David: Hangzhou

So on the way to Hangzhou as you saw in the pictures our driver decided to make a pit stop in front of a beautiful field of flowers. We were all sleeping in the van when I felt a tap on the shoulder: "David (Dawei), I've stopped the car at a most beautiful location for you, would you like to take a picture?" My eyes opened to the sight of the field covered with yellow mustard flowers. (See previous Entry)

We arrived in Hangzhou at a very decent hotel just a brisk 5 minutes walk from the west lake. I had planned it this way because I knew that on Saturday my fellow travelers would not drive anywhere and this would make it easy to enjoy a day trip without the need of transportation. They also did not want to use the elevator on the Sabbath forcing them to use the stairs or waiting to catch a ride with other hotel guests on their way up.

On our first night there, as there are no kosher restaurants in Hangzhou, I took them to a completely vegetarian restaurant. Apparently there are Buddhists, who as part of their religion eat no meat or animal flesh products, which create a demand for such places. Do not misunderstand, Jews do eat meat but only if the animal was slaughtered by a certified religious professional called a "shohet". If you want to know more about Judaism feel free to let me know and I'll write u back.

The hotel rooms had a funny aspect which was a completely transparent shower and bathroom. In other words, when you use the bathroom or take a shower you can be seen by anyone else who is in the room. This aspect made our stay more interesting and set the ground for mischief and what we called "performances".

Our time in Hangzhou was short but I believe sufficient. On our first tour of the west lake the weather wasn't great and it rained on and off throughout the day. On our second day trip the weather was much nicer and enjoyed a walk around the public park beside the southeastern shore of West Lake. The area surrounding the lake is incredibly well maintained and touring was a treat for our eyes.