i was in shanghai for 1 day before heading to hangzhou and 西湖 for two and a half days. so i guess hangzhou was my first ‘real’ experience of china, as the first day was mainly us following e.o. around.. haha.
the trip began with us at the super crowded shanghai south train station:
this is the waiting room for our train. the station is very new too, so it was nice and bright and shiny. the train was gorgeous too:
these trains are the fastest trains in china – the D trains. unfortunately, the hangzhou station was a lot older and messier. there was a HUGE queue for the taxi stand, and so many people were trying to cut the queue! we were completely not used to this concept on such a scale – it’s massive – and were getting very annoyed. people kept trying to push forward from behind and weave their way towards the start of the line, which was very annoying. i had to stand with my legs spread further apart and elbows out to block the way of the people who were trying to get ahead of me.
and it was in this taxi queue that i experienced something i’d never imagined. i got so pissed off because the two of us got separated by some asshole who was trying to cut ahead, so i told the guy off, that my friend’s behind and we’re together, so could he just move aside so that my friend could make his way forward to where i was standing? and guess what? he told me off right back that it’s none of his business! wtfh.
and it didnt stop there. he continued trying to cut ahead of me, so i used my big bag and feet to fend him off all the way till the front of the queue. and that bloody bastard actually had the cheek to try and beat me to a taxi, but at the front i was so angry that i used my arm to shove him aside while i squeezed past the fence that separated the queue from the taxis. urgh. i’ve never descended so low before, but really, i will fight back when provoked! and there’s not really a way you can get around in china without stooping to the level of the locals, if you want to hold your ground. one thing i really hate is having people try to take advantage of me lor!! urgh.
anyway, we stayed at Mingtown Youth Hostel, which was just next to 西湖. all the places we stayed in provided hot water flask and glasses/cups, which is something i didnt expect. the trains all have a section where you can boil water and make tea too, which isnt something you get in japan:
our room also had a huge flat screen tv that DIDNT WORK:
the first day in hangzhou was quite crap. we wanted to buy train tickets to suzhou, but didnt know where to get the tickets from. so we were asking around, and somehow when china pple give directions, they’re very vague. they say, it’s “over there” and point, or it’s “there on the left”. like, there where? on this side of the road? on the other side of the road? how far must i walk? you know how you learn how to give directions in japanese in japanese classes? nothing like that at all!
so we kinda ended up being brought on a merry-go-round around the city. asking a different person as we went along the way – me doing all the asking of course – and getting vague directions, moving ahead a bit and asking yet another person, etc. and you know, china people dont smile very much when they talk to you, so every time i asked a question i felt like i was hugely inconveniencing someone. it was a damn shitty feeling. and when we finally reached the place, we discovered that we had been brought a rather big round around the city and that there was actually a more direct route! wtfh lor. was so pissed off and in such a bad mood.
the train ride ended up being YET another experience. but more on that later.
oh, i also lost the pretty pink fan with white bunnies that i bought in kyoto in hangzhou :( i’d left it on the table in the Pizza Hut, but when i returned another day asking if they’d seen it, the staff said no. i bet someone took it lor, cos i mean the first thing that happens is someone comes to clear the table rite? i bet that person took and kept it for themselves. sian.
and this isnt the only thing i lost in china either. more on that later too.
anyway, here’s a shot of the city:
the main draw of hangzhou is 西湖 i guess.. so from here it’s probably just lots of pictures:
i love this pic, cos it looks like a 山水画 (traditional painting of mountains and water body):
me trying to make the best of being in the picture:
check out what we saw on the lake:
a monstrosity of a boat!
up close:
entering the jaws of the beast.. it’s actually a floating restaurant where you can sail on the lake while eating and enjoying traditional chinese music:
the willow tree-lined path:
there was a bridge that everyone was crossing, so we followed suit:
and it had a huge water buffalo next to it:
it’s quite fascinating really:
i like the next section of the lake better, cos it was more interesting:
the 西湖 area has gorgeous pavement art:
for some reason, i looked over into the horizon and saw the sun setting even though it wasnt as dark where i was:
note the huge body of water, but nothing to stop people falling in!:
check out the cloud of sand that this man was sweeping up:
cool building:
costumes, anyone?
patters on the ground of the pavilion:
there was a music cum water display:
and the city is quite pretty at night!:
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