Suzhou snapshot

Dad visited Shanghai on a business trip in June and yours truly went up there and spent a weekend with him. We decided on a day trip to Suzhou since neither of us have been.

To be honest, Suzhouw as a bit of a disappointment, and we didn't get to see everything we wanted, in part due to my own balls-up with the return train tickets.

Nevertheless, it was nice to spend time with the old man. He seemed quite taken with the trishaws and we went everywhere in them, paying 10-15kuai a pop each time (probably ripped off!). Helluva fun as we weaved in and out of the streets dodging cars, people, bicycles and other trishaws. Dad keeps getting mistaken as a Japanese tourist and I, the translator for some reason - perhaps its because i'm doing all the navigation and bargaining! Plus we tip them extra. And then he says to them in broken chinese "We are from Singapore, and she (pointing to me) is my daughter!" somewhat indignantly.

Cue aplogetic look from trishaw riders. i didn't think too much about it until they apologised effusively. Maybe, there are, um, other sorts of older Japanese tourists accompanied by other sorts of younger multi-tasking translators. Who knows?

Dad remarks that Suzhou city looks similar to Hangzhou but as a sign that i'm now a seasoned Hangzhouvian, i immediately rejected that idea - Hangzhou looks mucho better!

We visited a couple of the requisite tourist sites (pagodas and temples) , strolled around leisurely and then had lunch at a local noodle eatery - cheap and deeeelicious. After that, we both telephatically signalled to each to other it was time for coffee, spotted a Xing-ba-ke and made a beeline for it. Always count on the MickeyD's of coffee when you need a caffeine fix.

The Suzhou museum had a long queue snaking out of its entrance and we both decided it was too much of a hassle to wait. It was the "wrong season" to visit the famed gardens apparently because there are't too many flowers in bloom - Ugh.

We got the train back to Shanghai, but not before his camera got picked amidst the heaving crowds at Suzhou train station. Dad sulks for about half the journey back but he quickly regained his jovial mood and persuaded me (it wasn't difficult) to go to the hotel bar for a couple of pre-dinner drinks. That was followed by a quick dinner, we said our goodbyes and i hopped back on a train to Hangzhou.

Ah well, i'll have to visit Suzhou again. Maybe better luck next time.

L: Austere-looking Suzhou museum designed by I.M. Pei. Very distinctive - i like.
R: Dad smiling... until his camera got picked at the train station!

L: Cheap tricks: A wooden clothes-peg solves the age-old problem of flapping trouser-cuffs when you're riding your tri-shaw.

R: Boat-woman paddling and singing along one of the canals.