The durian aka as stinky fruit
Day 9 started with a challenge. Some of you may be familiar with durian (in this article I posted a picture of some durians with their shell :D), also known as the stinky fruit, and it's no secret that many people have a problem with this fruit. I have to admit, when I was younger I couldn't stand the smell of the fruit either. But now this fruit was lying in front of us, freshly cut open. It smelled, but not as bad as I knew it from home. So I took a chance and tried it and, lo and behold, it was good. In my opinion, a fresh durian doesn't stink. Nevertheless, the smell of the durian was unpleasant for my colleagues and I can't remember if anyone else had tried it. As there were still some leftovers of the fruit, our Chinese partners packed them up and took them on the bus until the German participants could no longer stand the stench/smell, and so we gave the leftovers away. But if you ever get the chance to try a fresh durian, you should definitely take it. A fresh durian can be very tasty!
A short river trip
Before we finally went back to Guangzhou, we took a boat along the river. The wheelchair was no obstacle at all, as there were ramps that made it easy to get onto the boat. The only problem was getting inside the boat, as there were a few steps. So I mainly just stayed at the front of the boat, from where I also had a great view of the river and the landscape. In general, a wheelchair user can get almost anywhere with the help of ramps. It was just perfect, the weather was hot and the boat trip was super refreshing and a good way to say goodbye to the village. And as it was already lunchtime, we went to the well-known restaurant for lunch and rice wine =) I still don't understand why the dishes were always wrapped in plastic.
A relaxed afternoon
We arrived back in Guangzhou in the afternoon and everyone had the afternoon to themselves. Having rested up, we set off again in search of a suitable place for dinner. Like every evening, we had no idea where to eat and just wandered around until we found a suitable place. This time we found a restaurant near the river, which probably explains the high prices. But the cocktails were really tasty and you couldn't complain about the view. We ate at "Lucy's Bar and Restaurant". And for those who don't know - tipping in China is considered rude. Even the business card said "NO TIPS WANTED". As it was still quite early when we finished dinner, we continued to stroll around the area. Under a bridge, we came across a group of women all wearing the same clothes. They had set up a projector and were watching dance videos that they were dancing to. At another place near our hotel, but still by the river, we could see the younger generation dancing hip hop. There is still plenty to discover along the river in Guangzhou in the evening!
Three things I learned today:
1) If the durian is fresh, the smell won’t be strong
2) Boats can also be accessed with a wheelchair
3) Do not tip in China
