WELCOME TO CHINA....BEEP BEEP

SUNDAY 17 SEPTEMBER - HANGZHOU
(Temple and Shangra-Li Birthday Lunch)

After my request to 'see more then just shops and eateries' Dad and I headed up to the see Temple which they can see from their apartment. It was in walking distance - a few blocks away and up a hill which people seemed to find hard to traverse on their low powered scooters. It was an interesting walk as observed construction works (where people seem to live on site for the duration), men chatting around a table, women playing cards on whatever they could find to sit on, and various tea houses.

The temple with other smaller temples was quite impressive and when we arrived there was Yoga or Thai Chi(or similar) being performed. Dad and I explored the grounds complete with Buddhas, bells and bonsais. The view from the top floor of the temple was amazing as it was a 360o view of Hangzhou and the surrounds including the beer festival!



We wandered through the streets and Dad pointed out some apartment windows that were tinted blue. I can't confirm the real reason but it may well have been so that people see blue sky out their window. Without the blue tint the sky would never be blue as it is always hazy. People think of the damnest things!

For lunch we all headed to the Shangra-Li for a western/Asian style buffet to celebrate Kialah's birthday in August, Fathers Day & Mum's Birthday in September AND Deb's and my birthday in October! That's definitely one way to be done and dusted with all the celebrations.

After filling up we headed for a walk along West Lake. There were plenty of people out exploring the sites and enjoying the greenery and scenery around the lake. Kialah got plenty of attention again from passer-bys.

Deb and I left the rest half way back to catch a taxi (before change over time) to the train station to buy tickets for tomorrow to Shanghai so we knew we had tickets, knew the time and that way we shouldnt have too much trouble tomorrow.

It was an adventure trying to find where to buy tickets and then trying to pick a counter that wouldnt close before you got to the beginning of the line. In the end we got our two tickets to Shanghai and all was looking good.

SATURDAY 16 SEPTEMBER - HANGZHOU
(Leather market)

This morning we were picked up in a van and taken 1.5 hours northish of Hangzhou to the Leather Market which had actually recently been revamped and now resided in a nice, new, fresh, air conditioned building in lieu of a big shed. It was quite amazing really.



On the way I discovered that although there is clearly 3 lanes marked on the road in each direction that motorists pay absolutely no attention to the lane lines and drive as many abreast as possible. Oh, and honking the horn is a must. Everybody honks so Im not quite sure what use it is. Maybe each vehicle should have a different pitched horn and the drivers could plan musical tunes whilst they wait hours in traffic queues each day.

Then it was time for more haggling. The shops on the ground floor were filled with every fake you could imagine of handbags, purses, wallets, briefcases, shoes, gloves and the like, whilst upstairs were leather jackets, other jackets and clothing in general. The standard of manufacturing also differed as they had different categories of fakes......good imitations and not so good imitations.

I ended up with 2 handbags, one work briefcase, a pair of leather gloves and a leather jacket. I think the leather jacket was the pick of the goods and great value. I couldnt buy any shoes as I had BIG feet in the land of the Chinese.



In the interval for lunch we headed across the road for a meal at the hotel. It was quite nice and Mum and Deb had western meals whilst Dad and I enjoyed an Asian delight.

On the way back to Hangzhou we stopped at a roadside shed and Mum bought a handmade rocking chair made from bamboo. It was well made and even included a foot rest/massager. A steal at only AU$35 considering all the time and effort that had gone into it.

FRIDAY 15 SEPTEMBER - HANGZHOU

In the evening we all headed to the German Pub, 1828 Bar and Grill, where they had home brew. It was not quite the taste I like when it comes to beer so enjoyed a few Heinekens after the first home brew. A couple of Philipinos, who looked and sounded great, sang karaoke style for most of the evening.

Mum and Dad took K home and Deb and I stayed for a few more drinks before heading to the Irish pub which was deserted. So enjoyed a banana dacquari and then headed home as well.

THURSDAY 14 SEPTEMBER - HANGZHOU
(Silk Markets)

It was time to venture out in a taxi, which I have not done much of at all during this trip as I have been eager to catch public transport in each place to learn more about the towns and cities and of course save money for more important aspects of the holiday!

Mum, Deb, K and I headed to the Silk Markets which was a long paved area with quaint shops on each side. Each shop was filled with genuine silk garments ranging from shirts and pyjamas to wraps and dresses. Being restricted in sizes I ended up buying some slippers and wraps.

It was also interesting to see the OHS of the road works that were going on along the paved area - the area was not bunted off, electrical cords were laid out everywhere and the guy was angle grinding with a power board in the rain.



Then we walked around the area and found murials on the walls and also a nice little coffee shop. I don't like the taste of coffee so was thinking I was ordering a chocolate frappe but in the end it was a coffee frappe with a bit of chocolate. All part of the adventure of not understanding the language.

WEDNESDAY 13 SEPTEMBER - HANGZHOU
(History St and Foot Massage)

It was my first full day in Hangzhou and I was ready to see the sites. In the morning we strolled a few blocks to History Street where, on one end they had the 'Snow' Beer Festival and the other end consisted of shops and even a new McDonalds.

Firstly we wandered through the crowds at the beer festival and had a look at the weird and wonderful foods and associated smells. There was everything from coconut drinks to whole chickens to seafood.

My two year old neice Kialah, with her blue eyes and blonde hair, drew a crowd, which Deb said was very normal. The locals would stop, stare, poke her, prod her and take photos with their mobile cameras. It did seem extreme but then they don't often see a western baby.

Next it was onto the shops and it was a magical world of souvenirs, local arts and crafts, pictures, jewellery, clothes and the 2 RMB shop instead of $2 shop which we have in Australia. The 2 RMB shop was much better as goods cost less then 40c!



We stopped and had lunch at the central food market which lined one of the side streets. I had been told by many people, before leaving for my trip, when I got to China to stay aware from the fresh salad, watch out for meat, don't eat food from street vendors and only drink bottled water. Well here I was on my first full day eating from street vedors. I stayed with fried rice, rice roll and a bottled orange drink. It was quite tasty and I was fine!



In the evening Mum, Dad and I headed downstairs for an hour and a half foot massage (only about AU$11 a head) which included feet, legs, arms and shoulders. We were given cold water (make sure you know how to say 'cold' and 'hot' in chinese otherwise you could end up with hot water, hot orange juice and maybe cold coffee!!??) and fed water melon and corn cob lollies.



The whole experience was nice and relaxing and it was fun trying to work out what the masseuses were saying to each other. Mum worked out they were insulting her nose and Dad worked out they thought he was funny as had hairy arms. A point to note is that Asians do not really have lots of hair on their bodies, ie. non hairy arms, chests and legs etc.

TUESDAY 12 SEPTEMBER - HELSINKI TO SHANGHAI TO HANGZHOU

During the night I had to wrestle with the Finnish guy for my space as his lanky arms kept creeping over into my seat area. Not in a sleazy way but in a 'I want more room way'. I didnt mind him pinching the arm rest but I put a stop to it when his arm was in my space. Over breakie he was quite apologetic.

After arriving into Shanghai a little late it was time to walk the vast hallways to customs and the luggage carousel. It was amazing at the number of the moving walkways and the distance we travelled. At customs we had to hand in a form stating we were not diseased with the flu, fever etc. Last time I checked these werent diseases and if someone was suffering from these I doubt they would admit it as they probably wouldnt be allowed in the country. I guess it all started from the SARS and bird flu epidemics.

Customs was fairly brief and then it was time to find my sister who had got up at a ridiculous hour to come and pick me up with the driver from Hangzhou (170km south of Shanghai but a 2-2.5 hour drive due to the heavy traffic). Luckily Deb had only been there for a few minutes as the driver was late so all worked out well.

On the ride back to Hangzhou I ate vegemite covered cruskits (thanks Deb) and caught up on the goss. Then while I napped Deb caught up on the goss in my english magazine.

We arrived in Hangzhou just before lunch when it was time to have a shower, catch up with the family and unpack. I snoozed for a few hours before Dad got home from work around 6pm.





For dinner Dad wanted to take me to the Reggae Bar for Pizza since it was Tuesday night special. It seemed a little ironic just coming from Italy (where pizza originated) to China and having pizza on my first night. But as Dad said I wouldnt be in Hangzhou for another Tuesday night this trip as next Tuesday Deb and I would be in Shanghai.

The pizza was quite nice but I was more impressed with the size and price of beer. I ordered a carlsberg for AU$3 and expected a normal 330 or 375ml bottle but out came a long neck. Bargin!

We walked home along West Lake which due to the silting up of the shallow sea inlet became a lake many moons ago. It is six square kilometres and has an average depth of just five feet. The lake comprises five distinct sections and is surrounded by distinctive peaks, serene forests and springs, dense foliage and beautiful blossoms.

Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo (960-1127) compared West Lake to Xi Zi, 'the most beautiful woman in ancient China:'

"Ripping water shimmering on sunny day,
Misty mountains shrouded the rain;
Plain or gaily decked out like Xizi;
West Lake is always alluring."

At 9pm we were able to watch the water & light show where water and lights danced to music. It was quite amazing and even more so with respect to the effort the locals went to set up the area for each show during each day and night. Out would come the chairs before each show and then after the show they would be packed away and the street sweepers (ie. people with dustpan and brooms) would sweep the area. Worked like clockwork!



MONDAY 11 SEPTEMBER - MILAN TO HELSINKI

MOVING ONTO MILAN

SUNDAY 10 SEPTEMBER - MILAN











SATURDAY 9 SEPTEMBER - FLORENCE TO MILAN

It was our last day in Florence and it was to be off off and away, north, to Milan by train. After packing up most of our stuff Rach headed off to find bubble wrap for all her wine purchases (since no liquids were permitted as cabin baggage) and I headed off to see the Boboli Gardens on the outskirts of the built up area of Florence.

I tried to play the dumb tourist and sneak past the guard but it wasn't to be. I handed over my money but avoided the bag search. I must have looked like I some coinage but I wasn't a typical suspect planning on taking cuttings?? :)

The gardens, which are ,on the side of a hill(hence hilly!)were laid out in around 1549 by the Medici family behind the Palazzo Pitti and the gardens are absolutely massive. I only had a couple of hours before I was planning to catch up with Rach so I had to use the maps installed around the gardens to be efficient and cover as much ground as I could. The gardens full of trees & shrubs, shady spots, hidey holes, fountains, sculptures, old buildings, great views and was well worth the visit.

One of the sculptures I had seen in the middle of florence actually had an exhibit within the gardens. I like the smooth curves of his scultpures and how they seemed to evolve. Im not that arty but I do like the odd bit of cultural experience.

FIRENZE HERE WE COME!!

FRIDAY 8 SEPTEMBER - DAY TRIP TO PISA (FROM FIRENZE)
















THURSDAY 7 SEPTEMBER - DAY TRIP TO SAN GIMIGNANO (FROM FIRENZE)















WEDNESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER - SIENA TO FIRENZE

Happy xxth birthday Mum! I know you dont want the whole world to know your age but lets just say it's a biggy and it's not your 21st :). Hope you had a fantastic and memorable day!

GREAT THINGS DO COME IN SMALL PACKAGES

I have indeed been slack in completing my travel blog from the last 2.5 weeks of my trip but there was just so much to see and do and once I left the comfort of my friend's homes time spent on the internet was minimal and Blogspot in China ended up being in Chinese (fancy that!) So now that I have settled back into the hum drum of life at home (yes - it's been four weeks since I landed back in Adelaide) I vow to finish my blog. AND so the report of my adventures continue.....

TUESDAY 5 SEPT - DAY TRIP TO MONTEPULCIANO (FROM SIENA)

Rach and I awoke about 7am and headed out to the lovely verandah area for breakfast overlooking the hills surrounding Siena. Breakfast included a selection of cereal (cocoa pops which I havent had in years and cannot believe I actually ate them in Italy!), rolls, cheese triangles, something which tasted like nutella, crackers, danishes, muffins and cake. It was a case of eating and also grabbing some extras for morning tea.

The train was not expected to leave for Montepulciano until 10.50am so Rach and I headed by bus to the city centre so I could buy a handbag I had seen the previous evening when the shops had shut. Arriving at the shop we were shocked to learn the shop was still closed and did not open until 10am. Wandering around we revisited Il Campo. The fountain was actually quite disgusting with bird poop everywhere but would have been glorious in its hey day.

One bag later it was back on the bus that had taken us past the train station the previous evening. Mmmm. It drove around the city and then headed for the outskirts but no where near the train station so we hopped off when it came back to the hotel and then walked to the train station (without luggage which was a great feeling) for the 12.20pm train. Rach found (well bought) a packet of Paprika Fonzies (Italian Twisties)!

Arriving at Montepuliano train station we thought the town would be quite close. We headed to the only shop we could see, a coffee shop, and tried to ask about the bus but was told no tickets. So again we wandered around trying to figure out
1) where the town centre with shops and ristorantes was
2) where the rolling green tuscan hills were
3) where the people were.

This place seem quiet and void of any of the above. Coming across a local sitting on steps we tried to ask where we were on the Montepulciano Map. After gestures and a few Italian/English words we figured out we were actually at least 7 kilometres away from the town! Who would have the thought the train station was no where near the town!

A little disheartened by the trouble we had with transport this morning we headed back to the bare taxi rank and asked an American couple if we could share their taxi if and when it turned up.....when low and behold the Italian lady from earlier rolled up in a car driven by a little Italian guy.

More gestures and we found ourselves jumping in their car and being chaffeured to Montepulciano, trying to make conversation along the way, which was a little difficult since they didnt speak english and we didnt speak Italian. We certainly would not have jumped in a strangers car in Australia but this seemed like a great idea at the time since we were otherwise stranded.

After much appreciation we hit the REAL town of Montepulciano! We were hungry and thirsty so started with a hearty Italian lunch from the tourist menu consisting pasta, proscuito, very ripe and tasty tomatoes, sheeps cheese and of course chianti.

Next it was exploring the shops, wine tasting (thanks for all the encouragement Rach), walking up hills through parks, more wine tasting including Grappe with 42% alcohol (and purchases by Rach), and taking photos a plenty. The difficulties faced to reach this place were forgotten as we enjoyed the atmosphere, few tourists, magnificent panaromic views and the giddy feeling which resulted from the wine, heat and hiking up hills! But definitely part of the experience!


A light dinner of Bruschetta at a Ristorante tucked away off the main road was a fitting end to our experience....well nearly the end of our experience. At 8.30pm our taxi turned up and we only had 10 minutes until the train was due. Unfortunately there were a lot of winding roads between us and the station. 'Never fear' the taxi driver cried (or something similar in Italian) and off we went hurtling along the road at high speeds, round corners, swerving here and ducking in there..... Rach and I were speechless as we grasped for something to hang on to. With minutes to spare we clambered out the taxi as the taxi driver grinned.





Before heading to bed Rach and I sat outside at the hotel, drinking chianti and chatting and reminiscing about the great day. It was an absolutely fantastic day and probably one of the best of the whole trip. Not everything went to plan but it was unforgettable.