| Page Views: 702 Last Visit to Hangzhou: April, 2007 | Under Heaven There is Suzhou and Hangzhou by crewrower - last update: Apr 2, 2007 |
I got up early one Saturday morning in October 2005 and, along with a colleague, cycled 210km to reach Hangzhou. We actually didn't bike all the way to the West Lake, pictured here, but settled on a hotel about 10km away from the lake that night. As you can imagine we were too tired after a day of riding to take in the sights that Saturday night or hit the bars. But we spent Sunday around the West Lake and some other "must see" areas of Hangzhou. Here are some more pics of my Shanghai-Hangzhou ride. |
|  | Friends at West Lake I met this guy, and hundreds of his brothers and cousins around West Lake. Even though I think West Lake is a bit overrated it's still a pleasant place. Chinese go there due to its importance in history and poetry, and I think that travel craze is part of the reason Hangzhou is recommended so highly in Western guidebooks. |
| trying to take a shortcut to Hangzhou ! |
| | Another Ride to Hangzhou - April 2007 On the last day of a certain decade for me, biologically speaking, I got up early in Shanghai and headed out for Hangzhou by bike. The weather was cool but not cold as I set out at 6:30am, and the sun had already been up for an hour by then. I knew the way reasonably well because I had done the same ride in October 2005 (as chronicled here); so based on memory and a compass I was was able to reach a hotel in Hangzhou near the West Lake within 14 hours. Now, this could have been done a lot quicker if I had been using a road bike rather than a mountain bike, hadn't been carrying clothes and books in my napsack, and hadn't made some excursions into some farmland to look around. I also got a flat tire but, get this, from the time the front tire went flat to the time it was repaired and ready to ride: 16 mintues! Even though I was in a tiny town in Zhejiang province on the way to Hangzhou, sure enough within 500 meters there was a small stall with a guy who fixed bikes. And the price was only 2 yuan (US$0.30). So, the ride could have been done in much less than 14 hours but, then, the journey is the reward, now isn't it? |
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 Comments for crewrower about Hangzhou | | | | |
angel-eyes Thu Oct 23, 2008 14:31 UTC
a long way on bicycle! | CliffClaven Wed Jun 25, 2008 16:31 UTC
Tour de Chine! | Helenbb Wed Jun 25, 2008 16:28 UTC
i will be here this weekend. the first time i have more time to enjoy this pretty city . :)) i will be in cambodia at the end of next month | cheezecake_deli Wed Jul 5, 2006 20:29 UTC
Hi Chris. Enjoyed your China pages v much! Got a question for ya: I'll be visiting Hangzhou in September 2006. What's the best way of getting there from Shanghai? I won't be able to bike it as my sister and mother are tagging along... Thanx. Chee. |
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