Tun Xi to Hangzhou

15.07.09

I decided to go to the Taoist mountain, Qiyun Shan. I asked the girls at the hostel and again they wrote everything down so off I went to the bus station and on to the correct bus. Who needs to speak the language? This is getting too easy!!! The driver put me off and pointed in the right direction. Again it was very hot so I found the cable car - not too easy - and went up. The views were really good but the mountain looked pretty high and it was very hot so down I came. It was lovely in the village and so nice to get away from the city.

I then caught the bus to Yixian the opposite way to Tun Xi. It was a nice run but the town wasn’t very exciting. Having bought a watch as mine had broken, watched a man making noodles and had a stroll round the town where I was the afternoon matinee (I don’t think they got many tourists there), I caught the bus back. I missed the bus station as I was snoozing but the bus terminated at the Tun Xi railway station so it worked out fine!

16.07.09

I had a lazy day, touring the town via the local buses – I can recommend it as a very cheap way to see the sights.

17.07.09

The hostel booked the bus and hostel for Hangzhou. I was picked up at 08:30 and transferred to a bus going to Hangzhou. This was supposed to be air-conditioned but somewhere along the way it stopped working. I was sitting next to a little Chinese man. He was never still for more than a minute and every now and then his phone would ring. I don’t know if I mentioned the Chinese ringtones? They ARE VERY LOUD and very annoying. They ring for ages while the owner checks on the caller then shouts what sounds like ‘WEIGH’. I have never known any Chinese person speak quietly on the mobile!

I managed to get to the hostel via two buses and a lot of help. What a disappointment after the Koala Hostel! There were three sets of bunks and six lockers crammed into a room not much bigger than my bathroom and that’s small! Still, it was very clean and the shower was hot. Unfortunately for me there wasn’t a bottom bunk. The people at the hostel said that three French girls had the bottom bunks and maybe one would swap? They didn’t come in until 21:30 but one did swap and they were very nice about it.

Hangzhou 18.07.09

After buying breakfast at Carrefour, I set off on a mission to find the way to Yanguan to watch the eclipse. The Lonely Planet and the internet both said it was easy to get there and took about half an hour. The tourist office told me to go to the railway station and get the Shanghai train, getting off at Haining and then catch the 109 bus to Yanguan. The train alone took half an hour and then it was a further fifty minutes on the local bus (it was very cheap though!)

I found the River Viewing Park right outside the bus terminus and went up, only to be told ‘there is no river today’. I said I knew that but I wanted to see the river anyway. It was a lovely walk along the promenade and there was a nice breeze blowing – very refreshing. And yes, the river was there; quite wide and very muddy looking.

I caught the 106 back, only to be told it only went to the bus station and then I had to catch the express bus to Hangzhou which took another hour or so.

Yanguan was perfect to watch the eclipse but how to get there in good time for first contact at 08:23? I spent all Sunday trying to find a quicker way to get there but no joy.

20.07.09

I changed to the European Style Holiday Hotel early Monday morning. I’d booked this before I set off for China. I didn’t realize it was near the railway station until I spotted it from the station esplanade on the Saturday. The only thing European about the hotel was its name!! It was Chinese owned and run the Chinese way. The air-con was blowing warm, there was no fridge (although it said there was a mini ice-box) and no wardrobes, just a coat stand. There was a TV though. The bathroom was nice but all tiled so very slippery when wet. I complained about the air-con but it didn’t get fixed until late the next day. I asked if there was somewhere to dry my laundry. The girl on the desk said yes but the boy on the fifth floor said only in the bathroom. It looked very much like a Chinese laundry with all my garments hanging up in there!!!

I took the train to Ningbo as the Lonely Planet said it was a nice place to visit. It may have been when the LP reviewed it but now it was like all the other Chinese cities – in the process of being rebuilt!! Also very busy with lots of traffic. I had a lovely meal at a Lebanese restaurant. I think they added the bill up wrong (in my favour) but I cannot be sure.

I’d just missed a train back but as I’d boat a first class ticket I could stay in the soft seat lounge. It had very fierce air-con and I nearly froze to death but you do get to board the train before the second class people.

21.07.09

I decided to have one more go at finding the easy way to Yanguan. There was a Dutch couple also doing the same. I looked for the tourist office in Yanguan but it wasn’t where it should have been. The Dutch couple decided to spend the night there so I was told to catch the 106 bus going the other way and then get the local bus to Hangzhou. SUCCESS AT LAST!!! It took longer than the Lonely Planet said but it took me right back to Hangzhou for the princely sum of 30p. The bus also started running from Hangzhou at 05:15 so that was plenty time to get me to Yanguan.