Going through the border between Hong Kong to Shenzhen via Lo Wu is an experience. What is striking is the amount of people. It feels like hundreds if not thousands of people are just walking through the border control point. Most of them are carrying big bags full of goods from Hong Kong for personal use or to be sold in the Mainland.

After going through the border control area, there is the area which I like to call “Crazy town.” It is the same feeling like you are landing in any place where no one speaks English or the language you know. There are lots of private money changers, mobile phone shops selling SIM cards and phones, who’s names I have never heard of. There are a lot of guys waiting to guide you their over priced taxi’s.

After getting out of this area, the city is a lot better. I went over on Monday with some friends for some dinner and a day at the spa. The dinner was a local lamb place run by some Uighur, people from the most western parts of china. The food is great and cheep. We share food with the people behind us.

Going to a spa is a popular thing to do in Shenzhen. I have not been to a full spa but to a massage place. We went to the Queen Spa, popular with foreigners since a few of the people there can speak English. The spa is about 6 floors with saunas, hot tubs, Jacuzzis, steam rooms along with big comfortable chairs for food massages and private rooms for fully body massages. The traditional Chinese massage we had reminded me of a Thai Massage where we are bent and twisted all over the place. There was pain but felt good afterwards. Everyone was asking for tips and they were encouraged. The whole thing cost us about $20-$30 CDN.

We slipped back across the border and home. Shenzhen is a nice place to visit but just getting away from the border area as quickly as possible.