Satani Bat Bi: Getting around Guangzhou

Moving to a new city can be overwhelming, and the first thing to do to tackle that feeling for me? Dive right in. I love figuring out the transportation system (maps, how much is the fare, how do I add more value to the bus card, etc.), getting myself oriented compass-style (the mountains are to the east, that tall building is to the west, etc.), learning where the grocery store is (the 'nice' grocery store, the fruit market, the local bakery, the convenient 24 hr shop, etc.), and all the little pieces in between.

The Canton Tower helps with orientation:

Walking around the city on foot (and having a working Google Maps app on my phone!) is a great way to explore.  Guangzhou has surprised me a number of ways.  Having never been to China before, I expected incredibly crowded, narrow sidewalks.  Wrong.  Not only in our area, but in all the other parts of G'zhou I've been to thus far, the sidewalks are wide and usually shaded by leafy trees and lined with manicured greenery and flowers.  

Here's a view of the apartment complex we're staying at:

And the walk to the closest bus stop:

There are some crosswalks, but it is much more common to have an overpass or underpass for foot traffic.  This is a great way to reduce pedestrian/car accidents, and it's some good exercise to be going up and down all those sets of stairs.  It is not ADA friendly however, and I have been looking around to see what other options exist for those who would be in wheelchairs, on crutches, etc.  Hmmm.  

Here are some photos of the walk-overs: 

I am a big fan of Guangzhou's subway system.  It's incredibly clean (like DC's system, there's a no eating/drinking policy when in the system), everything is in both Cantonese and English (the written signs, the announcements for which stop is next, the maps, etc.), there are safety doors between the station and the trains to double protect from people falling on tracks (I saw this in London for a few stations when I studied abroad in Glasgow, such a smart idea when building new systems), AND there are light-up maps above the doors on the trains to show you which stop you are currently at and which stop is next - just in case you didn't catch the announcements.  

Bi-lingual signage:

The light-up route map:

A shot down the carriage-way:

It's very user friendly and it's really opened up the city for me to explore.  There are seven color-coded lines that wind all around the area.

Metro map, again bi-lingual:

Every station has several different entrances from the street - at least two but sometimes up to TEN!  When you arrive at a station and you don't know which exit to take, there is a sign listing all the exits, each labeled with a letter (starting at A).  Then the sign describes what is near each exit.  So, let's say you know you want to go to the Xianjiang Safari Park - you check the sign, and use exit E!

Very helpful exit signs - where should I go?

The station is *glistening* it's so clean!

I leave you with this sun-setting shot: