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| As my friend had a school commitment after Yellow Mountain, I treked to the nearby Hangzhou. It's home of scenic West Lake and is ranked with Suzhou as one of the two most beautiful places in China. |
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| It, of course, is year of the rabbit--my year! I figured it only fitting to join in a picture with the rabbits, as if it's a display basically celebrating me! |
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| West Lake is to China as Mount Olympus is to Westerners. This is the site of much Chinese mythology, so it is a very popular destination. |
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| Fortunately, I visited in the dead of "winter" so I could see the lake at its most tranquil. Friends went for national holiday in October and said walking around the lake was like walking in a funeral procession because it was so crowded it was so slow. |
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| Don't let me forget, Hangzhou is also home to the incredibly wealthy. Walking along the east side of the lake, you'll spot BMW, Maserati, Lamborghini, Mercedes, Porsche, Jaguar, and Ashton Martin (here) where you have to be invited to buy a car. |
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| The site of my first actual Chinese conversation! I went to the restaurant next to the hostel for dinner and to study my Chinese. The waiters, of course, noticed I was studying, so started up a conversation. It went surprisingly well despite my limited language at that time. Pictured with me here is Li Yang (same last name as me and also a rabbit). |
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| 东坡肉--dong po rou. It's a local specialty in Hangzhou that a former general fed to his troops. As is imperative in China, travelers must try the foods in every region (don't mind seeing the sites, as those are often 2nd in importance to the Chinese.) |
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