Greentree Inn Suzhou Kaixuanmen Hotel

... is this the Venice of the East, but it also has the Leaning Tower of China. Of course, both the city and the tower predate their Italian counterparts by a few hundred years or more. <br><br>We took it slow through the complex, and the pace was a welcome change from the running we did in Beijing. It was a peaceful area, and all of the different tourists seemed happy to be there. A few in our group were pulled into pictures with the ...

... has changed through the years. We finally pass by the giant statue of Mao guarding over the school entrance as we pedal through the gates. Every morning we look forward to our bike ride down this fascinating stretch of road. A few weeks ago, as we were riding along taking it all in, we agreed that we had to give the street a name. Sesame Street seemed like the perfect fit. A bustling, teeming, energetic and happy place.

Suzhou<br><br><br><br>It is gloriously warm in Suzhou as we make our way to the central park. We find ourselves in "pet shop alley". I am tickled by a minah bird outside a shop which greets us with &#8220;Ni hao&#8221;, We understand the &#8221;Hello,&#8221; but unfortunately can't follow the rest of the bird&#8217;s chat. We meander past the fish tanks and flower sellers but then, unfortunately, our route takes us out of the pedestrian area ...

... be fast asleep, some even while they stand - amazing. The Chinese staff will put their heads down on their desks and sleep. Any available couch will have a body on it sleeping. Lois and I will eat our lunches and then sometimes do school work, go for a long walk, ride our bikes to Starbucks for a treat, watch a movie on the computer (Yup, I know weird that we can actually watch a movie at lunch), or I'll listen to a Canucks game on the internet. It's ...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!! I'm dressing up *s * pir*te / cr*cked out gypsy loh*n, it's pretty legend*ry. Tonight were going to Pulp Fiction, who *re ridiculously nice *nd giving free beer to everyone who is dressed up. It should get f*irly rowdy. App*rently none of the chinese dress up so it's b*sic*lly drunk exp*ts flooding b*r street cre*ting *ll sorts of shen*n****ns. <br>H*ve *n *wesome h*lloween!!! <br>-B

... West Hill and other scenic spots in its vicinity. Suzhou is about 2500 years old having first been built in 514BC. The city is criss-crossed with rivers and canals, and is also famous for it's historical gardens.<br><br>The city is broken up into 4 distinct sections. The SIP (Suzhou Industrial Park) area is the newest and most modern area. This district is incredible, with many futuristic high rise apartments, and office buildings, theatre, and convention centers, as ...

... have ZERO right-of-way, even when walking on a green signal. The best way to describe driving here is controlled chaos. Lanes, signals, and hazards mean nothing to the Chinese, they don't even give way to fire trucks or ambulances. Carl's place is really nice, and totally beats a hostel. We have our own room, bathroom and everything. So all the stress is drastically minimized. Also, his living room has a fantastic view. Carl has been ...

... subway train! Yes, a girl did cut in front of me on the platform while we were waiting for the train to Wuxi, but she did it in such a mallow way that we all considered a great improvement from what it was like before. The train pulled in the station, and we were pleasantly surprised. The exterior looks like a bullet train, even though it wasn't one. There was even a name for the train: Harmony. We got on the train and quickly ...

... of my time, but I'm really only here for a day trip and due to some unfortunate blisters on one of my feet I'm not up for moving around much anyway. For about the last week I've only really met other Chinese backpackers with enthusiastic, but very limited, English. So I've been more or less flying solo for the past couple of days. Shanghai is up next, which should put me back in contact with other westerners. I'll also be planning my escape to Japan from there.

... that anyone brave enough to travel abroad is scared of a squat toilet. Our first stop in Suzhou was The Humble Administrator garden. It was beautiful. Annie had a lot of things to tell us about Suzhou. We enjoyed seeing the gardens, the ponds, and the architecture. It wasn't the same experience as going alone. When on a tour you are moved along at a faster pace so you can see a little of everything and not a lot of anything. In gardens ...