Suzhou Part 2 *Day 13*

Day 13 - Thursday 28th May

After yesterday's shenanigans, I was happy to have a fairly low key day. 

First order, I thought I would head into the convenience store downstairs and snag some sugar for my cuppa. Umm... Think again. I just wanted a little bit of sugar for my coffee. These were the offerings....

I really need to cut down on my sugar intake anyway.

How about some snacks? The weather is still a little bit poorly and I have some TV shows to catch up on. Sounds like a plan! 

Anyone for some:

Maybe not! I did find some Hershey kisses. Blew the budget but what the hey? I'm missing food I am familiar with.

After my missed eps of GOT, I decided that I couldn't spend the whole day holed up in my room and decided to take another little walk. There were tourist sights I could go chasing, but I really just wanted a day to hang out and 'be'.

Always stuff to see. Anyone for chicken tonight?

There were some lovely buildings that really make up Suzhou's charm.

I had wandered quite a distance and took a moment to sit down and watch the world go by for a few minutes.

A young man came up to me and in halting English said hi. We got chatting about where I was from, what he does (tour guide of course lol). I told him a bit about my experiences from the day before. 

I thought our conversation was going well, although his English was fairly limited. He then turned to me and said 'People from Australia are fat. People from China are skinny.' Complete with hand gestures. Not missing a beat I said to him (with hand gestures too) 'Some people in China very fat too'.

I'm not sure what he expected me to say but this was obviously the wrong reply. He harrumphed, spat and walked off. What????

Oh well. I think I need a foot massage. I wandered back towards the hotel and found a nice looking establishment and managed to request a foot massage. 

I ended up upstairs with a sweet young lady who went above and beyond to make me comfortable. I was there for 2 hours, drinking tea, watching a movie in English, had my back neck and feet done and was rather entertained by this young lady and her young husband who hung out with us and kept insisting I take his cigarettes. All for only about $A20. I left floating down the street.

I decided to have an early night as I was back to Jiaxing and classes.

What to do now... *Day 15 & 16*

Day 15 - Saturday 30th May

I was still feeling pretty rubbish when I woke up, but was determined to get on with things. I looked out my hotel room window and saw a huge sign that screamed 'Metro'. I had visions of a big bustling shopping centre to explore and all very conveniently close.

Downstairs, I managed to Google Translate my way to having a taxi ordered for me and I was off...

I had to do a bit of google translate again with the taxi driver but he said yes... Metro. And laughed at me.

About 90 seconds later, we pulled up in the parking lot of ...a supermarket! Go me!!! I at least looked embarrassed when I handed over the base 8RMB taxi fare.

Anyway, this could be a good thing!!! I had discovered that the China electricity plug holes look suspiciously similar to our Aussie ones, they are just fractionally more narrow so none of my devices were getting charged any time soon.

A wander around this Walmart-like wonderland and although they didn't have an Aussie to China plug (go figure), they did have a multi-USB to China plug which was good enough for me!

And they had bread! And chocolate! And Peanut Butter!!! OMG! 

They also had some other peculiar treats but we will never mention them again, ok?

A small shopping spree then surely ensued, although not too much of one, as I did indeed walk back to the hotel with no trouble. You see, I thought the shopping centre was much further away, and seperated by a large body of water. Haha it was Suzhou all over again!!!!

See the water? And the sign looks like it's attached to the big high rise behind it in the distance? Or... maybe I hadn't put my glasses on yet?

The walk back to hotel was quite pleasant, except for the many people who had to slow down and stare...

Happened everywhere in Jiaxing but in these few days I did not see another foreigner, it was particularly disconcerting.

Anyway, I spent a rather enjoyable day watching terrible English-language movies with Chinese subtitles (Adam Sandler really has gone downhill, hey!).

I got to speak with my Mum, Meleah, Pheonix, Sequoia, Robyn and Pete by proxy and started formulating a plan for my remaining time in China.

I was happy to spend the day chilling, ready for whatever comes next.

Day 16 - Sunday 31st May

A decision was made and that I would catch a train up to Beijing on Monday. In view of my unlikely return to China in the future, I figured that would be the place for me to head - I have always wanted to see the Great Wall and Tianamen Square.

Now, I had a Sunday to see anything else I wanted to see in Jiaxing. There is an area where there are lots of ancient buildings and canals call Yuehe Street or I believe colloquially Moon River that looked like a good place to check out.

I went downstairs and tried to converse with reception with the help of Google Translate. Is there a bus that goes there? No. Of course not. Taxi only. No taxi available just now. So, even though I had never ending problems with the wifi at the hotel and it appeared my internet in my Chinese SIM card had come to its end, the map for the App TripAdvisor seemed to work offline and even loosely tracked my location.

So off I set on foot. 

Wending my way through the Chinese streets, I was quite confident that I was headed in the right direction, and was quite enjoying the walk.

Before I knew it, and quite painlessly after several Kim's, I found myself exactly where I was headed!

There were markets

And a few characters along the way:

After my considerable walking, I found myself both thirsty and of need of a bathroom. I couldn't see anywhere that seemed to be likely to have a disability toilet. I knew I was in trouble.

I stumbled across a bar/restaurant where there was a Chinese young man who spoke English...well, enough for me to have a beer sitting in front of me before too long. But first things first, where is the toilet? I knew he didn't understand me when he started going on about lots of tourists. Not tourist, toilet...bathroom? WC? Yes, WC. He had me escorted upstairs - awkward！so of course my accompanying server got see the look on my face...

I don't care that it has a cool little green man ...it is a squat! I guess it really was inevitable, and judging by the stairs we traipsed to get to it, chances of a disabled toilet weren't looking good.

Anyway, that beer soon went down beautifully.

After this recharge, I was ready for some more exploration. I stumbled upon a canal boat taking tourists through the canals and was quite happy with the 10RMB ticket.

This was a great little trip. I was sharing the boat with the most delightful little Chinese boy and his family and I could have cried when he decided I was part of the group and started including me, even practicing his counting with me as one of the group.

Our Canal boat:

Our little friend was completely enchanting and enchanted...

(The boat driver is standing just out of this shot)

Some of the vistas we encountered:

I loved this little trip and was one of the highlight of my time in Jiaxing. 

I eventually made my way back to the hotel, where I engaged a rather friendly receptionist (using google translate) about catching the train to Beijing. She looked up all the times and prices and recommended that I head straight to the train station now as there weren't many sleeper berths left and I really wouldn't want a 3rd class seat for 15 hr night trip I was aiming to take.

So I set out again, in direction of train station, flagging down a taxi down the road due to the urgency I was feeling. I hopped in and presented the prepared google translate for 'Please take me to the train station.' The taxi driver started fervently shaking his head. I even made 'toot toot' noises and mimed with my arms 'chugga chugga'. Nope.

He started shouting at me this point and hopped out. He couldn't speed away fast enough. I have a suspicion that Google Translate sometimes likes to play games. By the way the taxi driver was carrying on, I'm thinking maybe it read something like 'Take me to your firstborn son so I can ritually sacrifice him...'

Anyhow, I decided it wasn't so far to walk, and after about 45 minutes, I found myself where my map was telling me the Railway Station should be.

All I could see was a big bus depot and parking lot. Not a sign in English nor a picture of a train to  be found!

Yep. This is in fact the train station.

I wasted quite a bit of time working out where I should line up and had my request written out in Google translate ready to go. By the time I got to the window however, the sleepers were all booked out. I decided to go for a seat anyway. For 180RMB, I'd save money on a night's accommodation as well as find myself at the other end of the country.

Fortunately the man in line behind me spoke some English and was able to confirm I had bought a ticket for the train I thought I had and all was ok. 

I returned to my hotel in foot thinking to myself I better look like Miranda Kerr by the time I get back to Australia with all the walking I have been doing!

Back to Jiaxing *Day 14*

Friday 29th May - Day 14

The day started out well. Well, I woke up. Showered, packed and checking out in plenty of time and ready to tackle this river that had foiled me upon my arrival.

However, I did have a bit of a headache and my paracetamol was back in my bag in Jiaxing. Not to worry, there is a chemist right next door! I was greeted by an officious looking lady, complete with white coat and with the help of google translate and some brilliant pain acting by me, we established I needed something for my head. She handed me a packet from behind the counter, which was mostly in Chinese but had some chemical name printed in English.

A bit dubious about taking some random Chinese herbal concoction I didn't recognise the compound. No amount of Google translating could reassure me that this was something like Panadol.

Ah ha! I wrote down the name of the drug and took it back to my hotel where there had been some success with basic English. Soon I was assured that I wouldn't keel over after ingesting it and I went back to the chemist and made my purchase. Why is EVERYTHING so complicated????

Anyway, time to set off for the bus terminal. You see, I had paid attention during the short taxi ride to the hotel and was looking forward to a stroll across a gorgeous bridge we had crossed. Mind you, the taxi had emerged from the bowels of the train station, so it was still a bit of a hope and see where I end up kind of mission.

I quite enjoyed my wander: 

It's a wonder I haven't seen a vehicle accident yet. People text and scooter...with their baby in their arms!

I found the bridge with no big trouble:

Gorgeous:

I even found time to stop for a shoe shine.

These boots were made for walking:

Before I knew it, I had reached the square that I had thoroughly explored on arrival trying to work out how to get over the river.

It was not without its drama though. See the ladder up the side of the building? Out of view are severa police cars and fire trucks and you may just make out the poor gentleman perched in the structure behind there the ladder is leaning. I didn't stop to take photos as I passed below. Mind you, there were plenty of locals doing just that!

I purchased my ticket back to Jiaxing without a problem. Go me!!!

And again scored the top front seat of the double decker!

Toot toot! (For my boy!)

Before I knew it I was back in Jiaxing. But at a different bus station to where I was expecting. Oops.

After making several attempts in working out which bus might take me in vacuity of Cambridge Gardens, I bit the bullet and caught a cab. Not proud, but sometimes it's best to pick your battles, I say!

I got back to the apartment and caught up with Brian and Julienne and then Susan a little later.

During this time I heard from home that Pheonix was having an extended 'moment' and not complying with anything Sequoia and Robyn were asking of him. This has been an ongoing issue with him and I had (probably blindly) hoped that he'd try and do the right thing whilst I was away on this sorely needed time for me.

I was thinking at this time that if things didn't settle down with him, I'd have to look at cutting my trip short and returning home.

I was a bit upset but when Susan said I could skip the class I said that I am quite able to put home worries aside and be professional. 

After a bite to eat, Susan had already left to head over to the classroom without me realising so I quickly got ready and headed over hoping to take the chance to review the class prior to the children arriving. She brought up the pages we would be covering and that was that. 

We hung out and soon the kids arrived. Being an 1830 Friday evening class I wasn't all that surprised when they arrived quite boisterous and excitable.

Class started and although they had to brought into line a few times either by Susan in Chinese or me by going and standing next to and engaging the leader of the moment. We got through our work and had a bit of song time at the end. One of the worksheets had closed accidentally when I'd shut down the paint application, which Susan had to retrieve for me as I have no idea where the workbooks were stored on the computer.

Once the class was over, I said to her, 'I'm so sorry for closing that page.'

She then told me not to worry about that, it had been a terrible class and that I had 'lost them' and that I didn't have control. That I should know how to control the class by now (this was the 2nd round with the 1st class I taught from last week).

What??? I know the kids were restless but I can't do the job??? I said to her that I understand that I came here completely inexperienced. However, I wasn't feeling very supported or that I had been given a proper orientation as to what the expectations were for me. Hey, I was still working out how each class ran, let alone classroom management! 

She then said 'I do not want to argue.' I don't think she even heard what I said. Things went downhill from there.      

We returned to the apartment where I spoke to Brian about what had happened. He told me he had try to tell me about the curriculum and that I wasn't listening. I told him that I was listening but this wasn't the only support I needed to be up and running. I believed that Susan's role in the classroom was as translator and disciplinarian. I had no idea that I was expected by the start of the 2nd week of me conducting classes that I was to be operating to the level that Brian is after 17 years of teaching. I will put this down to a complete communication breakdown about expectations of all parties. I then left for him to speak it over with Susan. I went downstairs and spoke to my family, where we worked out what we would do with Pheonix and how my Mum and Dad and also Robyn all did not want to see me rush back. I took a look at my options with local, affordable hotels and knew that if we Susan and I couldn't talk this through, I had somewhere to go.

When I returned to the apartment, we tried to talk it out but Susan said that she was worried about my inability to do the job and what that would mean for the school (which would be soon closing up with their move to Australia) and the reputation she would be leaving behind. She had nothing further to say. 

Well. Nowhere to go with this. Entirely to Brian's credit, he was trying to get us to sort this, but I just didn't want to be there any longer. I had come here to 'get away from it all and do something completely different.' If Susan could not speak to me, let alone work with me, I no longer felt comfortable in their home. It was time for me to remove myself.

Susan ended up out the door, slamming it behind her. As I had left my gear packed up nicely for my couple of nights away, it didn't take me long to put everything together and take my leave.

I thanked Brian for this opportunity and apologised for any problem I had caused with his family and that if classes were to continue with a western teacher that he would now need to resume. I hope he understood that I was very regretful that this had not worked out but with Susan unable to assist and support me to the level she wanted, I wasn't doing anyone any favours by sticking around.

I was very sad to say goodbye to Julienne. She has been a wonderful guide and companion and a delight to spend time with.

It was with regret that I hailed a taxi and departed for a cheap business hotel to work out what I would next do.

I felt pretty terrible that night. I will take responsibility for leaving. I know that Brian really didn't want to teach anymore and was madly counting the days until departure (the day after I fly home). I have been thinking quite a bit since I left and in all honesty, I'm I'm not convinced I'm wanting to take this teaching English as a second language thing any further. And although I wouldn't give up this experience for the world, I can't see myself returning to China. I love travelling and although this has been a big eye opener for and about myself, I'm realise that I am not going to adore every place I visit. There are things that have been great here but maybe it really is just too culturally foreign to me. It doesn't help that I regretfully cannot speak the language but as I adore Europe, that's not it. 

After speaking with my family about how I was feeling, I have decided that with their blessing I will stay and see the few things I do want to see here while I can. 

I received an email from Brian reiterating that I am welcome to go back and without teaching use their home as a base to travel from. I really appreciate how gracious they have been to me and even with the terminal communication breakdown with Susan, I am glad that I have spent this time. I was enjoying the teaching, even though I haven't felt so unprepared and out of my depth for a long time...

I was feeling uncomfortable there and was not sleeping well at all. They certainly were welcoming to me, but being an adult guest sharing the room with a child and the apartment with a complete family, I was struggling. I'm sure they all thought it was weird that I was napping during the day so often, but I was just getting more and more tired as time went on. 

It is with utmost respect that I say thank you to the Deekes and it is with no hard feelings that I depart. I sincerely wish them all the best in their move to Australia.

Suzhou showdown *Day 12*

Day 12 - Wednesday 27th May 

I was quite excited to have the opportunity to get out and explore and found myself awake and functioning before 6am. Crazy, I know! So after several coffees and a quick recheck of my bag, I was soon boarding the number 87 bus to the Bus Terminal where I would catch my bus to Suzhou.

I managed to negotiate for a ticket and was feeling quite pleased with myself as I passed through security. I flashed my ticket at the security policeman who told me '2', which I took to be Gate 2. There were a number of people making their way through that gate, so I walked up with my ticket in hand, all ready for my big adventure!!! The lady at the gate took a glance, picked up her handy megaphone and began shouting at me in Chinese, making shooing signals with her hand. I had no idea what was going on, so I stepped away and stood there looking baffled and lost like only an Aussie girl in a Chinese Bus Station can.

A young couple noticed my distress and beckoned me over and pointed out on the ticket that my departure time wasn't for another 45 mins. Thank God for the kindness of strangers!

So I took a seat with the milling crowds and took this handy photo of the said ticket whilst I patiently waited...

Soon it was very close to departure time and I warily approached the lady with the megaphone. Fortunately, this time she smiled and scanned my ticket whilst I eyed off the megaphone, still within her arm's reach, my ears still ringing.

With a sign of abject relief, I made my way through the gate and boarded a rather nifty looking double-decker bus! Joy! The front seat up the top was empty and 'figuratively' had my name on it. I'm such a tourist!

It really is another world here...

Arriving in Suzhou, I cannot express the elation I felt when I realised I had found myself right at the Bus Terminal I was aiming for!!!

I had had my eye on a budget hotel just over the river from this location, just a short walk...the website said so!

Umm...after taking a bit of a reconnaissance around the station, I could in no way find my way across the river. I did ask a few people, but I'm not sure if they had any idea what I was saying to them. They just kept pointing me back in the direction I had been walking. Oh well.

I found some stairs. I couldn't see any better options at this point, so I went down. I walked a bit. I asked another person, this one in uniform with a gun. This time I was encouraged forward...

Must be doing something right.

Alas. Here I have found myself at a taxi stand. Well, here's one way to get across the river...

Unfortunately, the the details of the hotel I was headed for were in English. Hey, Booking.com, maybe with your new update you could have translations of hotel names and addresses available for lost travellers like myself... Just saying!

The taxi guy just looked at me blankly when I showed him the hotel details on my phone. He had nothin'. Hey, wait! Step aside for the Chinese man who can communicate his destination please... Oh! Here comes the MAN! He can speak English. I am saved!!!!!

After a little bit of negotiation, I found myself on my way...and then pulling up at the hotel. They weren't kidding about how close it was... Kill me now!

And here we are...

But at least I made it. I lucked out with a young lady at the front counter who was on shift who actually spoke a little English. I hadn't made the booking yet and managed to be able to inspect the two levels of rooms I was looking at and choose the one I preferred.

The first one was a bit smelly in a sewer kind of way, so I inevitably went with what was behind door number 2. I was not unhappy.

Basic but clean... Complete with aircon and wifi. 

...and my own bathroom 😀

Somewhere to lay my hat.. Or rather my poncho! And a computer to boot! (Travel hack - when your electronic plugs don't fit {I can't believe Google lied to me!!!}, a handy TV or Computer is bound to have a USB port so at least your phone/iPad/battery pack can be charged!)

So once unpacked, it was time to hit the streets and explore...

I really liked Suzhou! I found it very touristy but quite picturesque.

I wandered upon one of the place I did want to visit..The Humble Administrator's Garden. I opted out with hiring an English-speaking guide from amongst the touts prowling around the entrance and decided to enjoy it on my own. I'm really glad I did. Even though there was probably lots of historical facts I missed out on, I rather enjoyed the tranquility of viewing and interpreting it all for myself....

Yes, gardens. But very pretty.

I could get lost in here...

The Bonsai Garden:

After a decent wander around, I decided to patron one on the businesses inside that I stumbled upon and enjoyed a lovely (never-ending) cup of rose tea. A man approached me and pointing to where some instruments were sitting  inside the room, placing a book of poetry before me. I found myself reading a translation of songs of Souzhou. Soon after, the gentleman and a lady who had been sitting in the corner began to play...

It was hauntingly beautiful and I believe he was singing the words I had just been reading.

Feeling refreshed, I made my way out of the gardens, in search of my next adventure. The English-speaking tour guide who had approached me about the English tour of the garden came up to me again and asked if I wanted to go on a canal tour. Ahhh...yes I do. I didn't tell her this straight away. She offered me additions tours and her best price... assuring me that I could come back any time I liked...

I canal tour with optional extras for less than $A20...ok.

She led me to her kiosk where I exchanged cash for paper and then took me around to a bus depot and told me to hop on. Ok. As I made my way to an empty seat, I spotted an obviously western-looking lady. I said 'hello' ... She replied with ...'bonjour' Hmmmm

very soon after I boarded, I rather dapper young Chinese man climbed aboard with a headset to go and we were off. What followed was a monologue from said dapper Chinese dude completely in Chinese. I noticed the French lady laughed at the appropriate times, so I figured I was really on my own here.

I was admiring the passing Suzhou views when I noticed it was starting to rain. Oh well. We pulled up at another obvious bus depot and all disembarked. French lady was well involved in Chinese conversation with her Chinese companion...

We made our way towards the boats but not before a lengthy stop in a tunnel, when the Chinese guide expounded about said wonderful tunnel. Whilst all the Chinese linguists oohed and aaahed, I slunk off to admire the rain.

Ok. We headed off to the 'Dragon Boats'. Let me say here that Chinese people don't line up.  If you've ever caught a plane to Asia, you would know this. If not, just trust me on this.

Dragon boats:

Note: murky waters.

Whilst trying not to be manhandled directly into the murky waters, I managed to exert enough initiative to make my way on to the boat, and even before the French woman made it aboard. Ha!

I will say that I quite enjoyed the boat tour of the canal. I have absolutely no idea what the tour guide was saying and I tried to not be concerned with an ooh or an aah but I rather enjoyed when we passed under a bridge and the water splashed up into the open windows. It didn't bother me...I thought the boat could have done with some air-conditioning. The chick two seats down from me wasn't as impressed. At least I didn't need Chinese to interpret that!

So we finished the Dragon Boat tour . Next, we were hearded back on to the tour bus. Hey! It was raining!

We travelled along, with dapper dude providing commentary...thank God for the playlist on my phone...

Suddenly, we were at our next location. Oh goody! The Silk Museum. What followed was my attempt to abandon the tour. I asked dapper dude if he spkenEnglish. He said 'little'. 'How much taxi back to Pinjiang Street? (Where we started)' '¥20' Ok! I make my way out to the front of the Silk Miseum, to enquire of one of the many taxi drivers milling around. '¥60...long way'

No! I paid ¥80 for the tour. No way am I paying almost as much to get back, so I wandered back into the Silk Museum for a little look. This where things for a little weird. I thought I had caught up to my group, who were enjoying a demo on Silk Production... All in Chinese of course.

I stood there trying to look like I had a clue as to what was going on when I glanced around me and realised I'd LOST MY ASIANS!!! I was now standing with some other random tour group. I had no idea where they might be, so I took myself off through the museum on my own little tour. I did get some questioning glances from some of the staff but no one wanted to challenge the foreigner so I enjoyed unfettered access throughout. 

I still couldn't see my group or the dapper guide...or the French lady! So I went back to the entrance where the buses were parked. I think the one second from the end was the one we arrived on. It was in a line of about 12, of which many soon filled with contented Chinese tourists and departed, only to be replaced by another bus load.

Oh well. I just sat there, being stared at by milling groups. I was especially interesting to the children - who would hide their mouths behind their hands and giggle. Yes, very funny!

I waited. Hey I think that guy who just walked out looks familiar. ...or maybe not. Definitely an exercise in patience for me. Thank you China!

Finally, after I started thinking I'd somehow missed them, I spotted the French lady and Dapper Guy!!! Hooray. I was saved!

We all tromped back on the bus and the guide started his rant in Chinese again. Wait a minute! 'Booo' (or a Chinese approximation) started echoing around the bus. I looked away in hope from the torrential rain splashing against my window. Maybe we were going back to the depot due to inclement weather! Great news!!!! I perked up in my seat and even had a little grin for the lady openly staring at me from across the aisle.

You would not believe my utter dismay when it wasn't the familiar Pinjiang St bus  parking that we pulled into but the freaking Pear Museum. Now I understood the booing. Kill me now!

Time for a little self-pep talk. Hey I'm in China and what harm can come from a little (pearl) culture? - see what I did there? - so I sprinted through the rain and followed my Asians, and token French lady, into another entrance hall...only to have dapper dude ushering all and sundry into a dark theatre. I could hear the Chinese intro from outside the door.

I panicked! No way. I had endured hours of listening to a language I have virtually no understanding of. I was not going to sit in a tiny dark theatre for probably another 20 minutes of torture! Followed by the likely incidence of me losing my group again and the resultant stress of that.

I indicated to dapper dude I was leaving. I strolled out like a woman in control of my destiny, albeit in a drowned rat sort of way, and made my way to the nearby busy road. Ahhh a bus stop! Now to work out which bus I should take to get at least within walking distance of my hotel.

I looked at the timetable board. It was all Chinese to me. I decided to throw caution to the wind and try to ask a well-dressed woman also waiting for a bus. She had no idea what I was saying but I showed her a map in my phone and she pointed to bus 230, and counted across 18 stops. Oh goody. We waited for probably about 40 minutes, watching all the other bus numbers go by, some multiple times, I'm sure! By this time I was missing my Chinese Tour.

Finally, the right bus pulled up and the lady with the directions also hopped on this bus. So off we went. I could sort of track where I was on my phone, but due to using a VPN, the location wasn't very accurate, but we were going in the right direction so all was good.

...an hour later, the lady started yelling at waving at me to get off the bus. Ok. I got off and at this moment my map and location tracker completely failed me. I had no idea where I was!!!! I certainly wasn't near my hotel. Obviously something got lost in translation with the helpful lady. There was a subway station, which I paced with rue for a while about my cozy but annoying Chinese Tour Bus. I'd be back at the hotel and in dry clothes by now!!!

I kept telling myself what an adventure I was on - how great it was to be completely lost in a city I had no clue how to communicate in...yeah right! I was wet and tired and missed English. Good times!

I saw a decently dressed young man who perhaps is a student and approached him asking him if he could help me get a bus to Pinjiang Street. With the help of his limited English and maps, he was quickly looking up bus timetables on his phone. When he started saying take such and such a bus and then....

I said 'taxi?'

He nodded, obviously looking a bit closer at me.

Next thing I knew, he had flagged down a cab and I was sailing away waving fervently at my young hero...right into peak hour traffic!

So anyway, 40 RMB poorer, I made it back to my hotel (always a good idea to grab the hotel's business card for such a mement!!).

Showered and refreshed, I wandered a few doors down to a lovely bowl of noodles and a rather large beer. I deserved it! 

Don't get me wrong. I had an awesome day! 😃