Day 5 (Suzhou)

Saturday 7^th July: Suzhou J

11.18: right on schedule, arrival in Suzhou. Bought tickets to Shanghai but the lady would not sell us tickets from Kunming to Dali. Told us to buy them in Shanghai which means there won’t be any by the time we get there! Another trying experience.

Took a taxi to our hotel, checked in, had a much deserved shower and off to lunch. The Mingtown hotel is along the canal in a beautiful old street called Pingjiang Lu. The hotel is in a typical Suzhou house, whitewashed walls and black tiled roof. Charming!

We explored the area for a while and realised we needed to rest. A day on the bus plus a night sitting on the train had got the better of us. We went back to the hotel and had a lie down until 6pm, until our stomachs were growling again for food. After walking for a while in search of a restaurant that tempted us, we stumbled upon a “Gantonese Restaurant”. Delicious food and great entertainment as we tried our best to decipher the English translations of the dishes.

Pingjiang Lu where our hotel was

Reflection: though the weather here is very humid and the sky grey, there is a distinct difference in atmosphere from Zhengzhou. Suzhou is a pretty city even in the rain. But it is hot!