Suzhou/ Hangzhou

March 28, Friday
Day 6
Prior to leaving Suzhou, we stopped a the classical Chinese garden called Lingering Garden.

This was followed by a stop at a government silk shop, where we saw silk garments made from cocoons to thread to cloth to fabric. It was really interesting. Next we took a small boat down the Grand Canal, where we saw many interesting local sights.
Finally, we were off to Hangzhou. This was our guide, Emily's, home town and it was as beautiful as she said.

Here we're having another "lazy susan" Chinese buffet

Welcome to the non-western toilet!!! Notice the local squatter.........

from my sister Judy-
Friday, March 28 Our morning started early because we had to take our luggage out to the bus. After a breakfast buffet, we took the bus to visit the Lingering Garden, which is one of the classical gardens in China. The classical garden contains four elements, including water, plants, rocks, and buildings. Meandering pathways led to quiet spaces and high overlooks. The walkways were full of rock designs and were created with lovely, rock patterns. It is recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site by the U.N. It was really lovely!

A short ride took us to the largest silk factory in China. Emily told us about making silk and showed us the various stages of the silkworm and the cocoon. We then watched women unwinding the cocoons and intertwining nine strands from nine different cocoons to create one strand of silk thread. We then watched a lady stretch the cocoons over a frame in order to make silk quilts. After watching four ladies stretch the framed silk into quilt sizes, they let us try it. It was difficult to pull and we messed up the silk. I don't think that the ladies were happy with us! After viewing lots of different samples, Paul and I chose to buy a king-sized silk quilt and a duvet, with two pillow cases to match. The duvet color is a dusty orange with multi-colored flowers on it. We can't wait to redo our bedroom and use the new quilt. Our bedroom will definitely have a Chinese influence! On the upper level of the silk factory, we also bought a bright red vest for Lauren and a piece of silk material for Megan. Emily collected all of us and took us to the fourth floor where we enjoyed a luncheon buffet. Following lunch, we all took an optional tour of the Grand Canal. We took a 45 minute tour on an enclosed canal boat where we saw how the poor Chinese of the area live. The Grand Canal was started over 1300 years ago and it was created to link the Yangtze River with the Yellow River. The Grand Canal has been called the "Oriental Venice." The sides of the canal are actually the foundations of the homes. We saw men and women washing clothes in the canal, washing dishes in the canal, and sometimes throwing garbage in the canal. We got off the boat in a section of town that contained a sprawling market with all kinds of stalls and food vendors. We walked over a steep bridge to get to the market streets. What a sight! The vendors were selling live chickens and ducks, slow-moving turtles, slimy eels, and a variety of unrecognizable foods. Emily advised that we not touch anything, but we wouldn't have done that anyway. Some of the smells were quite unpleasant, but I must admit that the baked products looked delicious. The people in the market were quite friendly; including, the police officer whose picture we took with Paul. He spoke fairly good English, as well. We also saw several adorable children and babies. Emily said that many of the babies and toddlers do not wear diapers because they are too expensive. They simply leave the bottom seam of the pants open and the babies just go out in the open. Many areas of the canal that were not lined with houses had new and beautiful landscaping on the shorelines. All sections of China are preparing for the Olympics and a hoped-for influx of tourists. After cruising back to the launch area, we boarded the buses for a two hour ride to Emily's hometown, Hangzhou. We are certainly relieved to be on a bus because the traffic conditions are scary! Buses, cars, scooters, and bikes weave and turn, vying for better positions. When some drivers ignored the traffic lights, one of the boys told us that some drivers consider traffic signals to be "only a suggestion." During our ride through the countryside, we noticed that there is a lot of water in this part of China, in the form of canals, rivers, and man-made ponds. Farmers use the ponds to grow freshwater shrimp, crabs, and fish, which they use to supplement their incomes. Patchwork plots of land were covered in green plants, mulberry trees, and yellow-topped mustard plants. Along the way, we took a rest stop to use the bathrooms, which Emily always referred to as the "happy house." When we entered the shopping and food building, we saw lines of people waiting in line for a rather smelly, boiled snack that appeared to be quite popular. Emily bought a bag of this "treat" for all of us to try. It looked like seaweed, had to be broken open, and tasted a bit like boiled sweet potatoes. I guess it's an acquired taste!

Emily took great pride in her hometown of Hangzhou. She spoke frequently of its natural beauty, landscaping, and abundance of trees. Emily told us that her husband is a doctor of ophthalmology who works for a government-run hospital. She has a young daughter who is being raised by her mother and father as she was raised by her grandparents. Emily, reluctantly, gave her daughter over to her mother when the child was four months old so that she could go back to work. This seems to be a very common practice in China. Our dinner was in the form of another family-style meal served on the second floor of a hotel. It was good and it was filling; however,our meals are all beginning to look and taste the same. While driving through Hangzhou, on our way to the hotel, it became obvious to us why Emily is so proud of her hometown. The city is much more upscale and modern, with beautiful parks and tree-lines avenues. We look forward to seeing it during the day. Our hotel, the four-star Ramada Inn, is a new and modern high-rise that was very comfortable and up-to-date ~ but what's with the glass wall between the bedroom and the bathroom?