Chinese Jordan: Weekend in Hangzhou & Elena visits from America

Day 1, Hangzhou: We arrived late-morning in Hangzhou and took a bus into town to find our hostel. After settling down into the lackluster sleeping quarters, which had beds that made sleeping on pavement feel comfortable, we hit the road and started walking around Xi Hu (West Lake). Something was different from about this city of 1.69 million--it was quiet. Although there were cars around Xi Hu, there was an absence of jackhammers pounding away, people yelling, and cars honking. It was peaceful.

We quickly found the nearest bike-rental place, and armed with a hot-pink bike and an impotent ringing-bell to alert pedestrians, my spirits were high for the bike ride to come. Onward! We traveled across a long land bridge that connected the lake, peddling up-and-over bridges, weaving through pedestrian traffic as if we were Olympic snow-skiers brushing past the gates. After a couple of hours, we handed over our beastly bicycles to the proper authorities in search of another activity.

Map of Hangzhou

A view of Xi Hu (West Lake)

Hailing a taxi to Longjing mountain village that day was about as likely as finding the free press here in China. So, my friend, Frey, called one of his customers in the area and he was kind enough to pick us up at a hotel we found. I didn't know exactly what was happening, but on the trip up the mountain into the serene forest area, I learnt that his customer's parents own a tea house and field.

We pulled into the village and a sense of relief overcame me, "This is what I've been looking for in China!" With big smiles, the parents waved from the porch of the tea house, greeting the foreign travelers. We sat down at a table on the porch, and quickly had local tea and food brought out to us. The bare-chested father pointed at me saying (in Chinese), "He is very young and handsome." Pointing to the half-naked, jolly fellow, I asked my friend to reply, "No, you are very young and handsome."

After a tea tasting the quaint Longjing Village

We eventually made our way down the mountain and back to the hostel after having dinner in town and walking around the local outdoor bazaar. Elena, Frey, and I went to the pirate-themed bar next door for a brewski, while Sunshine hit the sack. With a mini-keg of beer sitting on the table, we played a drinking game that was new to me and that allowed us to disproportionately share the beer. And after a couple of beers, I asked Frey to see if I could join the band for a song. Elena was outside, sadly, and could not here me butcher an inebriated version of "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra with my Chinese cohorts on stage. On the upside, nobody understood the words coming out of my mouth...and neither did I.

We soon departed for our beds and upon touching the room's door handle, Frey and I looked at each other with a silent-stare that said, "We haven't had enough to drink." We (slowly) made our way back down the stairs and into the other bar next door, which felt like a library in a way. Going nowhere with the small talk and sign language at the bar, I turned my attention to the pianist, who happened to be playing a familiar tune called "Home," from my favorite singer Michael Buble. I quickly approched the man after his number and requested a duet. With his blessing, we were to sing "Fly Me to the Moon"...I needed redemption. This time things went great and we sang a fun and entertaining duet!

Tea tasting