Hangzhou: Walking Around Xihu

And so I spent the first part of my day with my new friend from HK, who happened to be my roommate at the hostel. Since he only had half a day before he needed to catch a flight to Xiamen, we started out early in the morning, trying to walk as much around Xihu (it was about 15km) as possible. Map:




We walked in a counterclockwise direction, and our first highlight was to revisit the Long Bridge area I was at last night:

Long Bridge was still elegant, but it had a completely different feel to it in the evening. Plus, there were too many people in the area, making it feel slightly more touristy. We walked onwards a bit more before getting some local breakfast noodles and bread for a few RMB. After breakfast, we continued walking for a few more hours, mainly discussing economics, occasionally stopping in our tracks to take pictures of another view of the breathtaking scenery:











As we got near Gushan (孤山), it was getting close to noon and we decided to stop for lunch at Louwailou (樓外樓), one of the most famous restaurants in Hangzhou, known of course for its Hangzhou cuisine:



We ordered Dongpo Rou (東坡肉):



Beggar's Chicken (叫化童雞), which is traditionally baked in a mud:

Our picture in front of the restaurant:



After lunch, we bid each other goodbye and I decided to postpone my walk around Xihu for a tour thru the middle of Xihu guided by an oarsman:

After the tour, I completed my walk around Xihu:

As the sun started to set, ended up running to ensure I completed my circuit and still had time to see the sun set from Leifeng Pagoda. I made it just in time, though my camera batteries were running quite low by then:

Leifeng Pagoda at night:

By then, even with my feet sore and near blistering, I still could not help but walk around the lake at night, just to try to experience the same exhilaration as the night before:

Hangzhou: The Morning After

I couldn't sleep well, but I ended up somehow getting a couple hours of rest towards morning. Yet when I awoke, I was not really tired. It was as if I'm in love again, feeling inspired, getting up early in the morning for something, and relishing the chance to spend the whole day exhausting myself for it as well. Tomorrow, I am sure I will sleep early and soundly for once, and for every day I am here in Hangzhou, I am sure to wake up looking forward to each morning.

Hangzhou: First Night

If you've never heard of Hangzhou (杭州), that's okay, it's probably better that way if you ever go visit. Just do what I did - run around be amazed.

And I knew about Hangzhou, had high expectations. There is a well-known saying in China, "In Heaven there is Paradise, on Earth there is Hangzhou (and Suzhou)." Everyone I had met who had been in Hangzhou highly recommended it, and recommended staying for at least a week, if not a month.

Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang Province, and in its own right a large and thriving city, not a stand-alone tourist resort like Sanya (三亞), nor a nature reserve like Jiuzhaigou (九寨溝). It's hard to believe many real people actually live here, work here, and get to enjoy life here everyday.

I arrived in Hangzhou from Shanghai by train towards the evening. The hundred minute train ride was comfortable, and I managed to befriend the passengers sitting around me, all from Hangzhou:

They gave me suggestions on places to go visit, and we played cards, some Mainland version of the Taiwanese game "Big 2." The time passed quickly, and in no time we reached the train station.

Unlike most other train stations in China, for example:

Beijing (北京):


Shanghai (上海):


and Wuxi (無錫):


Hangzhou's was nice and relaxed:

The atmosphere was laid back, and there weren't people haggling you to buy Hangzhou maps or trying to sell small, catchy toys. In fact, in general, there weren't too many people around hanging out at the train station.

It was around 8pm when I arrived, and the first thing I tried to do is find the Y2 bus, which would take me to the hostel. The hostel was on the southern shore of West Lake, also known as Xihu (西湖), near the Long Bridge (長橋) bus stop, which was also near Leifeng Pagoda (雷鋒塔), one iconic landmark around Xihu and the setting for one of the most famous love stories in Chinese tradition. Unfortunately, apparently bus drivers also know how to enjoy life in Hangzhou, and according to the bus schedule, Y2 had ran its last route hours ago. As a result, I had to grab a taxi to the hostel instead.

The West Lake Youth Hostel was a clean, low-key place with adequate furnishings. I booked a bed in one of the 4-bed dorm rooms for 50 RMB for 3 nights. My roommates were not back yet, and so I decided to go out for a run by myself to explore Xihu. The night was cool but not cold, and as I stepped out to the main road, I realized I didn't have a clue which direction West Lake was in. Certainly I was close, but not close enough to see it in the darkness. I picked a direction, turned to my left, and ran along the well-lit sidewalk. The air was fresh for once! My lungs rejoiced and I ran hard, taking in the natural surroundings, relishing in the slight inclines and declines of the path.

Unfortunately, 25 minutes later, although having enjoyed myself thoroughly, I found myself no closer to Xihu. I was running on Hupao Lu (虎跑路), which roughly translates to "Tiger Running Road", and it seemed to stretch on and on, which made sense, since I imagine tigers probably could run farther than I could. I decided to turn back, and spent another 20+ minutes to get back, running slightly faster than the first leg. I passed by the hostel, but decided to keep going. After all, I wasn't completely exhausted yet (though somewhat tired), and I hadn't seen very much yet.

About one block over was the Long Bridge bus stop, and there was a map. Apparently just ahead, a turn to the left would get me a view of Xihu. I followed the path, breathlessly, not only from the running, but from my growing anticipation which was overtaking me. The path turned from the concrete sidewalk into an exquisite small stone-laid path. I slowed my pace, and suddenly I was there. As the scene unfolded, I couldn't help but stare in amazement (the picture still doesn't quite do the scene justice):


I had finally arrived. Peering beyond the fog and mist was Long Bridge, with its lights reflecting off the waters, the scene warming my heart in the cooling night. It was silent except for the soft whispers of nature. I had not expected this, not this magical, not this romantic, even though perhaps I should have. It was as if I had ran blindly into the wilderness and discovered Paradise.
And so although Xihu was right there, not too far from the hostel, all the extra hard work running around and looking for the lake for about an hour made the scene so much more worthwhile and refreshing. The journey makes the destination all the sweeter.

I walked around, and admired every little thing. I marveled at the elegant moon bridge as I crossed, savoring its miniature steps. The bridge was barely above the water level, which was fairly still, though the gentle wind would cause small ripples across the reflections of the lights.


And it was not just the bridge either. Going further, there was wonderful traditional architecture made with the same elegance everywhere, every bridge, every pavillion, every building. The lanes of willow trees, the gardens, the lovely stone-laid paths... Every piece was just so nice. And it blew my mind that it must be like that all the way around the lake, all 15 km! This was beauty beyond my expectations, even though I had developed high expectations already through seeing pictures, talking with friends who have visited, etc. It was as if I stumbled upon an alien world where this level of beauty was commonplace and standard issue, not gimicky tourist attractions, just part of daily life. I couldn't take it anymore. I rushed back to the hostel to get my camera. The night attendant at the front desk smiled knowingly as I blew past her on the way to my room and back.

And so I ran all the way back to the Long Bridge area, took some pictures, and then continued on. Like I said before, it kept going, and going, my heart raced as I desired to see more and more. I ran with exhilaration, and soon I was running alongside the lake between two lanes of willow trees (柳树). The road was lit pretty brightly, a shining path in the middle of darkness. Since no one was around, I ran tried to run as fast as I could... and took pleasure in propelling myself high into the air while running, trying to touch the willow leaves like a little kid or perhaps like Super Mario. Eventually, I slowed and stopped, once again enjoying the refreshing stillness. There were a few couples/lovers sitting on benches by the lake, quietly enjoying their time together. In the distance, the song of a solitary flute rang out, playing a melancholy tune. It was joined by another. I followed the sound, and found a couple sitting together on a bench. The boy was teaching the girl how to play the flute.

Long Bridge, once again:

Views from afar:




...every pavillion, every building...






The lanes of willow trees...




"In Heaven there is Paradise, on Earth there is Hangzhou." A fairly accurate assessment indeed.

Suzhou Pictures

I got into Suzhou somewhat late, but there still are some pictures worth showing.

Sunset in Suzhou:


Pingmen Bridge (平門橋):


Overlooking the river:

A small rock garden:

My friend exhibiting illegal behavior (picking leaves from the tree):

Begging in Suzhou

As mentioned earlier, I got to Suzhou quite late in the day, and had no more than an hour or so of sunlight left. The sun sets at around 6pm, which I find remarkably early, though maybe I just haven't gotten used to the idea that it's already mid-fall. Or maybe it has something to do with China's wacky timezones - basically, the whole country is under a single timezone, so who knows what the times would actually be if they had split it out geographically.

While waiting to meet up with my friend at the bus stop, I came across this fellow sitting on the sidewalk:


The writing, upon close examination:


Basically, it translates to, "Very Hungry. Kind people, please buy me a boxed lunch. Thanks."

I had nothing to do, and had actually thought about talking to beggars for sometime to understand them better. This guy also seemed relatively clean and healthy, so I was puzzled as to why he didn't just go work for his food like everyone else his age. I was hoping he would make for good, perhaps even meaningful conversation.

And so I decided to go across the street to buy a boxed meal. For 7 RMB, I got a Black Peppered Beef Fried Rice (黑胡椒牛肉炒飯) to go. I walked across the street, and asked him if he was hungry. He made no reaction. I placed the bag carrying the boxed meal next to him, but he still did not move. I was puzzled; did he not hear me? Isn't this what he wanted? Isn't he surprised that somebody actually got him something to eat? Why wouldn't he thank me, or at least acknowledge me? I decided to give him some distance - it was clearly somewhat awkward. A took several steps away, and watched him for a minute or two between the rest of the walking crowd. He did not move at all. Disgusted, I walked away... but then decided to circle back from the other direction. By the time I had reached his position again, he was gone - I could see him walking in the distance with the plastic lunch sack. So much for gratitude. At the same time, he had left for me a unique opportunity...

With nothing to do but wait for my friend, I decided to do just that. And so I waited... at the very spot the fellow had sat at. At first I was embarrassed - just about everybody that passed read the chalk writing by my feet, and looked at me funny, especially as I stood around and txted my friend. However, after awhile, I got more comfortable, and sat down on the sidewalk, in the very position my ungrateful predecessor did. Many people looked at the writing, then looked at me with pity. I couldn't help but flash a smug smile. When they seem perplexed, I laughed out loud. I'm sure they had never seen such a happy person starving!

Many gawkers had passed by, but for the first several minutes nobody offered anything at all. There was a girl standing several feet away on the sidewalk, who seemed either to be waiting for someone, or perhaps wanted to help me but was too shy to talk to me. We made eye contact a few times. I smiled at her too, just like the rest, but she did not budge from her spot. A few moments later, she disappeared.

I got out my Lonely Planet book and started reading it. The text was in English, a highly prized language that Chinese people tend to dole out plenty of money to learn, which made the scene all the more bizarre. At one point a Caucasian guy was walking extremely fast along the sidewalk in my direction. We made eye contact and I smiled. He said, "Ni hao," in Mandarin Chinese. I replied back in English, "Hey man, how's it going?" He made no reply and kept walking - most likely he was in a hurry or he just couldn't hear with his headphones on.

After about 10-15 minutes, there was a young couple walked past me. I looked up and the girl eyed me cautiously. I smiled gently, and she slowed and turned around. Walking towards me, still with a hand clasped with her boyfriend's, she tentatively asked me in Chinese, "Sir, where are you from?"

"I am from USA," I replied back. She recoiled in shock. She could not have imagined someone from the richest of nations begging on the streets of China! I continued, "The US is bankrupt and our economy is in shambles, so that is why I am here."

She looked at me with great pity. "Why don't you take 5 RMB then?" She pulled a small bill out of her purse.

The gig was up - there was no way I was taking money. I smiled, and explained to her that I did not actually write the chalk writing - I was the "kind person" who helped out the one who was here before. I just happened to be sitting here waiting for a friend, and really am not starving. She smiled in relief and and her boyfriend laughed, deeply amused. They walked off into the distance, the only ones to stop by and offer help during my short, tacit begging career. And I enjoyed the experience so much that I forgot to ask them why they had decided to stop in the first place.

A few minutes later, my friend arrived, and called me to let me know. I had her take a picture of me, which was difficult due to the high foot and bike traffic as well as the fact she was so embarrassed to be associated with me sitting by the chalk writing (loss of face and everything):



Fun times. I guess I didn't get to see much of Suzhou, but I think they should seriously consider making that section of the sidewalk into a tourist attraction...

Wanderings in Wuxi

My plans to Nanjing (南京) fell apart, as travel plans sometimes do so when you construct them haphazardly a couple days before they are to be put in motion. My friend in Nanjing ended up being busy; also I slept badly the night before, and as a result, got up quite late.

I decided instead then to head to the closer city of Wuxi (无錫), since I had planned to be in the beautiful city of Suzhou (蘇州) the next day, and Suzhou is between Wuxi and Shanghai. The train took me to Wuxi in an about an hour, and I hopped on a bus to head out to Hehui Rd (何惠路), near the Xihui Park (錫惠公園). My borrowed Lonely Planet guidebook from 2002 had referred me to a place I could stay at near Qinggongye University. I wandered up and down the street for sometime, but the first things that caught my attention was the food. Really cheap food. These excellent glutinous rice shaomai only went for 0.5 RMB:



And a 斤 (approx equal to 1 lb)of bread costs about 4 RMB. I got half a 斤 of "egg with bread", and another half 斤 of "spicy bread," which was really flavorful:


Unfortunately though, I had a much harder time finding the cheap lodging facilities mentioned in Lonely Planet. I did find a university, but after talking to the security guard there, I discovered that the university I was looking for has since moved away! Another university had taken its place, and nobody knew what I was talking about. Things like this would rarely happen in the US, but in China, guidebooks get outdated fast.

I finally found another place for reasonable rates, at the plaza where the shaomai lady was doing business. For 100 RMB, I got myself a really shoddy, but liveable room (at least the floor was decent and there weren't any cockroaches):


A sign in the bathroom cautioned guests not to use too much hot water, as all the heat is generated by solar energy, and there's not always enough to go around.

By the time I was all set, I spent my remaining hour of sunlight trying to figure out how to get to Xihui Park. I wandered accidentally into a random hutong, and tried to get directions but the small roads were numerous as were their forks, and they seemed to snake on in odd directions. The people were pleasant, and now I feel I should have probably spent more time in the countryside rather than living in Shanghai. It's probably cheaper in the countryside anyways, even though I already have a place to live in Shanghai.

Anyhow, I ended up finding the park at dusk and it had just closed. Went to bed early, got up late (slept badly again), and spent the next day at Xihui Park:



...and walked in a dragon's mouth:


...before hiking up a hill and a 6-story pagoda:


where I was hoping to see scenic views of the nearby Tai Lake, only to be disappointed that the view was blocked by a slightly taller hill. However, I could see Wuxi, and the busy traffic on the Grand Canal, which cuts through it:



And so I hiked up that hill next, only to have the view be obstructed by trees. I had to take another trail along the top of the hill to a better location, only to have most of the view obstructed by the fog/smog:


By that time, I had wandered way past my allotted time in Wuxi, and so I asked a local at the top of the hill the fastest way down, and so he pointed me down a steep, rocky trail:


Apparently it only takes 10+ minutes for them to "run" down, but probably 30 minutes for newcomers like me. Seeing that as a challenge, I tried my best to "run" down the trail and nearly tumbled down the mountain in record time. Fortunately, I caught my balance each time, and so made it all the way to the bottom relatively unscathed:


Then I tried hopping on a train to Suzhou, but they were all booked. I got a cab instead. He took the highway, but halfway down, the highway ended up being closed and we had to turn around. Needless to say, I made it to Suzhou rather late (4:30pm). From an efficiency standpoint, Wuxi was a terrible experience - I had planned to be there because it was closer and a better use of my time, but not only did I accomplish very little in terms of touring, but it also wrecked my schedule for Suzhou. On the other hand, nothing is so priceless as the mere experience of wandering aimlessly in China without a clue where you are and how to get to where you want to be.

Tipping Point

Lots of foreigners in China seem to have the problem of unbalanced language exchange (i.e. too much interactions in English, not enough in Mandarin). For example, check out this blog post:

http://hangzhoutales.blogspot.com/2008/09/language-duel-speaking-chinese-in-china.html

However, for me, the case is the opposite. All 5 language partners I found were posts of people looking to learn English. After messaging them and meeting them however, we've spent about a total of 10 minutes of our time conversing in English and the remaining 10+ hours in Mandarin.

In conclusion, it seems the primary language used in language exchange tends to be whatever language has a greater aggregate knowledge between the two parties (i.e. compare [LP1English + LP2English] versus [LP1Chinese + LP2Chinese]).

Learning Peace

Many people, when faced with having no plans or schedules, having nothing compelling them to do this or that, start to worry or get antsy. To a large extent, I am no different. Coming from a background where achievement is often expected, and having heard occasionally from friends and family that so-and-so is doing this or that, that they've already accomplished such and such, it feels slightly troubling to continue sailing onwards into the vast unknown. Without a sure direction and facing the wide expanse of possibilities, staring into the face of life's long road ahead, I find myself contemplating the prospect of working again more often than I would have hoped, and thus sometimes disrupting my ability to fully enjoy my journey.

But it is also because of this that I must persist. For it is when I am finally able to rid myself of the anxiety of doing "nothing" useful, I will find some measure of peace with myself independent of what I do. Only then will I be ready to come back. This goal - learning to be at peace - is reason enough in of itself to continue on.