By Ely and Aaron
We decided to take a trip to Hangzhou, a historic city 2.5 hours south of Suzhou. When Marco Polo visited this city, he called it the most beautiful place on earth. Above there is heaven, below, there is Hangzhou and Suzhou. Hangzhou also has a grand canal that conveniently links this centralized city to the north, Beijing. Parts of the Grand Canal were constructed in the 5th century BC. It is the longest man-made canal in the world.

After doing a little reading, we were excited to take the trip. We bought bus tickets on Tuesday and were off bright and early at 9 AM Wednesday. Around noon, we arrived. The bus stop was nothing less than chaotic. People were coming up to us with advertisements, trying to get us in their taxis, and trying to accommodate us for the evening. The general rule of thumb that we have learned is to not buy products or services from people who are trying vigorously to sell you their products or services. Bartering is often times exhausting.

The most famous attraction in Hangzhou is West Lake. The only map we had upon arrival was in Chinese. The circumference of the lake is around 10 miles (close to Johnson Lake size). One would think it would be quite easy to find. We found that Hangzhounese people are inadequate map readers. Honestly one taxi driver we had stared at the map upside down, consequently
taking us exactly opposite of our intended destination.
So we had a method. We would show the map to random people. The shear sight of the map scared some Hangzhounese right off. If one was willing to help, we would point to the lake, and ask them in our broken Chinese how to get there. We realized this wasn¡¯t too helpful. They could be describing the directions crystal clear in Chinese. Eventually, we gave in and paid for a cab fare.

The lake is a wonderful site. There are cultural relics surrounding it. The history of the city like most is rich and ancient to say the least, dating back nearly 5000 years. At first glance, we saw finely manicured parks, forested hills, multiple pagodas, and many posh estates. So we set off for a walk long one at that. It was fantastic. We considered there to be loads of people. In actuality, the tourist season has yet to begin.

Hangzhou famous export is Longjing Tea. It is served at the hundred or so tea shops scattered around the lake. These little shops are wonderful. Chinese people congregate here for good conversation, maojong (a special Chinese checker-like game), people watching, etc. There were also multiple parks that we passed through. The government of Hangzhou has obviously spent loads of money to preserve and develop West Lake as the catalyst of tourism in the city. The parks are nice, with only one problem you can not walk or play or sit or eat on the grass. It is roped off only to be looked at and admired from afar. You may only walk on the sidewalks cutting through.

As we were walking through one of the parks, we stumbled upon a large crowd of people. They were surrounding musicians, usually old men with cigarettes dangling from their lips. The old men were playing some sort of Chinese instrument, similar to a violin, but longer and skinnier. They had microphones set up and women sang folkloric songs. No one had their hat or guitar case out, expecting you to pay money to listen. It looked as if they just really enjoyed the music.
Several of the old musicians were playing with their eyes closed. It was refreshing.

There are all sorts of cultural relics around the lake. At the far south of the lake, there is Leifeng Pagoda. It was originally erected in 900 AD. Did you know pagodas originated from India? They have become universally recognized as traditional Chinese life, but they come from India. Anyway, the pagoda collapsed in the 1920s. In 2003, the government decided to rebuild the structure. The new structure is far from traditional. They have audio tours, an escalator, an elevator, and other advanced designs. It was also a steep entry fee, 40 RMB. Despite the shortcomings, it was a magnificent view. You must climb 100 steps to get to the foot of the pagoda. The new structure is encompasses the old one, so you can see remnants of the past. The original pagoda is just ruins. People have thrown thousands of coins and bills into the ruins. Maybe for luck who knows. At the foot of the pagoda, you must climb up 5 or 6 stories. The view was amazing. There are several islands in the lake that are visible, an ancient causeway, several pagodas, villas, and forested mountains in the distance.

After the pagoda, we walked further around the lake. Towards the west there was a causeway that we decided to take. It was built in ancient times. Graceful willows and manicured gardens surrounded us. And ironically, on this day we chose to walk substantial distances it was the nicest weather we have had since arriving in China.

After crossing the causeway we decided to get on the bus. A full day of walking made us quite tired. So we attempted to find a busy area for lodging and a good meal. Hangzhou is a big place by our standards, just a small city of 6 million for the Chinese. It is a busy metropolis with a good balance of the ancient and the new, the skyscrapers and the pagodas, the KFCs and traditional Chinese restaurants. We thought the design of the city was much better than Suzhou. The streets and sidewalks were wider, the streets might have been a bit cleaner, and things might have been a little more accessible.

Our next job was to find a hotel. We knew that bargaining for hotel fees is sometimes possible. Our lack of Chinese would pose as a huge problem. We are budget travelers, so anything with a chandelier in the entrance, over 20 stories high, valet parking, or people with suits waiting at the entrance was out of the question. We located a sign for a hotel. The hotel wasn¡¯t on the main street, the sign just directed you down a dark alley. Perfect We entered the hotel. As we were waiting in line, we were greeted by a Korean traveler with his girlfriend. He was tri-lingual, and told us that foreigners were not allowed to stay at this hotel. We were stumped. He then asked us if we wanted to go with them to find another place. We promptly said yes, taking all the help we could get.

So we walked several more blocks and found a hotel off the main street. The standard double room cost $12. Not a bad price. We were getting ready to pay and check in Hotels in most of China.  Apparently it requires you to have your passport. We both knew these, yet forgot to bring them. We showed the hotel staff a copy of our passport and our driver¡¯s licenses, but this simply would not do. Hangzhou has very strict laws. The hotel staff directed us to the police station to see if there was anything they could do for us. We both knew this could potentially be a huge problem. Aaron was having visualizations of sleeping on a park bench or at the train station. Not exactly the way you want to spend a romantic getaway to Hangzhou. The
conversation at the hotel was all in Chinese. We were not really involved. Our new Korean friend was taking care of everything. He even offered to go to the Police Station with us. So we said ok, not really having any other options. At the Police Station, more bad news came. Without a passport, you can not stay at a hotel. Korean argued for 10 minutes or so, but it was a lost cause. Ely and I offered to take our new friends out to dinner. They had gone more than out of their way to help us. We sat down for dinner and talked strategy. Lee decided that we should try to go to a spa. Spas can let you stay all night, and they don¡¯t ask you for your passport. Ideas were running ramped in our minds. Staying the night at the spa?

So we trekked out to find the spa. Lee did all the negotiating. The spa had no English speaking staff, and the signs were not conveniently translated into at least Pinyin simplified Chinese. Only Chinese characters, which means impossible to us. So Lee set everything up. We could either sleep in a common area with fold down recliners or have our own room (no bathroom). We decided to get our own private room. He described as best he could what the spa would be like, but we weren¡¯t prepared. For my UNL colleagues, I know you have wondered why, when the Asian professors and students are in the REC locker room, they always walk around and sit in the sauna comfortably and completely naked. Well, after doing a little field research, I was about to understand this cultural anomaly.

Ely and I were separated. They was a men side and a women side. Lee explained what to do, write his phone number down, and wrote a couple of sentences of instruction in Chinese. Then we were off. So I (Aaron) will describe my side of the locker room. I was directed down a long hallway. Then, there was a room with lockers. I was escorted by a man in a suit, possibly the manager of the establishment. He showed me my locker, and waited for me to undress¡. He uncomfortably waited for me to undress. His subordinate was also watching. So I gestured for a towel. He didn¡¯t really understand me, and I didn¡¯t really understand why this was a confusing gesture.
Anyways, I got changed and in my towel. He then took me to the actual bathhouse. After about 5 seconds, I realized the towel had absolutely no use. Nakedness everywhere. To my right, there were a couple pools with spraying waterfalls, on my right there were showers and shaving stations. In the back of the room, there were massagers, a sauna, and a steam room.

So I proceeded to the shower. There were workers everywhere. They seemed to be either in high school or college. To make the naked more comfortable, they had their shirts off and were wearing skimpy black shorts. To the shower I went. They were not private showers, just water spraying down and glass partitions on each side. The spa conveniently laid out a toothbrush, toothpaste, and shaving equipment. I brushed up in the shower and then walked over to the shaving station, mind you, all in my birthday suit. Next I decided to sit in the pool with the waterfall, still naked. There were lots of peering eyes. Oh well, what were the chances of me seeing any of these people again. Next I was directed by a pool boy to another smaller tub.
There was something different about this tub. Yes, it had hundreds of minnows in it. So I jumped on in. The minnows surrounded my Chinese counterparts. I did not understand the minnow purpose. Were they cleaning you, eating your dead skin, who knows? So I sat still. The minnows gradually surrounded me and started nibbling on my feet. The Chinese people in the tub with me were sacrificing their bodies completely to the minnows. I however, would not, and shoved them off when they got too close to certain places. After my minnow pool, I jumped into a cold tub. Then, the pool boys directed me to the massage table. Most massages I have gotten in the US give you a small towel to cover your privates. Before sitting on the table I knew there was not going to be any towels or coverings. Any vestige of dignity was left of the table. They rubbed
me down in Hawaiian Tropic smelling oils and bent me in ways which I do no t wish to go into details. After the rub down, I was escorted to the sauna, then to the steam room.

After the steam room, I rinsed off in the shower. Then, I went to the drying room where two pool boys dried me off. After getting dried off, the manager handed me some clean shorts and a shirt. The clothes looked a little Egyptian. The manager then directed me to the styling station, where I could blow-dry, comb, and style my hair. They also had cologne, hand and body lotion, and cotton swaps. I felt like a rock star.

After getting fixed up, the manager walked me up to the second floor, where I met up again with Ely. On the second floor, they had an Internet coffee, full service restaurant, and movie room, where you could lay on recliners and watch American television shows. We hung out at the internet coffee for a short while, then explored a little more. Our private room was on
the third floor. On the fourth floor, there were game rooms for Chinese chess and maojong. Also, there were some private rooms with flat-screens and couches. On floor five, they was a workout facility, a ping pong table, pool table, and several other games.

We decided to call it a day. What a serendipitous experience. We decided to skip the complementary breakfast and sleep an extra couple of hours. Total cost for 2: $25.

West Lake is the main attraction of Hangzhou, so we decided to spend some more time there. We walked along the north shores and found a ferry boat tour which took you to 2 islands, then dropped you off towards the center of town. We decided to take the tour. The first island we came to was tiny. We walked around it in 10 minutes. They spend a lot of time making sure everything is perfect. The trees are trimmed, the grass is cut, and the shrubs are neatly kept. They have little benches everywhere, nice for relaxing.

On to the next island. This is a special island. In the 1600th century they were dredging the lake out, and decided to change the shape of the island. They have a famous saying about this island, An island within a lake, a lake within an island.So, the island is bigger, maybe a 20 minute walk around. The inside is carved out, and it has four little lakes in the middle. They are like 4 slices of pie, and you can walk in between all of them. They had a few little shops, but it was mostly just a place to relax and enjoy the scenery. The shape of the island represents a Chinese symbol not sure exactly what it means, but I know it is something significant. After wondering around the island, we were shuttled back to the east side, near the center of town. We walked around for another couple hours, did a little window shopping, and then boarded the bus back home. Pretty fun trip to say the least.