A weekend in Suzhou
 | | Picturesque Suzhou |
There is an old Chinese tourist blurb which goes something like, "In Heaven there is Paradise, on Earth there is Suzhou". I recently had the chance to go there on a coach trip and although I'm not usually one for organised tours, I jumped at the chance. The decision was made easier by the arrival of my girlfriend Jade and her mum Dawn, as I wanted their first impression of China to be a positive one. The 3 hour journey in stifling heat was hard going and not made any easier by the hangovers we were nursing - the result of a binge night on Chinese red wine (nasty stuff!). But it was well worth it, because we were far from disappointed by the breathtaking beauty of Suzhou. Alright Zen The first sight we visited was a Buddhist temple in a rural setting, just outside the city. I have to confess I didn't fully understand the historical significance of all the buildings, but it was fun just to wander around and soak up the relaxing vibe of the place. For lunch we went to an unusual looking restaurant, held up by wooden stilts in a lake. Our guide told us we would be sampling some authentic Chinese seafood cuisine, but I had no idea that this meant some of it would still be alive... I'm an English teacher, get me out of here!
 | | Seafood restaurant |
Jade spotted the movement in the bowl of live shrimp first and fell into a catatonic state of blind terror. Refusing to believe her paranoid hallucinations, I lifted the lid and was promptly splattered with chili sauce by an angry shrimp (of seemingly gigantic proportions) launching itself at my face. That was one bush tucker trial I just couldn't deal with! Afterwards (and still hungry) we were taken to a large hill covered in out-of-season plum trees, although I'm not quite sure why. Maybe it's because Shanghai city dwellers don't have the opportunity to experience real nature all that often.
 | | Views over Suzhou |
They were certainly very enthusiastic about hugging and rubbing every single tree for good luck. Yet another surprising custom, but that's China for you! Despite the intense heat, the magnificent view at the top more than made up for the punishing ascent. But we barely had time to take it all in, before being whisked off to the hotel for a party. My previous experiences of Chinese get-togethers have taught me not to expect cheese and pineapple cocktail sticks, or an ageing DJ pumping out Abba classics (luckily), but I looked forward to it with anticipation. It was a fun occasion and everyone made us feel really welcome as always, but after a couple of hours I felt my eyelids getting heavier. Then suddenly there was an eruption of screams as a massive food fight broke out amongst the kids of the group. I couldn't believe what I was witnessing and when the adults actually began to join in, I knew I had to make my move... Eat cake!
 | | Tom's unfortunate 'caking' victim |
Using my complimentary cake as a weapon, I stealthily advanced upon my prey (a helpless 10 year old - in retrospect, probably an innocent bystander) and stuffed my victim's face with the tasty dessert! However the adrenalin of this glorious attack soon ebbed away and I bid a cowardly retreat to my hotel room, fearing a retaliation from his vengeful parents. Invigorated by this unexpected outburst, we all hit the town for some late night boozing. As a popular tourist spot, Suzhou is home to over 100 bars, so it wasn't long before we found one to our taste. There was an excellent live band and when they launched into a Madonna medley, Dawn and Jade (fuelled by plenty of Jack Daniels) did a performance which had us and everyone else in the bar in stitches. Wish you were here...? The following day (and slightly worse for wear) we made our way to the Old Town in Suzhou. It's known as the 'Venice of the East', because it's full of picturesque canals and bridges. It certainly is a beautiful area, exemplified by the newly married couple I saw having their wedding photos taken there. On the way home we stopped off at one of Suzhou's magical gardens, which the city is
extremely famous for. The most enjoyable part for me were the bonsai trees, which I've been fascinated by ever since watching The Karate Kid Part 2 many years ago. Tonight Matthew, I'm going to be...
 | | Karaoke Dawn style! |
Jade and I were sorry to say goodbye to Dawn after only a few more days in China. But before she left, we went out to a Karaoke bar (or KTV as it's called over here) and were treated to her now classic version of 'Tie That Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree'. It's safe to say that Dawn has left her legacy in China forever! Don't forget to click the links below, or to the top right of this page to see Tom's new picture gallery, and to catch up with previous diary entries. | 
