Three Weeks in Wuhan
That’s right, I planted myself there for three weeks. Spent a lot of time in the hostel and I think my mandarin’s a lot better for it. Plus I got to meet a lot of really awesome people. Travelers, drawers, fashion designers, fellow sinophiles. It was amazing to get to know people so well who have come from such different backgrounds. I truly feel that some of the people I met during the course of those three weeks will be long time friends. I’ve been in Hangzhou for a few days now and I’ll be leaving tomorrow for Putuo Shan, a sacred mountain on an island in the China Sea. Jiuhua Shan didn’t happen; would take too much time and I didn’t feel like a six hour bus to some place I’ve never heard of to pay who knows what in lodging only to get on another six hour bus the next day. The train ride up was a lot of fun with cockroaches climbing around our (myself and the Swedish girl Alex I’m traveling with in Hangzhou) train compartment. Well…at least we weren’t stuck in seats for the 17-hour train ride from Wuhan. Hangzhou’s been hot but cooling. It’s been harder to find food like I was able to find in Wuhan. I do quite miss the giant veggie steamed buns 大菜包 and the re gan mian 热干面. It’s also a lot nosier with a city music of car horns and bad, loud brakes. Though the area right next to West Lake is pretty touristy, a block or two out is much better. The hostel is nice and clean but lacks the feeling of home and family that helped me stay in Wuhan for so long. I’m very happy to finally see West Lake and wholly intend on returning next year so I can see it in the winter. After the mountain I’ll be going to Shanghai by boat. After that….we’ll see
