Hangzhou

WOW! What a trip.  We just arrived back after spending three days in Hangzhou, China, the capital city of the province we live in.  It is currently the Autumn Festival in China, so a lot of people have this week off.  You can imagine, in a country with billions of people, all having the same week off, adds to the insanity of being a tourist.
So why would we choose to travel on one of the busiest weeks and to one of the busiest cities in the province? We are crazy I guess! This was three days of firsts.  First, I took a train! I cannot remember if I have ever taken a train before, regardless, I have definitely not taken one in China.  Thank goodness our co-workers were going on this trip with us because I would have had no idea what I was doing.




Purchasing a train ticket is pretty impossible in Jinhua without having someone who speaks Chinese either go with you to the train station, or we were lucky enough to have our secretary, Harriett purchase it for us.  It was a pretty big realization that travelling alone in this country is challenging and constantly pushing your comfort zone. I was reminded of this when we were heading home from Hangzhou and I could NOT find my train ticket.  I had the one to arrive in Hangzhou, but not the one to get home.  Solomon, Terrance and Colleen were the most calm, supportive people I could have had with me.  After some freaking out, getting a little shakey, and finally finding it in my bag we made the train just in time.  I have no idea what I would have done, on a National Holiday, no idea where to purchase train tickets and in a strange city.  I'm getting stressed just thinking about it!

We arrived at our hostel with relative ease. Hangzhou has some tourist information booths where people speak English.  This is not a luxury we have in Jinhua.  I was actually surprised we made it so quickly.  After finding a bus, being held "hostage" by the driver because someone did not pay to get on, and a bit of walking we found The Four Eyes Hostel.

Colleen and I shared a luxurious one bedroom and to our surprise only found one cockroach looking bug. While eating at the "Western Bar" the bartender killed, with the  help of the menu, the other cockroach that we saw on this vacation. 

Another animal that is notable to mention is this freaky looking cat. Seriously, this thing came near me EVERY time I sat down.  You can't really tell from the photo but this poor cat has open wounds, a growth on its belly, and is generally looking like a walking disease.  People pet these things, feed them and generally keep them in a state of manginess.  Normally I can at least tolerate cats, however, this one really freaked me out. 

There are plenty of photo's I could add to this blog, but I would be writing for days about everything we saw and did.  The main attraction in Hangzhou is West Lake.  It is beautiful, and has thousands of people walking around it.  The city itself is full of Western amenities that are not so available in Jinhua, including cheese.  We took in the night life, ate some great food and generally had a wonderful time.  I am happy that Solomon and Terrance were able to show us around as they have been there a few times prior. We went to a temple, were locked in for being in a place we shouldn't have been, walked more than I think I ever have, went to the market (INSANE!) and generally took in the city.  I hope you enjoy some of the photo's.  Until next time....