Tom |
An irregular blog.
The previous post is Hangzhou (May 12).
The next post is Suzhou (May 14).
I also have a photo gallery that I'm not sure what to do with.
Comics:
Achewood,
Day By Day,
Gunnerkrigg Court,
I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER,
Not From Concentrate,
Penny Arcade,
Strongbad's Email,
Sunday Morning Breakfast Cereal,
The Perry Bible Fellowship,
Xkcd,
Music:
Blentwell,
DI.fm,
Soma.fm,
Tokion FM,
Spacing Guild:
Craig, Dave, Eric, Evan, Josh, Katie, Matt, Nick, Phil, Tony, Yin,
Blogs:
Asymmetrical Information,
Baby Bunia Chronicles,
Boysbriefs,
Church of the Masses,
CQG,
Eidos,
Eve Tushnet,
Free Exchange,
Giveawayboy,
Glitter For Brains,
Heretical Ideas,
Εν αÏ?χη ην ο Λογος,
James Lileks,
Jimbo.Info,
Joe. My. God.,
John Heard,
Ling the Merciless,
Little Yellow Different,
Merrilee's Overseas Travels 2010,
Sed Contra,
Sinobling,
The John Larroquette Project,
The Neutral Corner,
This Blog Sits at the,
Thomas P.M. Barnett,
Waiter Rant,
Ze Frank,
Hikers:
Bigfoot (that's me!)
Magaroni
Stanimal
Walk On
feeds: ,
Suzhou (May 13) · May 14, 09:28 AM
As soon as I woke I went out for fifteen minutes of exercise in a chilly lake breeze. On my way back I passed the Dutch girls who waited five minutes while I threw my pack together and checked out. We split a taxi to the train station and I bought a seat on K503 to Suzhou (which they had done the day before). We arrived in Suzhou and said goodbye; they go to Nanjing tonight — I stay here.
In the rush to leave with them I didn’t look up the HI hostel in Suzhou. First I wasted an hour walking down into the city across the moat looking for an internet bar both LP and a local policeman insisted was there. It wasn’t. A business-man pointed out a place after offering help. I took a taxi, and recognized on my overpriced tourist map the HI logo less than half a kilometer from the internet bar I was headed for.
I plan to leave tomorrow, towards Beijing — there are only a few hours for sightseeing, and I’d wasted about 3 of them. Maybe there is a lesson I should learn.
The hostel is a large two-star hotel, except priced like a hostel. I’m paying 40 RMB for a bed in a four-bed dorm. HI is expanding rapidly across China — my LP book was published last year, and it’s already old. China’s like that these days.
After checking in, I hailed a cab and visited the Humble Administrator’s Garden. It’s rather large, and though it’s not the best garden in Suzhou, I only plan on seeing two of them, and I’m going to do the Garden of the Master of Nets tomorrow, along with maybe the silk museum.
I spent about forty minutes in the garden, wandering through buildings and corridors and over bridges and up rock piles, then wandered south along canal-side streets with a Finnish fellow I met. We shared a dinner at a dumpling restaurant once featured in the LP — now touting it’s entry with large signs in the window. This is the first LP restaurant I’ve gotten to; we both agreed it was good. After dinner and a long walk home we said goodnight and I spent two hours online at the hostel. Around midnight I went out for food and found a man with a portable kitchen feeding the party crowd with to-order friend rice and fried noodles. For 5 RMB I was stuffed with greasy delicious rice and pork.
I’m coming down with a cough.
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It is such a fun to read your stories. Take care.
— Du Chen May 15, 09:18 PM #Thank you. If I can get over this cold (*cough*), everything else is going well. Onto Beijing …
— Tom May 16, 09:38 PM #