Suzchou (prounouced So chow) is apparently the garden city of China. I was not so fortunate to see any greenery. If that wasn't bad enough Gary decided that we should take the train but had failed to book the train tickets. If you thought taking the plane was bad...the train station was HELL. People spit inside the train station and stare. Also the idea of forming an orderly queue is so very English but the Chinese go to the other extreme. Gary was explaining to the woman that we wanted tickets and the person behind us threw his money at the woman behind the desk because he was tired of waiting. To give the woman behind the desk her due; she served both Gary and this other man and didn't even break a sweat.
Good things about train travel in China; they give you FREE bottle water and the trains are ultra modern. The bad thing is there are spit bags. People spit into the bag and then leave it in their chair. A lady comes round and picks it up.
We visited the site and Ben the site manager was my favourite of the WHOLE week. He was lovely and just so smilely. He even offered to order in western food in for me. I was just about to say yes when Gary said "No she can eat local food". A man responding for me is one of my PET HATES. Gary was in the dog house after that.
The Canteen
We ate in the Canteen. Granted everyone stared at me. It was chicken and rice. Sweet and spicy. The chicken had hair sticking out of it. I couldn't eat it. Gary said he worried about me as I didn't eat very much. I thought don't worry about me babes I am going to make it to Macdonalds after this!!
Ninja Taxi Driver
Gary had bought the return train ticket back. We had about 30 minutes to make the train. He foolishly told the driver we wanted to make this train. The train ticket cost €4. Well we took off at break neck speed with the driver putting his hand on the horn and swerving in between the lanes. I looked at Gary who was holding on for dear life and said to me:
"If you have the heart disease in China, you have the heart attack in the back of the taxi cab"
He wasn't wrong there.
The taxi driver drove down the central reservation, kissing his teeth and undertaking people. He undertook a coach and when I say undertook I mean the coach was turning and he thought he could squeeze in between the coach and the pavement. You know what they say; everyone finds Jesus at the end. I just closed my eyes and started to pray. Well when I opened my eyes Gary was staring at me. I must have prayed out loud. I was SCARED....ironic really given the events in Singapore a week later. However we had a ninja taxi driver. We got to the train station and he had to drive up a ramp, he not only drove up the ramp, but printed off the ticket, looked for change all whilst driving at 60km an hour and not crashing his car. We missed the train!
Gary left me on the tube by myself and I got off in central Shanghai and visited a temple. Here are some pictures;
Good things about train travel in China; they give you FREE bottle water and the trains are ultra modern. The bad thing is there are spit bags. People spit into the bag and then leave it in their chair. A lady comes round and picks it up.
We visited the site and Ben the site manager was my favourite of the WHOLE week. He was lovely and just so smilely. He even offered to order in western food in for me. I was just about to say yes when Gary said "No she can eat local food". A man responding for me is one of my PET HATES. Gary was in the dog house after that.
The Canteen
We ate in the Canteen. Granted everyone stared at me. It was chicken and rice. Sweet and spicy. The chicken had hair sticking out of it. I couldn't eat it. Gary said he worried about me as I didn't eat very much. I thought don't worry about me babes I am going to make it to Macdonalds after this!!
Ninja Taxi Driver
Gary had bought the return train ticket back. We had about 30 minutes to make the train. He foolishly told the driver we wanted to make this train. The train ticket cost €4. Well we took off at break neck speed with the driver putting his hand on the horn and swerving in between the lanes. I looked at Gary who was holding on for dear life and said to me:
"If you have the heart disease in China, you have the heart attack in the back of the taxi cab"
He wasn't wrong there.
The taxi driver drove down the central reservation, kissing his teeth and undertaking people. He undertook a coach and when I say undertook I mean the coach was turning and he thought he could squeeze in between the coach and the pavement. You know what they say; everyone finds Jesus at the end. I just closed my eyes and started to pray. Well when I opened my eyes Gary was staring at me. I must have prayed out loud. I was SCARED....ironic really given the events in Singapore a week later. However we had a ninja taxi driver. We got to the train station and he had to drive up a ramp, he not only drove up the ramp, but printed off the ticket, looked for change all whilst driving at 60km an hour and not crashing his car. We missed the train!
Gary left me on the tube by myself and I got off in central Shanghai and visited a temple. Here are some pictures;
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| He's actually on the lilipads cleaning the lake; serene! |
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