Today did not see the best start. Having had a late night I fully expected to sleep through until nine, said time being what I had set for my alarm so as to have a McDonald’s breakfast.
I was woken abruptly by the sound of drilling that surely had to be happening in close proximity. Feeling very woolly-headed, I looked at my watch. Seven sodding twenty!!! This is not just any hotel, it is an expensive one and I do not expect maintenance to take place at such an ungodly hour unless it is critical and urgent. I gave it two minutes and when it didn’t abate, called reception to advised of an impending murder, the method of which would be by the insertion of a Black & Decker up someone’s anus. Just as the aircon seemed to have been turned back on last night after my complaint, so the drilling ceased, although the chap may have finished anyway for all I know.
I went back to sleep, cancelled the alarm when it went off and dozed until nine forty-five. Recalling that McDonald’s change from the breakfast to daytime menu at ten, I hurriedly dressed and went out. The lifts were all busy so I had a wait but got to McD at five to ten. They had already switched to Big Mac mode. No way can I stomach a double cheeseburger just after getting up, so I left, not pleased,
Just to cheer me up further, after my shower when I was dressing my watch strap broke. This was turning into a bonzer day.
Vivian suggested that she come to the hotel at six which suited me fine because I was tired and just knew I would need an afternoon sleep. At noon I went to Century Mart which is next to the hotel. I bought some wine and beer for the room, had my watch strap repaired and came back to the lobby bar, where I sat wondering why on earth I felt so tired.
Eventually I went to bed, forgot to set an alarm and so was woken by Vivian calling me from downstairs at the appointed hour. I still felt exhausted and do now!! “We can walk to Pizza Hut” said she. I expressed concern at this unwarranted assault on my legs but she assured me it was close, even though my better judgement, gained from observing out of taxi windows, said that while it may be close to her it was a trek for me.
And trek it was. If I was tired before, my legs certainly were by the time we arrived. Still, a nice pizza was sure to be presented to me and cure my fatigue. In China Pizza Hut is for special occasions even if in the west it is everyday fare.
This was the absolute dregs of a Pizza Hut. The cold beer was warm and the pizza was overdone and revolting. More than two hundred yuan spent for what essentially was worse than you would have expected in the old days on a British Rail train platform. I really wish we had gone to the curry place again, more expensive but far more enjoyable and given that tomorrow I will be lucky to eat anything beyond breakfast, worth it.
Lo and behold, as if saying goodbye to Vivian wasn’t bad enough (although she and Coco have threatened to come and stay a night or two at my place in the spring festival), Yvonne cancelled Anqing for Monday! That was disappointing as I had really been looking forward to it but yet again her younger sister got in the way. Mum decided they should escort her back to her college before Yvonne came back to Chizhou.
Left with an hotel booking to cancel, a dog in a prepaid cell until Wednesday and an itch to travel, I started sending texts to people I know in an effort to find somewhere - anywhere - to go for a night. Eventually I succeeded with another Vivian, the one who produced my video in college. She has graduated and now lives and works in Hefei so that’s where I shall go. Not only that, I am splashing out on Steve’s old hotel the Hilton. Bugger it, for one night at least I know I will get a proper hotel even if at a cost. I did ask Steve what food the Happy Panda served on Monday nights but he said he closed it before he left due to lack of customers! It was my favourite restaurant in China………..
So tomorrow I head back home for a day and I just know I will be exhausted when I arrive at 2300. The highlight will probably be my first train from here to Hangzhou. It is a bullet train and will do a two hour journey in an hour. Pity the next one isn’t so fast.
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