Adventures in Guangzhou!

Wu Zhen is comparatively well preserved as an old town, but apparently the word is out because there were thousands of tourists there along with us and that detracted from the overall experience. It was sort of funny too because this place was really in the middle of no where--we barely passed anyone on the road on the way out there, but once there we became part of the masses. It was set up a bit like a museum which had some interesting sites such as the clothes dyeing process, but overall I was just overwhelmed by the hordes of people. I did, however, enjoy watching Tyler learn how to weave from some old Chinese lady. Classic.

The best part of the morning was taking a boat ride down the little river beside the town. It almost felt like I was back in Venice amongst the maze of canals because we were on a gondola-like vessel piloted by one guy with a big ol' pole behind him. We got to see some very cool foot bridges and buildings along the way which was great. I could have stayed out there on the water for hours. After spending my four summers working on the vineyard, I really do feel a close affinity for the water. I think that no matter where I end up later in life, it will either be right on the coast or at least on a river or lake. There's just something soothing about being on water.

After yet another ridiculously good lunch we headed back to Hangzhou where Phillip said his parents had invited us to a tea house. A tea house sounds pretty standard, right? Wrong. We were taken to one of the most breathtaking tea houses in existence, on a side of xi hu away from all other people. We were not only one of the only people there and but also the only tourists--a welcolme respite from the madness of Wu Zhen. Hangzhou is known for its tea and we were lucky enough to enjoy one of the finest varieties at this tea house. After a few snacks, Phillip and his mom took us on a tour of the grounds to the house, pointing out various architectural features and how certain trees and views were framed by the walls and windows. It was truly beautiful and once again the mist and clouds added that extra element to the experience.

We thought the royal treatment was over but Phillip and his parents (along with a few of their friends) took us to one of the fanciest restaurants in the city, with a maze of mini bridges over the water by the lake. We had our own mini building to dine in, complete with windows on all four sides. The food was incredible (no surprise) and I sampled a few new dishes. Between this dinner and a few others, I tried fox (quite tasty, especially with the spicy sauce), duck tongue (kind of bland but with a weird texture), and fish head soup (yummy, but somewhat unnerving to stare at the eyes). They toasted us with some fancy red wine and I did my best to represent and gave a small toast to our hosts. What a generous family!

We made another trip to the Cool Bar and then later to some other bar/club where we did some dancing with a bunch of drunk Indian guys. It's funny how music and alcohol can help eliminate language and cultural barriers. On the dance floor, everyone is on a level playing field. Everyone except Andy, that is, whose dance moves far exceed everyone else (check out the pictures). The link once again (in case you missed it last time):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/96703995@N00/