Being stuck in ningbo for 2 months and especially wasting a weeks holiday has left a smouldering travel bug that now needs to be fed and so I decided on a weekend break away to hangzhou to catch up with a few friends!
I finished teaching at 2.30 Friday, went home, grabbed my stuff and amazingly found a taxi straight out (even in the dreaded changeover time) and with that sorted got to the train station in record time, half 5 for a 7pm train! I decided to economise and so stayed in the train station and waited, reading on the kindle! Eventually got the train and arrived around 9, much more managable than before being 2 hours closer!
I know hangzhou well so decided to walk to a hostel I booked for the one night, on the 20minute walk I was amazed by the number of new companies and businesses I saw! A lot has changed since I was last here 4 months ago, including a brand spanking new metro!
I found my hotel in the old town, the sister hostel of an old favourite and was pleasantly surprised, a little newer, a little cleaner, the staff even friendlier, a really nice place, and 5pounds a night, bargain! On top of the 5 pound 2 hour train journey it was shaping into a very cheap city break!
After checking in I got a call from a friend who added me randomly on qq but who lives in ningbo with me saying she saw my Chinese blog saying I was in hangzhou and she was too for a wedding, we should meet up, I was pretty tired but she was local so we met up for a quick drink, she is nice, a teacher of some kind on the other side of ningbo near Nottingham university, and a chance to practise speaking Chinese as she said she was sick of speaking English after speaking it at work all week!
After a drink and a walk I made my excuses and went to a much needed bed.
The next morning I was up early and checked out before finding a taxi to wulin square where I would be staying, my hotel was nice and very centrally located and was thankfully private! I arrived at 11 and went straight for the shower, feeling considerably more human I went to meet the next friend!
We spent the afternoon wandering around the hangzhou tower complex, a huge shopping centre with a lake, many restaurants and more shops than I had ever seen! I picked up some shoes and a coat for ok Chinese prices, my achknowledgement that winter is finally coming, this week has been the start of thinking about taking a jacket out with me, a sad day!
One cool thing was finding a piano staircase, I had seen them online where every step is a key and stepping on them sounds them out, I stopped for a picture or two and some general sillyness, much to the amusment of passing locals....
That evening I got back around 8 and relaxed for the evening in the room before a shower and bed.
The final day I had tried to arrange a meet with a friend from lingxi who now lives in hangzhou but it she was working, doh! I slept a bit late and work at 10 to phone calls suggesting a 10.30 meet across town! Crap!
I got up dressed and packed before checking out and luckily leaving my bag in the hotel. I got a taxi to a different square 13km away (3pounds, ok!) and once there went for lunch with my friend who mentioned knowing a lot of IT people in hangzhou, and maybe she can mention me.. Not sure it will come to anything but any help is wonderful!
After lunch I got my stuff and walked to the station, partly to spend some time and partly due to the complete lack of taxis at that time in hangzhou!
I got the station (via Starbucks and a few places I know) and was amazed to find it rammed with people! They scan all luggage before letting it on the train (although I've never seen anything stopped) and had only 3 gates, and I guess six 1200+ people trains all departed at the same time, and to make it worse the usual overstaffed bored policeman every station has all disapeared instantly! the resulting crush was tough but luckily I was bigger than the others, and stronger, so I was ok, and most of the problems was old women pushing and shoving and trying to take advantage of the status given to the elderly. That did them no favours with me and they gave up pushing me after a brief scolding in Chinese, haha! Nobody is above the law!
Getting through they had decided to put another random check point 100m down the station entrance and so the same damn thing happened again!!
I made it to the train in the end and settled back in first class to relax for the journey back! A busy but productive weekend break!!
I finished teaching at 2.30 Friday, went home, grabbed my stuff and amazingly found a taxi straight out (even in the dreaded changeover time) and with that sorted got to the train station in record time, half 5 for a 7pm train! I decided to economise and so stayed in the train station and waited, reading on the kindle! Eventually got the train and arrived around 9, much more managable than before being 2 hours closer!
I know hangzhou well so decided to walk to a hostel I booked for the one night, on the 20minute walk I was amazed by the number of new companies and businesses I saw! A lot has changed since I was last here 4 months ago, including a brand spanking new metro!
I found my hotel in the old town, the sister hostel of an old favourite and was pleasantly surprised, a little newer, a little cleaner, the staff even friendlier, a really nice place, and 5pounds a night, bargain! On top of the 5 pound 2 hour train journey it was shaping into a very cheap city break!
After checking in I got a call from a friend who added me randomly on qq but who lives in ningbo with me saying she saw my Chinese blog saying I was in hangzhou and she was too for a wedding, we should meet up, I was pretty tired but she was local so we met up for a quick drink, she is nice, a teacher of some kind on the other side of ningbo near Nottingham university, and a chance to practise speaking Chinese as she said she was sick of speaking English after speaking it at work all week!
After a drink and a walk I made my excuses and went to a much needed bed.
The next morning I was up early and checked out before finding a taxi to wulin square where I would be staying, my hotel was nice and very centrally located and was thankfully private! I arrived at 11 and went straight for the shower, feeling considerably more human I went to meet the next friend!
We spent the afternoon wandering around the hangzhou tower complex, a huge shopping centre with a lake, many restaurants and more shops than I had ever seen! I picked up some shoes and a coat for ok Chinese prices, my achknowledgement that winter is finally coming, this week has been the start of thinking about taking a jacket out with me, a sad day!
One cool thing was finding a piano staircase, I had seen them online where every step is a key and stepping on them sounds them out, I stopped for a picture or two and some general sillyness, much to the amusment of passing locals....
That evening I got back around 8 and relaxed for the evening in the room before a shower and bed.
The final day I had tried to arrange a meet with a friend from lingxi who now lives in hangzhou but it she was working, doh! I slept a bit late and work at 10 to phone calls suggesting a 10.30 meet across town! Crap!
I got up dressed and packed before checking out and luckily leaving my bag in the hotel. I got a taxi to a different square 13km away (3pounds, ok!) and once there went for lunch with my friend who mentioned knowing a lot of IT people in hangzhou, and maybe she can mention me.. Not sure it will come to anything but any help is wonderful!
After lunch I got my stuff and walked to the station, partly to spend some time and partly due to the complete lack of taxis at that time in hangzhou!
I got the station (via Starbucks and a few places I know) and was amazed to find it rammed with people! They scan all luggage before letting it on the train (although I've never seen anything stopped) and had only 3 gates, and I guess six 1200+ people trains all departed at the same time, and to make it worse the usual overstaffed bored policeman every station has all disapeared instantly! the resulting crush was tough but luckily I was bigger than the others, and stronger, so I was ok, and most of the problems was old women pushing and shoving and trying to take advantage of the status given to the elderly. That did them no favours with me and they gave up pushing me after a brief scolding in Chinese, haha! Nobody is above the law!
Getting through they had decided to put another random check point 100m down the station entrance and so the same damn thing happened again!!
I made it to the train in the end and settled back in first class to relax for the journey back! A busy but productive weekend break!!
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