The Great China Road Trip

As more Chinese buy personal cars, it becomes eaiser for this emerging class to travel during the May 1 Labor Day holiday. While they are learning to drive, they are beginning to enjoy the age old tradition of the family road trip.

I was invited by my good friend Harry to accompany his family on the 2.5 hour drive from Zhongshan to Shenzhen. Reminicent of all the great road trips I've taken though the US, I accepted the offer without hesitation. Harry has only been driving for 4 months and this trip tested his stamina as well as his confidence behind the wheel. Lucky for him, he had an experienced co-pilot.

This Delta area is so highly developed with joint venture companies and hundreds of factories, that it felt like one huge city. Sprawling cities bleed together in this area and I was at a loss to find where one city ended and the next began. So, there was little variety in our games of 'I Spy.' "Hmm. I spy something big," I said. "A factory?" Harry asked. "Yup. Next one, I spy something bright," I said. "A hotel next to a factory?" Harry said. "Yup. I spy something ...." Interesting, but it got old fast.

Usually, the most important part of the trip is the soundtrack. Harry put on some Chinese songs and one English CD - complete with Celine Dion, Pink and Avril Lavigne - which he said was for me. I would have preferred The Shins or the Grateful Dead, but "Sk8er Boy" and "My Heart Will Go On" seemed to soothe Harry's driving nerves so I demured.

Due to the swelling number of cars and the slow creation of infastructure the traffic was heavy and ruthless. As we rounded the Pearl River Delta in Harry's Nissan we passed toll booth after toll booth and accident after accident. On China's highways, just like its city streets, the lane lines serve only as suggestions. Without checking their blind spots, drivers coast from side to side and jostle for pole position. It was like a slapstick scene where 5 people try to walk though a door at the same time, but get stuck in the process.

With few snags we made it to Shenzhen, the L.A. of China, and to Harry's sister's apartment. It felt good to be on the 'open road,' even if we weren't alone.

Take care ya'll. peace. paul.