Hangzhou

Today is Hangzhou.
Friday I had the day to myself so had to introduce the taxi drivers to Gerald chinese. [slowly and loudly spoken]. Worked a treat.NOT. However revisited the trade centre and had a look at another mile or so. Staggering. I went down to the local supermarket to get a few groceries for the kids which I found fun. The most successful buy was the baked beans and potatoes. Katie came to the hotel for dinner and we had some fun at what we had ordered. It was another Mongolian style where you put the things in the boiling mixture. Kate wasn't a big fan of the pigs brain or chicken head so had to make do with the more traditional.
Yesterday we assembled for breakfast then off to the train for a trip to Hangzhou. The train was cruising at 204 KMH through intersesting farm lands.
We were all wrapped by this beautiful city. "In heaven there is paradise and on earth there is Hangzhou" The west lake[about 30 in china but this is the best] was the first stop. A very strong young fellow sciffed us across alarge part of it. He drew the line about the excessive drag that was created with Kate dangling her legs in the water. The heat was right up there and it wouldnt have taken much to abandon ship. Then walking on round there was a very picturesque spot with about 6 newly weds lined up for a turn of the view. At 34 degresss I am glad it was not me with the tux on, as it was you can imagine. From here it was a visit sown silk street[silk is quite light] and then off to a night market.Again this was great and could have bought heaps. Dinner in a local restaurant that did the local cuisine with the beggars chicken being the most famous. Good stuff. We agreed to meet at 8.30 to head back to the hotel. 8.28 and the the rain came down which caused taxi getting difficult. Eventually some slightly less than polite behaviour scored success. Great day.
Today anotheh sorte around the place and then back to yiwu and dinner with the headmaster. His zero English and my 2 chinese words will make it interesting. Most headmasters and me have little more than 2 words in common however so should be fine.
Love Gxx