So the morning of the first day of 2013 was bright and sunny and we were met with a buffet breakfast which mainly consisted of noodles and rice, very filling. At nine we boarded a local bus to take us to Zhouzhuang. The bus ride was let's just say, an experience, the driver had the constant urge to slam on the brakes which sent you into the forward seat. The driving around this area beggared belief and culminated in observing a poor young girl being knocked off ...

Dawn broke for us on New Year's Eve with the train cruising along. Everyone actually slept well considering the air conditioning was on cold for some bizarre reason. The train eventually arrived into the town of Suzhou at 11am which Tommy informed us of a modest population of 10 million?! We took a taxi transfer with the driver surrounded by a metal cage which was reassuring... where were we? The hotel on arrival was very nice and the room was warm and pleasant,...