Sunday 27 November 2011

Hangzhou Sightseeing

224I sleep in a bit and skip breakfast. It’s a beautiful day for sightseeing so I walk along the edge of the West Lake to Leifeng Pagoda ($6.34 entrance) and then across the street, behind the yellow painted walls, to the Jingci Chan Buddhist Temple ($1.58 entrance). I don’t take any pictures inside the temple because I feel it may be disrespectful. From the gift shop I buy a gourd amulet, a small wood Guanyin amulet, and a wooden bead bracelet ($17.44 total). As I leave the temple there’s a vegetarian restaurant next door so I go in to have lunch ($8.08):

  • Longjing tea
  • tofu slivers with watercress? with sesame oil
  • assorted veggies with bamboo shoots (green and red pepper slivers, dofugan and something

After I get back to the campus I walk to the bank ATM for a withdrawal then walk to the art market to buy from several shops:

  • three fan covers ($15.85)
  • sword case/cover ($5.54)
  • four brushes ($54.22)
  • two brushes from another shop

131On the way back to school I walk through the temple of Confucius.

After I get back to my room I take an hour nap, since my legs are tired, then walk to a Hefang street scissors shop for souvenirs ($57.07) where I buy five pairs of “fancy scissors” and three small folding scissors. Rather than return me exact change they offer me what may be a metal ear cleaner instead. I also find a shoe store and buy a pair of traditional Chinese shoes for myself ($3.96).

6:00 PM – On my way back I stop at another restaurant near Hefang Street for dinner ($7.13):

  • a chunk of (stewed pork)
  • Thai lotus root breaded and deep-fried in tomato? based sauce, with just a little heat
  • green beans

Before leaving Hefang Street I stop at a bakery called “A New Cafe Shop” for a chocolate “Bomb” and black sesame bread ($1.82).