The overnight sleeper train didn’t actually bring us all the way back to Hong Kong, it brought us back to Shenzhen, Hong Kong’s sister city of 14 million people just across the border. While still on the sleeper train, when we were about an hour from the border, I approached my colleague Mrs. Auty with the little speech I had been going over and over in my head since I woke up two hours ago.“Mrs. Auty, you know that Annika and I were only issued double-entry visas.”
“Oh and I know how the Chinese government really sticks it to you Americans. What are they charging you Americans, these days?” she asked.
“US$125 each.”
“Ouch. We New Zeelanders only pay a fraction of that.”
“So an hour from now when our group crosses through immigration, Annika and I will only have one entry left on our visas.”
“Tsk. Tsk. So unfortunate.”
“Yes, it just seems such a shame to be passing through a major city like Shenzhen and not be able to see any of it.”
“So what I hear you saying Mr. VanNoord, is that you would like for Ms. Wun and I to take our nineteen students over the border this morning so you and Annika can stay back in China and explore Shenzhen for the afternoon.”
“Oh well . . . since you offered . . . “
“That’s fine. It’s a good idea.”
“Mrs. Auty. . . ”
“Yes, Mr. VanNoord.”
“I am down to my last fifty yuan.”
“You need to borrow some money?”
“I used up all my money paying the locals to let me take their pictures and buying straw hats.”
“Here’s 200 yuan,” she said as she pulled money from her hip pack. “No, you better take 300.”
After our sleeper train pulled into Shenzhen, Mrs. Auty and Ms. Wun lead our nineteen students toward immigration.
Annika and I headed for the Shenzhen subway.
-Jack
No comments:
Post a Comment