Hangzhou - 16th and 17th February 2007

Got up after bus ride and as it was still very cold outside, decided to take it easy. ventured into town just to get some cash from an ATM.

Ate in a really nice place next to the hostel which did great food and beers and then spent the rest of the evening in the hostel bar and lounge watching DVDs ont he big screen. Christ this is exactly what I said I wouldnt do on my travels, but the first time I have done it and after the last week of travelling and being cold, think I deserved a bit of a rest.

On the 17th Andy and I hired some push bikes from the hostel and did a full circuit of the huge lake. Think it was about 15kms around, flat of course, and saw litterally thousands of people walking the lakeside.....you cant go anywhere in China without being surrounded by people.

Then in the afternoon went shopping for esentials, which were a towel and some socks! managed to find the old part of the city where it was all pedestrianised and was excellent. Clearly a place Chinese come to holiday. Great open air foodstalls....we tried loads of local bites and a strawberry "toffee apple" - like a UK fair toffee apple, but on a long stick of strawberries.....it was great.

Then in the evening, we pigged out in that local restaurant again and had a few beers in the hostel bar.

Oh, sorry, we had also been to the main train station and bought our train tickets to Shanghai, where we intend to have a days sightseeing, me because it was too cold last time and Andy as he hadnt been.

Over and out

steve