Hangzhou West Lake ...

I recently had to go to Hangzhou for teacher training at TEFL headquarters. Not so strangely when I got there, they told me the training was cancelled for that day. GGrrr... Now right now I live in Yuyao. And I have to get up very early and catch the train 2hrs and then 40min taxi ride to TEFL Hangzhou. So I was no real happy when they told me that it was cancelled that day. And that I would have to go back home again and come back the next day.... I don't think so.

So just lucky that a co-worker(Bruce) from Yuyao centre comes from Hangzhou and was there that day on his day off. He has a car so drives. And yes he is Chinese. Crazy drivers, but that is another story. I told the headquarters people that I would stay overnight but they had to pay the hotel bill. Long story short, yes this happened and my Yuyao centre manager paid the hotel.

And I had the day and night in Hangzhou. Bruce and I went to part of West Lake. My pics are ok, but West Lake is the most famous in all of Zhejiang Province and is synonymous with Hangzhou. Something like the Summer Palace in Beijing. So here are a few pics for you. It is huge and would take days to walk or ride all around and thru it. Bruce and I also went out for some dinner in a local restuarant place and had a foot massage after at the massage shop next door. Very civilised.

Actually the massage was very interesting situation. Imagine we are in room with like 4 large recliner chairs. Bruce and I sitting in chairs alongside each other chatting in English and the massage girls doing their job. We can chat about any topic we choose in English as the girls speak no English. Interesting situation ... and conversation. (sorry no details for you)

Here you go some pics of Hangzhou's West Lake. Sorry none of the massage shop or girls, but if you want some email me back and I will go and get some for you. Cheers for now. I have some news re Yuyao soon in following blogs.