Monday... Breakfast at 7 at the hotel was our first Chinese meal - fried rice, some sort of jelly filled dumpling, rice soup, hard boiled eggs - some other things I wasn't willing to venture. We has some difficulty figuring out whether we'd paid in advance, but eventually determined we had not - so paid about $3 per.
Drove to Hangzhou - about 12 mi SW of Shanghai - going from a city of about 23 million people to another city of about 8 m. 2 hours - landscape flat - either taken up by housing or agriculture - rice farming or other things. As we get near Hangzhou the housed are very pretty brick with ornate tile roofs and high tech lightning rods.
As we cross Hangzhou, it takes another hour because traffic is slow/crazy/scary. It is kind of like an odd dance - cars inches away from each other / cutting in front of each other. If there is a break in oncoming traffic at all many cars will dive across a double yellow (all rules are only suggestions) to make ground and then cut back in. The driver and guide and others seem to be very confident nothing will happen as no one is wearing seat belts.
I agree with Carolyn, our guide, Lemon (a choice of name that has a back story) is very good - she is suggesting changes to our itinerary that she thinks we will enjoy more - some add modest cost but we take her suggestions.
We arrive at a 1100 year old pagoda overlooking West Lake - which we get out to climb. The lake is surrounded by steep hills - all very beautiful. The inside of the pagoda has very steep stairs - its warm and humid but overcast - so comfortable.
We drive to a park on the lake where we get out to walk out on a causeway which crosses the lake. Lots and lots of Chinese tourists here. We go from creating a curiosity to a spectacle and back again as people alternately stare at Allie, Jenna and Emmi, or take pics, or stop us and ask us to take pics with their children.
The lake has a backstory /legend - sort of a Romeo and Juliet thing except R/J end up as butterflies instead of dead. I am not able to catch all of it as there is a steady flow of info from Lemon about the city, the lake and the story. Her English, while excellent, is still accented.
We go out to an island by boat - there are 3 stone statues in the water - and then gardens on the island which are again very beautiful - and a place where you can view / feed the fish (gold coy). We return again by boat - creating a scene pretty much everywhere we go.
After walking out of the park we drive to a late lunch - about 2 pm - a place whose name translates to Red Clay - and part is served in terracotta. Some of it is their local specialty - and Lemo orders for us as we tell her our preferences. We have a privat glassed in room (which all rooms are). There are many dishes on a glass lazy susan - the centers are Szechuan chicken with tofu and a kind of pork ribs / corn. And dim sam - kind of a funnel cake wraped in a fried shell. All is wonderful / very fun. I'm glad we have a guide to order for us - she knows the specialties and recommends well.
drive up into the hills - where they grow tea. We stop at a tea plantation where they speak English. The tour is much like much like a Napa wine tasting experience - our guide is warm, friendly and has excellent E0nglish. She takes us through the making of tea and then a tasting and opportunity to buy - which we do a small amount. The countryside and the buildings themselves are all beautiful - this is a charmed experience.
We start back tired - but have the 3 hour drive - traffic in Hangzhou is still bad - but we're tired so it's not so entertaining this time. VW, Audi, GM (Buick & Chevy), Toyota, BMW, Mercedes and Hyundai/Kia all have a big presence in China. We are in a weathy area so you see an occasional Porsche. Interesting.
We return to Shanghai tired and crash without dinner. So Monday is over. I think I will post this and then put the pics in separately so lose what I've typed - getting tired again.
Thank you Jesus for a fun and safe day,
D