So in the midst of the busy-ness and activity that consumed my normally free and easy 13-hour work week in the beginning of January I never got around to putting down my thoughts and experiences for these two cities.  Needless to say that writing now, nearly a month and several countries later, the fine details have become slightly fuzzed, so please bear that in mind as I rush through the encounters with the two cities quickly. 

 We arrived into Suzhou on a refreshingly modern train from Shanghai that deposited us into the dreary, wasteland-like train station, a far cry from the antiquated Chinese charm we were all assured the city oozed.  After a taxi ride to the hotel it became clear that Suzhou itself is very much a city with two distinctive sides.  The first we saw is the modern, industrial, smog-belching metropolis that could be Anytown, China, as the country relentlessly presses into its future.  The second, subtler side is the whitewashed buildings lining quiet canals and street stalls selling local specialities.  The second side was more charming for the tourist.

We did a visit through the ironically named Garden of the Humble Administrator, which happens to the be the largest of the gardens throughout the city.  It is a lovely setting, particularly in winter with the trees bared of their leaves and it also offered a refreshing breath of clean air and peace that simply cannot be found out on the street.  The next day, I split from my compatriots, who opted to squeeze Nanjing in that day, and, after a spell hunkered in a local Suzhou KFC for warmth, I was off to Hangzhou for a quiet loner night which ended with me getting in and watching a hostel movie and crashing.

My next day I lapped West Lake, known across the country as one of the most famous sites and a longtime favorite of Chinese poets and writers.  For me, it was a long, quiet day walking around the smog/mist shrouded lake, and overall, very peaceful.  Two long causeways, open only to pedestrians and cycles, provided a wonderful chance to simply relax.  Later that night while attempting to watch a movie at the hostel, a middle-aged Japanese woman lectured me on the subversive plans of the Chinese for world domination.  It proved an interesting contrast to the day, and I wish that I had pretended to speak only German so as to avoid the pitfall.  Alas.

The next day I was rejoined by the rest of the group and we all went outside of Hangzhou to the west, into the hills and to a village that produces China’s best known green tea variety, known as Longjing or Dragon Well (I think).   The day shopping for tea from the locals was quite enjoyable and during winter it is easy to avoid the hordes of tourists that otherwise crowd the sites.  It was a pleasant ending to the day, and from there I was off to the airport and back to Shenzhen with a day in hand before the big SE Asian adventure with Kathleen began.