- 7 AM wake-up call. but already up at 4:30 (jet lag?). just waited for 6:30 breakfast.
- continental breakfast: dim sum (steam buns, bread, dumpling, sweet dumpling, sticky rice bread roll). sausage, bacon, egg. roast season veggies, conjee, pickles. fried rice, noodles, bread, Korean noodles. pastry, fruit.
- ready to leave at 8:30 AM. leave at 8:50.
- YuYuan Tourist Mart shopping complex. 9:40 - 10:45. buildings almost 450 years old, recently restored by government.
lol wtf Bradley Cooper XP
food court: giant xiao long bao (soup dumpling)
- lunch at 11: omelette, fried pork, sweet & sour pork, sliced savory pork, eggplant, tomato & egg soup, fish, green bean, brown "mushroom cap", steam bun.
- rest stop. bathroom break. ughhh. 1st time using floor toilet. XPPP difficult. awful.
- 12:15. drive to Hangzhou. ~2 hours. boring drive. nap.
- ~2:45. new local guide. driving bus tour.
- Hangzhou - beautiful, rich, 1 of 8 old capitals. with small river through it for recreation. known for "brave" clothes general and legend of White Snake's temple prison. rich Southern paradise. ancient export of tools, products.
- West Lake - famous attraction of Hangzhou, China, & Asia for beautiful gardens.
- South(?) Garden - peony, cinnamon tree, soil-saving shrubs?, famous "money tree" (green moss/lichen/fern on tree. rare, ideal conditions. lucky. 1 turned black 2 days before massive Japan earthquake and never grew back.)
tour guide's Papa Smurf pole - follow the leader; keep the group together.
- Leifeng Pagoda - famous for Legend of White Snake (demigoddess trapped under it by monk, kinda like Chamber of Secrets?). true story: older emperor (51 y.o.) celebrated birth of son with buried treasure under temple. became legend. tower fell. digging and repairing. huge treasure chest discovered. no monster.
- ferry ride on lake
- boardwalk around lake - scenery, shops, squirrel tree! (cute little squirrels running all over & around it)
- dinner: fish, soup, tofu (egg?), dongpo(?) pork (famous local dish; fatty & juicy), pork & pickle w/ steam bun, veggies, pork & short noodles, (shrimp) tofu, bean curd & pork.
- "Night of West Lake" Show - martial arts & dance performance. (no White/Green Snake?!). legend of Yue Fei (military general/hero; "serve country w/ utmost loyalty"). Butterfly Love Story (aka Chinese Romeo & Juliet; aerial acrobatics). Chinese acrobats. motorcycle cage (4 bikes!). drums (bad 70s/80s, neon lights, cone bras!). tea leaf picking song & dance. Buddha/Goddess of Mercy dance. fashion show?
- 9:30 PM - arrive at new hotel. Hangzhou Braim Canal Hotel. very nice room.
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