lost or what?

Here is what you see after you exit the Lo Wu checkpoint. It is a lot less chaotic than it used to be. The first time I came here there were police everywhere and hundreds of touts. I did not take any photos inside the border control area, that would be foolish.

Look how quiet it is. That would remain the case throughout the day. Also, very polluted today.

Plenty of creative architecture around, if you like photos of random buildings you will enjoy today's presentation. Lo Wu where I entered is the old part of Shenzhen, so the buildings around here are more China of 1990 style rather the China of now style, but you will see both.

I took out cash, $20 Australian worth. It will be a great challenge (which I failed) to spend it all in a day. I did not setup alipay or wechat, no one takes visa, but everywhere I tried takes cash, one place had no change so I told them not to worry, only for someone to run after me with my change once they found it.

Nice view of the old part of Shenzhen.

China has Lawson. No need to go to Japan. They also changed my 100 Yuan when I bought a bottle of water.

I enjoyed this traffic jam. Most cars and all scooters in Shenzhen are electric.

Coffee shop? I do not know, I was too scared to go down the stairs. So were the ten other people taking a photo.

The Dongmen pedestrian area is undergoing a major revamp, construction everywhere, entire sections were closed. Here is a boring section that was still open.

Abandoned, and probably about to be knocked down.

McDonalds, with Chinese characteristics.

Inside this old looking building is a hipster food street. It was not open yet.

Next I headed into the Mix C mall, in an attempt to spend some Yuan.

I found a great food court, but it was not yet lunch time, what to do...

First I had an expensive watermelon and lemon tea, with chunks of watermelon and lemon and way too much ice. 3 sips and I was done.

Then I enjoyed a global snail. The snail paste inside was divine.

I considered going ice skating, but since my insurance does not cover snow sports, I thought better of it.

A tall building, but not THE tall building, stay tuned.

Next I caught the subway. I have a Shenzhen Tong subway card from many years ago, it expires if you don't use it. I chatted in Chinese with the service centre to get it reactivated and found out I still had almost $20 Australian credit on it, I have no idea why I put so much money on the card on a previous trip. I have enough credit for 10 more day trips.

The Mei Tuan delivery riders are lazing about waiting for a job.

Next I headed into the Coco mall, I think I have been there before, but there are so many malls in Shenzhen I am not completely sure. They have an excellent lego shop with huge re-creations of all the big buildings in Shenzhen.

The inside of the Coco mall is very mall like.

Looks like it is actually called Coco park, and I do think I maybe perhaps have been there before almost certainly.

Ping An tower, the 5th highest building in the world. This did not exist the last time I was here.

Desperate to spend more money, I decided to have a dessert. The milk is coconut milk. The black sesame filled balls are my favourite.

A nearby mall decided to cat theme itself. There were a lot of cats.

Although the one on the right looks more like a dog here? Hmm, maybe it is a cat. This will consume my thoughts now, it is like that dress that is either gold or blue or whatever that was all about.

From the mall area I walked back to Lok Ma Chau checkpoint, enjoying the wide footpaths and lack of people. On the way I passed a very large food truck park, that appears to not be in use.

Behold the checkpoint. Completely non chaotic, no lines to get through immigration. You walk over a bridge across a river, I wanted to take a photo but again thought better of it.

And finally, proof that I had re-entered Hong Kong, the East Rail train waiting to take me back downtown.