We had a lovely breakfast at the breakfast buffet and then headed out to explore the beautiful grounds of the hotel since we had a “late start” (on this tour, anything after 7 AM was a late start to us).
My breakfast. It was delicious.Pretty woman enjoying breakfast.The buffet is huge with a full Asian and Western offering.Everything was delicious.
Huge choices.Lots of specialty items.SweetsWe were told by Dave they had a nice garden and we should go for a walk after breakfast.Beautiful walkway that just wouldn’t make it here in the states.Pool.Spotlessly clean. (Gloria told us they make you wear a swim cap.)Really like the buildings and grounds.Lots of little fish, a few big ones.The pebble finished sidewalks are beautiful works made out of nature.An unusual fountain with small holes for the water to flow through.Pretty woman enjoying the grounds.We thought we’d figure a way in near our room, turns out every door but a very few are locked tight.
Earlier in the morning, in our room, we had opened up the patio door and heard some beautiful music, thinking it was coming from speakers. As we walked out and into the garden area we heard that same lovely singing coming from a pavilion across a little lake with a group of people singing. We also saw a really old Chinese pagoda and a group people doing tai chi. At another group of women in another area, I was offered to join these ladies doing tai chi but I didn’t want to embarrass myself or them. Beautiful garden and grounds that we would have liked to explore more. (Maybe next time.) It was almost magical and so traditional. Loved it! Also, the weather was being very cooperative.
We thought more garden.Turns out there is a whole huge beautiful park back here.Pagoda.Pretty woman crossing a dry stream.Treads more than stairs.Great street lights above the pathways.Hidden garden.With pond.Door open in our room so we could hear the music.The grounds are extraordinary.It is a maze of sorts here, lots of halls, dead ends and turns. Off to the bus.
We got on the bus and headed to the silk factory. The first part of the tour was all about the silk worms and how the silk is made. After that we went into the bedding section and were shown how they stretch out the silk. There were rooms of bedding, clothing, pictures, you name it and they had it. Quite something.
The silk factory tour. Begins in the classroom with examples of the different stages of development.Worm, cocoon, moth…Mulberry leaves are what the worms eat to produce the silk. Spring leaves are best, summer leaves okay, fall and winter leaves – not so much.The worms eating the leaves.Many type holders are used to encourage the worms to build their cocoons. Cardboard lattice here.Plastic mesh.
I like the star dragon. I’m liking everything dragon.Sorting the silk cocoons.Cocoons being turned into spindles of thread.The first stretch of a double cocoon which is used as filler in comforters because the threads cannot be separated.An experienced team stretching silk to make a filled comforter.Very beautiful, in silk.There is a huge selection of beautiful spreads and comforters.We thought the prices were very reasonable. Most expensive is 1250 Yuan, about $185.
We spent quite awhile there and then headed out to Hangzhou. The drive to Hangzhou was several hours. We stopped mid-way at a rest stop and went to a McDonald’s. We ordered off the picture menu (basically the same as in the US) and then looked at all the other little shops and restaurants while we waited. When we got back on the bus, one of the others (Nancy) gave me a piece of her stinky tofu. Was quite good and to me it didn’t smell. (At some point I also got to try some of Brandon and Andrew’s squid chips. Pretty darn good but nothing I would go out of my way to buy.)
It is a single decker, but a high profile. The front seats proved uncomfortable on my knees and a eye opening scary ride.All manor of Asian food and a little western choice.Highway rest stops have mini food malls.Lots of pointing hereToday’s familiar lunch. Edie did not like the ice cream, too vanilla flavored. I ate about half.I am always attracted to Chinese representations of horses.Coal fired oven baking a kind of pocket bread.
Even though the drive was kind of long, we enjoyed the sights out the windows.
They are fearless for creative building.The south is agricultural and about 20 degrees warmer than the north.The south is so much more green than the north.I think they called it the diamond building.There are lots of really nice cars here.Scooters are a major form of transportation. The roads are full of cars and a growing problem for China.We loved the built in accordion clothes line on each apartment.What a great little street sweeper.Almost all the scooters here are electric. I was fascinated by the mitts, closed basket and second seat.
When we got into Hangzhou, we drove to West Lake. West Lake is a beautiful park and lake. Absolutely stunning. A place where you could spend days just leisurely walking and exploring its beauty as it is very large (and very large for China means massive). The bus stopped and we got out and had to walk quite a ways to the boat ride.
The Chinese symbol for Hangzhou is on the canvas cover. The Pagoda’s and boats on the lake.It is also found in this fence.The bus dropped us off and we started walking. I thought these were very unusual vines.The thick vines in the trees hide wires for lights and speakers and cameras.Chinese version of a picket fence.Lovely flowers made of leaves.It is lush for early November.The picture on the one yuan is of West Lake.This has to be one of those most photographed places.Walking to West Lake.Kids never should have taught us how to do selfies.West Lake area is beautiful.
The boat ride was lovely and relaxing. I think it was so nice because no gasoline (aka loud) motors are allowed on the lake – only electric, row boats, or paddle boats). As we were pulling back into shore, we observed what I thought was a modeling session going on with some bright and beautiful clothing.
Our boat ride on the lake.Comfortable enough inside.This fellow oars his way across the lake.Grumpy.Pagoda turned into a restaurant.The dragon looking boat on the right is available for rent at a very hefty price. Hangzhou is China’s Silicon Valley. A new billionaire is created every 5 days and will eclipse the US in total number of millionaires within the next 2 years, if not sooner.Hangzhou skyline from West Lake.You can rent the traditional clothes and then get your picture taken.
Once we got on shore we walked a little ways away from the loading area and David told us that we had a little time to kill and we could look around. We were instructed to meet back at a certain spot so we could all walk back to the bus together. What a fun group we had. Some are very adventurous and others like to go slower and pace themselves. I think we all are loving the tour and are having fun. Michael and I decided to just walk around a little and explore. There was some type of concert going on that we could hear, but a temporary fence had been set up so you could not get into that area.
Another dragon fence, I love dragon fences.Andrew took this picture for us. I clearly instructed him not to take it in such a way that makes me look fat. Andrew is fired.Starbucks… they do get around.Eye candy everywhere you look.
Once back on the bus we were taken to an area for what was supposed to be lunch but turned out to be dinner.
The ever popular squid flavored chips.
A nice selection of things that they would refill as they were emptied. When we walked out of the restaurant we smelled something weird. Nancy said that was the smell of stinky tofu. Boy was it stinky! Smelled like a toilet. Glad I tried it before I smelled it.
A nice restaurant for dinner when a lunch got cancelled.It was entirely a fun group.We all seemed to enjoy each other.We ate our fill.The economic summits are held here when in China.
We got to our hotel, which was kinda on the outskirts and island type area of Hangzhou. It was a huge hotel (something like 40 stories) and gorgeous. We got into our beautiful (as usual) room and crashed.
On the way to the lobby, nice touches everywhere.Edie loved the tub. Her bath is a great comfort to her.It is nice though.It is late, I am tired, I just can’t get this place to light up. Nice shower.The toilet is in a glass enclosed chamber.I am inside the bathroom, looking through the glass wall into the bedroom.Fun round cabinetNice desk and work area.Only twins were available, it was okay with us.Fun glass sink, nice place.
Didn’t have any energy to go or do anything. That was our day. Hope yours was great!
