APRIL 6-7, 2015 -- HANGZOU, CHINA

HANGZOU, CHINA
APRIL 6-7, 2015

Monday and Tuesday we were in Hangzhou and saw beautiful countryside there. When we arrived, we checked into our very fancy hotel then went to lunch.

The Chinese people say that Hangzhou and Suzhou are the paradise of China.  It rained both days we were there, but we still walked and toured.  We walked around Westlake and through the gardens there.  We took a boat across the lake to one of the 3 islands in the lake.  We walked across a long causeway and across “The Broken Bridge.”  There is a great love story about the bridge and why it got its name.  It is called broken bridge not because it is broken but because young hearts were broken in love.  

The scene on the 1 Yuan bill

We all had Starbucks hot chocolate to warm up which was a treat AND a “first” for many in the family!  Rachel said having Starbucks HC was on her bucket list!!  

During our time in Hangzhou, Benjamin had his “best moment ever” (his quote exactly) while here in China.  Benjamin was walking along the old city street with us all and enjoying life as Benjamin does.  He had his umbrella and he clicked it so that he could flap his umbrella and make the rain flip off of it as he held it over his head.  As he did this he said, “Blub, blub, blub.”  This was repeated a few times and then one of the Chinese gentlemen with us asked Ben, “What does that mean, blub, blub, blub?”  Benjamin had to explain that it was just sounds.  What he really wanted to do was give a long explanation of some complex and deep philosophical discourse as the meaning of blub, blub, blub --- but he resisted!

 We also visited “The Fat Pagoda” which was rebuilt a few years ago.  It is part of the story of the “Broken Bridge” that I narrate later.  This pagoda has an elevator which proves it is modern.  They also have an area where you can see remains of the old pagoda and on one level they have wood carvings that tell the story of “The White Snake Lady” which is part of the broken bridge story.  The carvings were 3D, detailed, large and just breathtaking!    We heard lots of fun stories and legends from our tour guide.  Our tour guide told us that the reason the “fat pagoda” had fallen apart was because of “the stupid farmers.”  Ben and I both asked each other if that is what she really said!!!  Yes, she did.   It was “the stupid farmers” who believe that taking a brick from this pagoda, which was the place the “White Snake Lady” was imprisoned, would keep snakes away from their farms.  So many farmers came and took a brick from this “fat pagoda” that soon it just fell apart.  That is why she called them “stupid farmers.”    This “fat pagoda” is also called “The Queen’s Pagoda.”  It got that name because one king had many wives but they were all having girls then one of the queen’s gave birth to a little boy so the king built this pagoda to honor her.  So it was called “The Queen’s Pagoda.”

 We had multiple delicious meals and our last meal there was a buffet of Chinese AND “western” foods.  Rachel was the adventurous one and tried ox tongue, mussels, and more.  The previous day she tried duck tongue and frog.  Everyone in the family tried something new with possibly the exception of Mason.  He ate a lot of white rice. 

The lunch buffet that we had was at the "Marco Polo Hotel."  Here is Marco Polo.  I told Rebecca that he was the inventor of the swimming pool.  She thought for just a second and then new I was teasing her.  Benjamin, however, thought that we should try playing "marco polo" (the game you play in the swimming pool) and see if he responded.

We dropped the kids off at a hotel near the university to hang out and Rachel, Amy and I went with Dad to his presentation.  It was really amazing and Dad is totally amazing!  It was so fun to watch him give his presentation and to see him work with the audience and to be a celebrity!  Go Dad!!!