Chongqing, December 29th
Trip to China 2019-2020

Chengdu is a tidy orderly city that was a pleasure to visit. Chongqing feels as chaotic as interesting. I see many similarities with Hong Kong. It is packed with tall buildings, surrounded by water and the old and the new mix together in an unpredictable mix.

I have already checked in and leave my backpack, I am free to take the subway and roam light around the city. As I exit the subway station, I see a massive building in the horizon. I start walking in that general direction.

I find myself at the feet of more than half a dozen tall skyscrapers. And, at the street level, there is one of the largest shopping malls I have ever seen. A constant in my trip in China is to see that many shopping malls are half empty. The shopping malls have a lot of activity in some floors meanwhile others remain almost closed. My guess is that as newer places open, the older ones stop growing or even lose some shops. This one is the newest and all shops are open and there is an absurd amount of people shopping around. I decide to buy a fancy belt in one of the fashion shops. I pay with cash again. The cashier takes the money and leaves it in a drawer with just a few notes. I feel out of place paying not able to pay with my phone like everybody else.

Back at the hotel, I am still marveled at its curious set up. There are two towering buildings, both are hotels. By that, I mean that there are several hotels in each one of them. In the lower floor, the lobbies of each brand open to the street. Some lobbies are big and classy, others small and kind of cheap. Everybody takes then the same elevator and stops at the floor of their hotel. My hotel starts at the twelfth floor. I have a pleasant room in floor twenty-seventh. I have a good night of sleep.