Day Ten: In search of a cellphone

I had been uncertain whether to get a cellphone or not, but decided in order to maintain contact with my fellow delegates it was worth having a look. Ashley, Andrew and I set out on an adventure. We started with the typical Lanzhou breakfast meal -- niú ròu miàn -- which we bought at a different restaurant from the previous time. We took seats outside, but when heavens opened and rain burst forth we took shelter inside.

We took a bus to an electronics market a little further a-field and had to look around for quite a while until we found cellphones (however walkie-talkies are remarkably easy to come by!?) We looked at a few cellphones which were quite flash, but they were equally pricey. At another stall was told the cheapest was 300¥, a little more reasonable for a short-term phone, but I had my eye on another phone. Their attention turned to that phone also, and I was told it was a second hand phone, which they would sell for 150¥! I looked at the phone, and it was indeed small, light, touchscreen and seemed it easy to use so I was sold on it!

At my discovery, Ashley was also keen to scope out second-hand phones. They had no more second-hand phones, but they asked at the stall next to them and, while they didn't have any second-hand phones in the stall, the woman offered to sell her own phone! Ashley tried the phone, the owner removed her SIM card and it was sold, just like that!