Had another good run this morning on the treadmill.
I walked around a few streets near the hotel that I had not yet explored. Nothing too exciting.
Had to go to Carrefour to look for a bike tire pump so I could fill up my tire.
Exterior of my most hated store
You have to ride escalators inside to get to your level
Of course the bike pumps were all for the strange kind of valve. BUT, there was a girl there speaking in English to one of the employees, so, being the rude American that I am – I interrupted the conversation and told him I bought a bike there last week and have a low tire. He didn’t know what I meant, so the girl tried to mime it for me. He understood and started running around looking for the pump. I apologized to the girl, but she understood why I interrupted their conversation. She was from NY and was buying a bike.
The employee hands me a pump and I tell him no it wont work. So I took him over to the bike I had bought and pointed to the nozzle and then knew. He ran around another 5 minutes and brought one back that would work. I made him show me it work, and it did. It was just a little tricky on getting it on and using it.
Ok, problem solved. I then go and wait 20 minutes to buy it.
AGHHHHH. Worse than Wal-Mart.
Get back to the hotel and immediately go to the bike garage and want to get this done before I get ready for work because I know I will get all hot and nasty.
As soon as I kneel down, the garage attendants come out and try to put their pump on my tire – I mime no it doesn’t work. So they proceed to rip my pump out of my hands and try to use it. I saw the writing on the wall here – they wouldn’t know how it works.
Sure enough, they jammed the pump on there and started pumping… I could hear my tire emptying. I kept trying to take the pump back but “no, no, we”.
This went on for 20 minutes before they tell the security guard to tell me (he spoke a tiny bit of English) “it not work”. I say, “yes, let me do it.”
By this point they had the pump so jammed on, I couldn’t get it off to put it on properly.
Meanwhile, I am kneeling in dirt so now the dirt is mud from my sweat.
They couldn’t get the pump off. They called maintenance to come help. At this point, I knew they were going to either puncture the tire or ruin the valve. I was already late for work, so I tell the somewhat English speaking dude “I be back 1 hour”.
As I was walking back up to the hotel, I passed a maintenance man carrying a screw driver and pliers. I feared what my bike would look like upon my return.
I took a super quick shower and was ready in 20 mins. I go back down. They said – “you buy new one” and handed me the pump. I couldn’t even look at the bike. I left and walked to work.
Upon my return, I went and found the bike. Yep, valve still attached but I knew it was ripped from the tube.
The thought of going back to Carrefour and trying to find a tube – not doing it!
Not to mention taking the tire off, etc.
People were going out to celebrate on of the camera guys birthdays. Not me. I stayed in and did nothing. Enough frustration with the Chinese for one day!
Just some random photos....
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