Wrote this in the Hotel room the first night in Shenzhen

Thursday 6/10/10

Getting off the plane in Hong Kong was easy and uneventful. We got off, walked a ways, down a two story escalator, a 30 second-minute train ride, then back upstairs, then through a health check, (which I think was inactive, we just walked by), immigration, baggage pickup,which took the longest of anything. Then we went through the "nothing to declare" customs (again, just walked by) and out to meet Grandpa!

The airport is just huge! We waited for the van for 10-15 minutes, then we loaded up with three other passengers to head out of Hong Kong.

We drove out to the Hong Kong/Mainland border. Grandpa talked to the one guy who spoke entlish. He's a student at once of the Universities here, studying economics. Grandpa talked to him about the history of China through everything the old folks in Peng's village went through, and the political/ social tension with Taiwan, where some of Sun Yat Sen's KMT Army went.

This student was from a place "even norse" of where we're going in Hunan.

We went through customs into Mainland China, then switched into a different vand after teh border, to near the Sea World, a pig plaza place, lik a giant church street place, with a Ship/Hotel next to it.

We met Peng outside the KFC, then went up to a Thia restaurant and had some dinner. Curry, which was really good and completely different that any I've had, and shrimp and asparagus stir fry, which was really good!

There was a loud band playing lots of different music. A lot of the pop music from home, and some Chinese music and a little Beatles. Peng said the music around here is international.

Then we took a taxi ride (taxis are cheap, only a few bucks for the short ride) to the Hotel here, the Ocean City Hotel. It's owned by a friend/relative of Peng's, so he got half price for our room.

Got a good night's rest, the beds are a little hard though. Guess it's cultural. Grandpa said they're rock hard in some places.