When you travel with a toddler, a camera, and zero sleep… you don’t just make memories, you survive them. 😂 Our first full day in Shenzhen was exactly that: beautifully chaotic. And yep, this was the start of our big mission to attend the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, but first, food, trains, and more food. 🫠
Touchdown: Hello Shenzhen! Ni hao! 🇨🇳
We finally landed at Shenzhen Airport! Woohoo! And of course, Nacha in vlogging mode, with her stroller and all, giving full-on Gen Alpha tour guide vibes like, “Guys, we’re here in China. We’re going to eat.” 👶🏼🎥
So the plan was simple: wake up at 5:00 AM, catch the high-speed rail to Guangzhou at 7:16 AM, attend the Canton Fair. Simple, diba? Until you realize we had to do it all while half-awake, baby in tow, and running purely on adrenaline and leftover chicken nuggets. 😅
We had to rush to the high-speed rail terminal, 30 minutes of stress, escalators, and whispered prayers hoping we wouldn’t miss the train. I know you’ll do the same.
Food Hunt #1: McDonald’s by Necessity, Not by Choice 🍔
We tried to eat at a local restaurant, but the WiFi situation got messy. Apparently, you need a China mobile number just to connect. Stress. After 15 minutes of tech troubleshooting, hunger won. So we walked into McDo like true Filipinos abroad, safe choice, happy tummies. Nacha devoured her chicken, I inhaled my burger, and Tatay was just happy to be seated. Nothing fancy, but food is food. 🤷🏻♀️
Train Station Vibes: Bahaw Breakfast and Bare Faces 🍱
By the time we got to the Futian station (heading to Guangzhou), we were just clinging to whatever energy was left. I had two hours of sleep, and I think I was running on bahaw and willpower. 😂
Good to know that there’s rice. And yes, no makeup, no ligo, no shame. The train won’t care anyway. I even told myself, “Makeup later. For now, let’s survive.”
Let’s talk about reality. I wanted to do my makeup. I tried. But between feeding Nacha, catching a train, and navigating Chinese systems with my WeChat wallet, makeup was the last thing on the list.
High-Speed Train: 500 Petot to Guangzhou 🎫
Booked our tickets on Trip.com, super convenient, and yes, it was only around PHP500 for second-class seats. Tipid tips for my fellow budget moms out there ✨ Inside the train, Nacha was in awe. Me? I was busy looking for coffee, wi-fi, and my lost dignity. 😂
Food Hunt #2: The Great Chopsticks Struggle 🍜
We finally returned to the restaurant we wanted to try last night, now with working internet. Yay! We ordered using our phones, no servers, no menus, just scan, tap, pay. Ang high-tech, grabe.
Then came the food: noodles, century egg, tomatoes, and soup so hot it fogged my soul. Nacha was eager to try chopsticks, so I tried to teach her… even though I didn’t really know how to use them properly either. Haha. Fake it ‘til you drop it. 🥢
Payment Hacks: WeChat FTW 💸
I managed to link my credit card to WeChat and boom, cashless payment achieved! No need to withdraw or exchange money. Super helpful talaga. Our food? Sulit. Masarap and paying the cashier was a flash. ⚡️
Love lots 💜,
Princess Joem “I-know-xie-xie”
Thinking of visiting China too? PHP 24,739 (out DVO) lang you can also visit China. ✨ I’m now offering travel planning services and affordable packages for families and small groups. Message me if you need help booking, budgeting, or planning the ultimate getaway.
