Shangri-La Hotel, Suzhou

... parking lot was full of them. We enjoyed the chance to get out and walk on our own for the first time in China. It was also interesting to be somewhere that tourists don&#8217;t typically go. There were a lot of stares and waves from the locals.<br><br>We headed to the top tourist destination in Suzhou next; Tiger Hill. At the top of Tiger Hill is a thousand year old Buddhist Temple, which also happens to have a fifteen degree lean. So not ...

... outside of his small one room home having a morning stretch or brushing his teeth. His home is no larger than a small single-car garage and is situated on the edge of the road. We peer through the window of his home as we pedal by. Inside is a sleeping cot, a small table, a hot plate, and some shelving on the wall lined with canned food. I wonder about the stories this old man must have, and how, if at all, his ...

... any Italian city.<br><br>Suzhou is also celebrated for its gardens. These date back centuries and are works of art. We visit the Joyous Garden..The designer seems to have been to the same garden school as John and me. There is lots of stone and limited, easily maintained plant areas! Admittedly the rock displays are rather grander than our sandstone boulders and the water features are far more extensive than the one John is planning ...

... the Chinese school, so to use the gym and observatory and auditorium the owner of the school has to pay for it, which he's not willing to do. The owner is building a new state of the art school which is supposed to be ready in about 18 months. <br><br>The students day begins at 7am when they meet in their classrooms for some English instruction with their Chinese Teacher Assistants. Each classroom has a Chinese Teacher Assistant. These Assistants are ...

... into the wedding business is not a<br>whim. As the Disney brand represents a romantic implication, Disney&#8217;s<br>products and services have been sought after by the newlyweds. Disney<br>Princess series ...

... limestone boulderes are from lake Tai which is near by. We also went on a smaller canal, which is barely wide enough for 2 boats to pass. the boatman has a helper who stands at the front and ensures the boat doesn't run into the walls. we stopped nd got out at a little market area, non-tourist, where locals shop. this is where much poorer people live. it is not considered desireable to live along the canals because the presence of the water breeds ...

... Strangely it seems that there are more gardens and canals than Net Bars here in Suzhou. It really is strange indeed! If you've ever been to China then you'd know that each city seems to have an entire Net Bar for every single person! So many of them there are. But here it seems there is only several Net Bars for the entire city. <br> <br>Oh how tough is ...

... the hard drive to free up the memory. When we return, I promise a photo gallery to all. I must confess I am tiring of Chinese food, last night Kyle and I ditched the group for McDonald's Big Macs, french fries and sodas. Afterward it was a big treat to the local Star bucks for a Carmel frappacino. Ymmm...I couldn't resist. I needed comfort from home. BTW, we are traveling with 2 families from LA, 11 of us total. There are ABC ...

... always claimed his innocence though, thus naming the huge and expensive garden "The Humble Administrator's Garden" Master of Nets Garden Is the smallest garden in Suzhou and built by a great military general that moved to Suzhou to retire. He came up with the name as he wanted to live the simple life of a fisherman and his garden was his refuge. The next day we headed to the ...

... un homme de confiance lui ayant raconte que son oncle etait marin et qu'il en avait tue un par accident avec les helices de son bateau. Ailleurs, si l'on suit l'un des discrets bras du fleuves sur 100km, on peut ariver chez les "hommes sauvages". Comme des etres humains en apparence, mais comme des animaux dans la maniere de vivre, avec une ville construite dans les arbres, et tuant et mangeant tout ce qui passe sur leur territoire. Evidemment personne n'a jamais vu ces hommes sauvages ...