating an Hagen Dazs ice cream from a tub. They sit down at a large table.
On returning to the room my companion discovers under the bedside table there is a torch, two fire masks and plastic box containing a colourful packet wrapped in cellophane. On closer inspection even though there is only Chinese characters on the box, we deduce that it is a complimentary “something for the weekend sir”. We leave this in situ. The complementary comb, shower cap, toothbrush, vanity pack and mending kit however are consigned to my secret store. There is also an AIDS leaflet in the drawer which remains.