Suzhou

I spent two days in Suzhou, a lovely city that is two hours away by bus, yet a mere twenty minutes away by train! The bus was a very interesting experience though; there was a man sitting in the aisle because apparently that’s allowed in this country! I was very surprised to see this, especially for a country that seems to have fire extinguishers everywhere—isn’t this some sort of fire hazard? People need to be able to evacuate quickly, right?

I started off at the Baosheng Temple, where I encountered a thousand year old ginkgo tree!

Does anyone else have fond memories of accidentally stepping on those stinky berries on campus? Just me? Okay, then.

I followed this up by a trip to...I believe it was Shantang Street, where there were several shops full of lovely, traditional-looking Chinese gowns. They weren’t for sale, unfortunately, but you were allowed to wear them for photo shoots! Naturally, I had to. The (laminated!) pictures that ensued are probably some of the best souvenirs I could have gotten from this trip. I posed on a swing, near a tree, in front of a traditional musical instrument, with a bright pink parasol…it was wonderful.

I also spent a few hours strolling the Humble Administrator’s Garden, as well as the nearby Lion Forest Garden. Of course, I took frequent breaks to sit and appreciate my surroundings. These gardens were not only filled with tourists, but also with loads of places to sit, especially if you’re not picky. During one of my moments of silent contemplation, a strange young man asked for permission to take my picture. Several days later, this still baffles me.

While in Suzhou, I discovered that I could amuse myself for hours in a Chinese supermarket, like I found red wine and chocolate...it's like reverse Pocky!

I also found these packaged meats in the impulse buys by the cash register.

See, that's chicken feet on the left and duck legs on the right. Endlessly entertained.

I quite enjoyed Suzhou, although I didn’t actually get to see very much of it. Some call it the Venice of the east. Probably primarily the makers of Suzhou postcards, but still, I could see where they got that idea.