APRIL 16, 2007
Spring has sprung in Shanghai! Our apartment complex is quite beautiful right now, and the temps are currently in the 70's, sometimes even hits 80. There are several kinds of blooming trees that are quite splendid right now (many are fruit trees, I think), and the shrubs are also in bloom, and many seasonal flowers have been planted. The ones I recognize are azaleas, hibiscus, pansies, petunias, and marigolds. There seem to be a lot of mistletoe shrubs and weeping willows as well as palms and ferns. Reminds me of Florida. They have also started piping music through some hidden speakers throughout the garden for about an hour every morning and again in the afternoon which is quite pleasant. Seems to be a mixture of Chinese and Western music ... a little something for everyone. I'm looking for them to open the pool soon!
So rather then despairing that we were not going to have a visit by the Easter bunny, Randy and I decided to arrange a weekend trip and do a bit of exploring for Easter weekend. Randy took Friday off, and we made a reservation at a Ramada in Hangzhou, about 2 hours south of Shanghai where there is large lake that is frequented by the tourists here.
Our driver, Shao, was kind enough to fetch our train tickets for us a few days prior, so all that was left to us was to get ourselves to the train station on the south side of Shanghai. There are two train stations in Shanghai, an older one to the north, and the newer South Station. Subway Line 2 which is very close to our apartment runs directly to the South Station so getting there was not a big deal.
We arrived quite early as having never taken the train, we were not sure what to expect. Nice station, but signage can be quite confusing when one is functionally illiterate. We wandered around a bit, were able to ascertain that our train was posted and on time, and we discovered a Chinese couple with the same train tickets who were kind enough to allow us to stick with them so we'd know where to go cool our heels until the riders were called to the platform.
The trip to Hangzhou was taken on what is known as the bullet train, the newest and fastest train available out of Shanghai (except for the previously mentioned super fast Maglev which only runs between the city and the airport). It was a quite pleasant and comfortable ride, and only took about an hour and a half as the train zipped along pretty quickly.
Our arrival into the train station in Hangzhou was rather confusing. Crowded and noisy, we hadn't a clue as to how to get to our hotel, but assumed that hailing a taxi would be the solution. After standing in front of the train station for about 15 minutes waving our arms like fools, we were completely frustrated as all the taxis just simply zoomed past us. I asked Randy, "Do you think they're prejudiced against Westerners?" Didn't seem likely as we'd never had a problem in Shanghai.
We decided to walk a bit to see if it made a difference if we were a block or two from the station. It's a bit daunting to be in a completely foreign city and have no idea where you are heading or how you will get there. We must have looked fairly bewildered because finally a Chinese man spoke to us. "My English no good, but I try help?" Another fellow stopped as well ... better English. Between the two of them, it was decided we should cross the street to flag a taxi that would apparently be heading in the correct direction. After a bit of confusion about the hotel (technically, it's called the Ramada Hua Hai, so the locals call it the Hua Hai ... we were saying Ramada and they didn't have a clue), we were on our way.
OK, arrived at the hotel. Very nice. Great view of West Lake from our room (actually a really nice suite). We were on an Executive floor and as such, had access to a lovely lounge and rooftop patio that overlooked the entire lake ... beautiful!! There were foggy mountains behind the lake and mysterious looking pagodas poking into the sky here and there. Boats floated lazily in the water, some motorized and some paddled by drivers. The only boats allowed on the lake are those that can be rented for pleasure rides so there is no private boating to muddy the waters.
We settled in and immediately set out for a walk along the lake. There are beautiful walkways, bridges, gardens, and lovely cafes and kiosks all around the entire lake. One can walk for hours and enjoy the amazing scenery!
Dinner was in a traditional Japanese restaurant where we left our shoes at the door and were seated upon the floor to dine behind sheer screens pulled down for privacy at each table. Our meal consisted of sushi, sashimi, and tempera, and we decided to turn in early so that we could get an early start to our walking tour of West Lake in the morning.
Saturday, we enjoyed breakfast in the executive lounge on the patio watching the hazy sun rise over the lake. Probably the only downside to this area is it's popularity. There was quite a crowd gathering quite early in the morning clamoring along the lakeside to have a morning boat ride or commence their walking like us.
The entire day was spent strolling around the beautiful lake. Our guess is that it was an eight to ten mile walk around the whole lake, but we took our time, stopped to take in the scenery and relaxed quite often, took photos, and simply people-watched to our hearts content. There were temples to be explored, costumes that could be rented for photo opportunities, many types of pleasure boats for little cruises, and numerous vendors selling beverages, snacks, and souvenirs. This is also a popular spot for kite flying, and the kites are often quite unusual animal shapes ... birds, sharks, and various other critters create an interesting menagerie in the sky. Also, a Goodyear blimp zoomed across the sky dipping and weaving above the crowds.
Unfortunately, Sunday was not a great day for me in Hangzhou. I woke up feeling horrible, and soon found myself running to the bathroom with a rather severe case of Montezuma's revenge. Cursing the buffet that we'd eaten for dinner the previous night as well as my failure to bring along the Immodium, I apologized to Randy for the inconvenience of having to plan for only going as far as the nearest bathroom. We remembered that the Starbucks was only a short distance on foot, and mentally calculating where all the public restrooms were located, we set out for coffee on the water's edge and where we assumed a nicer bathroom would be available. I opted for a large hot tea, and we sat for well over an hour watching the locals stroll past sipping our beverages. I kept thinking, "How the heck am I going to ride a train for a couple of hours today?"
Finally, we headed back to our room where I went back to bed for a bit while Randy scoped out the gift shop to see if he could find Pepto or Immodium. He came back with something called 999, a Chinese remedy that the clerk assured Randy would do the trick. He mixed up a packet of crystals into a glass of water (and I'm thinking that quite possibly, it's the water CAUSING the problem), and handed it to me. It looked like mud, but tasted like strong tea with a healthy dose of molasses in it. Not that bad. Considering the alternative, I forced it down.
Surprisingly, it didn't take long to show a positive effect, and I was feeling somewhat better (albeit quite fatigued) so we decided we would head to the train station. Upon arriving at the station, we realized that the reason we were having such a difficult time flagging a taxi upon our arrival was the fact that the taxi queue was located downstairs from the arrival area, and the taxis were not allowed to stop at the area where we were waving like fools. OK, figured that out for future reference.
The train home to Shanghai was not the bullet so it took more than two hours to get to the station. Also, we came into the North Station and not the South from whence we'd departed, but we knew that a subway line was there, so being that we are becoming subway experts, we assumed we'd be on track from there. About five minutes from our arrival into Shanghai, the women behind me jumped up to retrieve her carry-on bag from overhead. She pulled it out, and it fell right onto my head. Now, this was a hard-side (think Samsonite), heavy piece of luggage ... I SAW STARS!!! Oh, well ... took my mind off the other end!! She felt terrible! Rubbed my head and kept saying, "Solly, solly, solly!!!" She continued combing my hair with her fingers and rubbing the rather large bump that had raised on my noggin until the train slowed. Finally, we stopped and she helped me up and off the train. I thought she was going to try to take me home!!
It had turned cold and windy in Shanghai during our train ride, and we were glad to get home where we didn't have to fight any more crowds. That is something that we seem to only be able to tolerate in limited doses ... the crowds. Those are the days when we are grateful for our lovely apartment complex and the large areas of open air, green lawns, and beautiful foliage where we can "spread our wings" a bit ... saves our sanity!
All in all, Hangzhou was a great experience, and we'd definitely try it again now that we know better how to handle the transportation. I'll take the Immodium and wear a helmet next time!
So rather then despairing that we were not going to have a visit by the Easter bunny, Randy and I decided to arrange a weekend trip and do a bit of exploring for Easter weekend. Randy took Friday off, and we made a reservation at a Ramada in Hangzhou, about 2 hours south of Shanghai where there is large lake that is frequented by the tourists here.
Our driver, Shao, was kind enough to fetch our train tickets for us a few days prior, so all that was left to us was to get ourselves to the train station on the south side of Shanghai. There are two train stations in Shanghai, an older one to the north, and the newer South Station. Subway Line 2 which is very close to our apartment runs directly to the South Station so getting there was not a big deal.
We arrived quite early as having never taken the train, we were not sure what to expect. Nice station, but signage can be quite confusing when one is functionally illiterate. We wandered around a bit, were able to ascertain that our train was posted and on time, and we discovered a Chinese couple with the same train tickets who were kind enough to allow us to stick with them so we'd know where to go cool our heels until the riders were called to the platform.
The trip to Hangzhou was taken on what is known as the bullet train, the newest and fastest train available out of Shanghai (except for the previously mentioned super fast Maglev which only runs between the city and the airport). It was a quite pleasant and comfortable ride, and only took about an hour and a half as the train zipped along pretty quickly.
Our arrival into the train station in Hangzhou was rather confusing. Crowded and noisy, we hadn't a clue as to how to get to our hotel, but assumed that hailing a taxi would be the solution. After standing in front of the train station for about 15 minutes waving our arms like fools, we were completely frustrated as all the taxis just simply zoomed past us. I asked Randy, "Do you think they're prejudiced against Westerners?" Didn't seem likely as we'd never had a problem in Shanghai.
We decided to walk a bit to see if it made a difference if we were a block or two from the station. It's a bit daunting to be in a completely foreign city and have no idea where you are heading or how you will get there. We must have looked fairly bewildered because finally a Chinese man spoke to us. "My English no good, but I try help?" Another fellow stopped as well ... better English. Between the two of them, it was decided we should cross the street to flag a taxi that would apparently be heading in the correct direction. After a bit of confusion about the hotel (technically, it's called the Ramada Hua Hai, so the locals call it the Hua Hai ... we were saying Ramada and they didn't have a clue), we were on our way.
OK, arrived at the hotel. Very nice. Great view of West Lake from our room (actually a really nice suite). We were on an Executive floor and as such, had access to a lovely lounge and rooftop patio that overlooked the entire lake ... beautiful!! There were foggy mountains behind the lake and mysterious looking pagodas poking into the sky here and there. Boats floated lazily in the water, some motorized and some paddled by drivers. The only boats allowed on the lake are those that can be rented for pleasure rides so there is no private boating to muddy the waters.
We settled in and immediately set out for a walk along the lake. There are beautiful walkways, bridges, gardens, and lovely cafes and kiosks all around the entire lake. One can walk for hours and enjoy the amazing scenery!
Dinner was in a traditional Japanese restaurant where we left our shoes at the door and were seated upon the floor to dine behind sheer screens pulled down for privacy at each table. Our meal consisted of sushi, sashimi, and tempera, and we decided to turn in early so that we could get an early start to our walking tour of West Lake in the morning.
Saturday, we enjoyed breakfast in the executive lounge on the patio watching the hazy sun rise over the lake. Probably the only downside to this area is it's popularity. There was quite a crowd gathering quite early in the morning clamoring along the lakeside to have a morning boat ride or commence their walking like us.
The entire day was spent strolling around the beautiful lake. Our guess is that it was an eight to ten mile walk around the whole lake, but we took our time, stopped to take in the scenery and relaxed quite often, took photos, and simply people-watched to our hearts content. There were temples to be explored, costumes that could be rented for photo opportunities, many types of pleasure boats for little cruises, and numerous vendors selling beverages, snacks, and souvenirs. This is also a popular spot for kite flying, and the kites are often quite unusual animal shapes ... birds, sharks, and various other critters create an interesting menagerie in the sky. Also, a Goodyear blimp zoomed across the sky dipping and weaving above the crowds.
Unfortunately, Sunday was not a great day for me in Hangzhou. I woke up feeling horrible, and soon found myself running to the bathroom with a rather severe case of Montezuma's revenge. Cursing the buffet that we'd eaten for dinner the previous night as well as my failure to bring along the Immodium, I apologized to Randy for the inconvenience of having to plan for only going as far as the nearest bathroom. We remembered that the Starbucks was only a short distance on foot, and mentally calculating where all the public restrooms were located, we set out for coffee on the water's edge and where we assumed a nicer bathroom would be available. I opted for a large hot tea, and we sat for well over an hour watching the locals stroll past sipping our beverages. I kept thinking, "How the heck am I going to ride a train for a couple of hours today?"
Finally, we headed back to our room where I went back to bed for a bit while Randy scoped out the gift shop to see if he could find Pepto or Immodium. He came back with something called 999, a Chinese remedy that the clerk assured Randy would do the trick. He mixed up a packet of crystals into a glass of water (and I'm thinking that quite possibly, it's the water CAUSING the problem), and handed it to me. It looked like mud, but tasted like strong tea with a healthy dose of molasses in it. Not that bad. Considering the alternative, I forced it down.
Surprisingly, it didn't take long to show a positive effect, and I was feeling somewhat better (albeit quite fatigued) so we decided we would head to the train station. Upon arriving at the station, we realized that the reason we were having such a difficult time flagging a taxi upon our arrival was the fact that the taxi queue was located downstairs from the arrival area, and the taxis were not allowed to stop at the area where we were waving like fools. OK, figured that out for future reference.
The train home to Shanghai was not the bullet so it took more than two hours to get to the station. Also, we came into the North Station and not the South from whence we'd departed, but we knew that a subway line was there, so being that we are becoming subway experts, we assumed we'd be on track from there. About five minutes from our arrival into Shanghai, the women behind me jumped up to retrieve her carry-on bag from overhead. She pulled it out, and it fell right onto my head. Now, this was a hard-side (think Samsonite), heavy piece of luggage ... I SAW STARS!!! Oh, well ... took my mind off the other end!! She felt terrible! Rubbed my head and kept saying, "Solly, solly, solly!!!" She continued combing my hair with her fingers and rubbing the rather large bump that had raised on my noggin until the train slowed. Finally, we stopped and she helped me up and off the train. I thought she was going to try to take me home!!
It had turned cold and windy in Shanghai during our train ride, and we were glad to get home where we didn't have to fight any more crowds. That is something that we seem to only be able to tolerate in limited doses ... the crowds. Those are the days when we are grateful for our lovely apartment complex and the large areas of open air, green lawns, and beautiful foliage where we can "spread our wings" a bit ... saves our sanity!
All in all, Hangzhou was a great experience, and we'd definitely try it again now that we know better how to handle the transportation. I'll take the Immodium and wear a helmet next time!
posted by Roxanne Gillett at
6:01 PM
1 Comments:
just read your blog and wanted to say hi.
steve
By
steve, at 8:11 AM
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