So Leo picked us up on Friday and we started our trip. Fortunately for us, the highway traffic was MUCH better for this trip and we were in Hangzhou in a little less than 2 hours. After getting checked into the hotel, we found a really authentic Chinese place to eat...Papa John's! After pizza, we were off to explore West Lake. It is this beautiful lake that has lots of old bridges, pagodas, walking paths, etc. all around it. We walked one of the causeways that cuts across the lake and enjoyed just being outside in the fresh air. John had Kate in a backpack on him and boy, did he get lots of stares! I mean, we get lots of stares and gawking anyway but put a Chinese baby in a cool looking backpack on the back of a big, strong American man and you have the makings of a small side show. Leo said that you would think we were Superstars the way people stop and look at us. We like to do little experiments. For example, f Leo walks ahead of us holding the hand of Lauren and Leah no one even notices them. If they come back and hold our hand and walk with us...instant show! It can be kind of funny or mildly annoying depending on what mood we are in! :)
Someone gawking so much so that he is video taping us - so John decided to return the favor and photograph him! And as I now think about it...we have really "one upped him" by putting him on the world wide web! :)
After taking in all the beauty of West Lake, it was back to the hotel to freshen up and then a quick 5 minute walk to dinner. We ordered a host of delicious things and enjoyed a great dinner. There was a night market another 5 minute walk from the hotel that we walked to. It was great. It's a regular street during the day but at night it transforms into a closed off pedestrian street filled with every kind of anything you could want. It is definitely for the locals as I'm pretty sure we were the only "foreigners" there. "Foreigners" is what we are so lovingly referred to as by Leo and most of the Chinese! It was lots of fun and even Lauren got into the spirit and bargained in Chinese (with Dad's help) to get a hair pretty that she wanted. The vendor got a kick out of Lauren telling him "tai gui le" which means too expensive!
This morning we woke up and went to a Buddhist temple in Hangzhou. The best part about the temple is that it was up on the mountains that surround West Lake and a really beautiful drive to get to it. The grounds were very beautiful as well with tons of trees and bamboo growing everywhere. In the midst of the grounds is a mountain that has tons of cave-type areas that have been carved with all kinds of pictures. The earliest carvings date back to 951 AD so it was very cool to look at them. The girls loved climbing around the rocks and caves and Kate was happy to be carried in the backpack. We didn't actually go into the Temple because there was another admission price to get into it. We had already paid $20 to get into the grounds so I didn't want to pay more just to get inside the temple...besides that, it actually makes me sad to see the people bowing, praying, etc. to this statue that really can't do anything for them. So we opted to just enjoy the grounds and then head out.
Leo hanging with the big girls on the temple grounds!
The hillsides filled with tea bushes.
Leo then took us to a typical Hangzhou Farmers lunch at an outdoor restaurant near the temple. The whole area around West Lake and Hangzhou is famous for their tea-Long Jing tea (or something like that). It's a green tea and very delicious. All along the road going from the temple to where the restaurant was the hillsides was full of tea bushes. It was really amazing. So, as you know by now, I'm squeamish when it comes to eating at random places but Leo assured me once again that this place we were going to was good so we sat down to have the specialty, Beggars Chicken, and a ton of other things, including Lauren's favorite - shrimp. The chicken came out in a big bowl simmering in yummy broth. It was really delicious but interesting at first because when I say the chicken came out - I mean the WHOLE chicken...neck, head, feet, everything!
Leah thought it was a hoot that the chicken head was just sitting right there on a plate, which is funny because Leah is the most squeamish of all the girls. Here she is giving it a drink of her apple juice.
Leah thought it was a hoot that the chicken head was just sitting right there on a plate, which is funny because Leah is the most squeamish of all the girls. Here she is giving it a drink of her apple juice.
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| 10-2008 |
1 comment:
I think I would have to draw the line at the whole chicken in the pot meal. I could be only so adventurous! The girls are much braver than me! I love the pictures! We miss you and love you!
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