Hangzhou 杭州

On my mom's second day in Shanghai we woke up early and took the bullet train to Hangzhou. This time we planned the trip without a tour group. So she was a bit nervous on how we would get there. But as you can see by the pictures We Made It!

Tao helped us book a hotel near the lake. Just a bus ride from the train station and a short walk we made it to the hotel and dropped off our bags. Once there we asked how to get to the West Lake 西湖, it was just a short ten minute walk over. I think it is interesting how you come upon the lake. Hangzhou is a fairly modern city, lots of buildings, shops, and restaurants. You walk toward the lake and you don't see it till you are actually there. There was a park with a bunch of trees and you need to walk through the park and all the way up to the lake before you can see it.

Surrounded by trees.

After crossing the Bai Di, it was so hot we had to take a rest. Luckily, we found a really nice bench under a big shady tree.We went to the famous Lou Wai Lou for lunch. They say the food is just as good as any of the other top restaurants but you can't miss it because of the views. Even though we were far from the window you can tell the view was beautiful. The windows were so clean it seemed as if you are sitting outside.

Waiting...Longjing Shrimp 龙井虾仁

Dong Po Rou 东坡肉
Xi HuTang Cu Yu 西湖唐醋鱼

Even with all the food we ordered we managed to eat it all. It was so delicious.



Wushan night market. We got there just as some of the vendors were setting up. I am pretty sure it is there for Chinese tourists and not locals because the prices are not that cheap. But it is still fun to walk through.