Sunday, July 3, 2011

Suzhou, Hot & Sweaty Day 2 (7/3/2011)

Sunday, July 3, 2011
Whatever happened to the Plum Rains? It reached 100 degrees again today.
Checked out of Hotel Soul:
Had to leave the pedestrian area and find a main street to catch a taxi. Traveled down a street of hardware shops:
This was our "taxi:"
No air conditioning, so we were sweating already!
Our first garden today is Liu Yuan/Lingering Garden, the most famous garden in Suzhou. Established in 1593, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
Screen inlaid with jade:
Passenger Check-in!
The Lingering Garden is also home to two UNESCO World Heritage Non-tangibles. The first is the music of the instrument guqin, being played in front of the Green Shade Pavilion:
The western section of the central garden:
Another bridge picture:
These birds would not stay still:
PBB
A Chinese or Light-vented Bulbul!
View from the bridge of the Refreshing Breeze Pavilion and Western Tower:
View of the arbored bridge and Little Mirage Pavilion:
Haopu Pavilion:
Ming trash cans:
Crane mosaic:
Rockery:
Framed view:
Finally caught one in a picture: the on-purpose split pants:
Stealing green grapes:
Grapes:
Stonescape:
Dry streambed or difficult rocky path?
Free Roaring Pavilion:
The "Auspicious Cloud Capped Peak" rock:
Posing:
PBB
Carved wood and latticework in the Celestial Hall of Five Peaks:
The 2nd UNESCO World Heritage Non-tangible - Pingtan music and story-telling:
We heard this earlier:
More water to drink and a real taxi ride later, we were at the Pan Men Scenic Area:
Ruiguang Pagoda:
The oldest pagoda in Suzhou.
Water lily planter:
PBB
Performance center:
Yuan Zhao's Seat for Preaching Scriptures:
Bell Tower:
White Turtle Listening to Scriptures:
PBB
Kent in front of waterfall:
Water lily pool:
Pan Men Gate - the land gate:
Cannon:
Wumen Bridge:
Oldest bridge in Suzhou.
Pan Men Gate - water gate:
Brynne hoisting the water gate:
Canal at Pan Men:
General view from Performance center:
Performance center:
Brynne takes the stepping stone bridge:
We take the zigzag bridge:
Bus stop in Suzhou:
Canal scene off People's Avenue:
Siquan Street canal:
After lunch, finally Wangshi Yuan/Master of the Nets Garden, where you start off in the Sedan Hall:
Crane mosaic:
Pile o' rocks:
Central lake panorama:
 with the Pavilion for Watching the Moon:
View from the Pavilion for Watching the Moon:
Where you can see the moon in the sky, in the water, and in the mirror:
Tassel-washing Waterside Pavilion:
Natural bridge:
Tiny bridge:
Brynne on the tiny bridge:
Back on the streets of Suzhou, where the textured sidewalk guide for the blind leads them into...:
Happy Buddhas:
Stopped for cold drinks in a restaurant - two guys watching a movie:
Couldn't find an available taxi, but a pedicab driver was willing to take three of us to the train station:
View from the pedicab:
At the Suzhou Railway Station:
The slow train to Shanghai:
Waiting for the fast train to Shanghai:
Brynne and Kent on board the fast train:
Home in time for dinner!

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