The Third Strike: Nanjing, China!

Nanjing didn't need to grab me by the scruff of my neck, my third visit it was and for that reason I wanted to see the most! Meeting with my friend Chris the previous night from the Metro had reunited us after almost four years, no joke! Meeting closer to lunchtime, that full-bodied day packed a punch! I was ready for this third Nanjing chapter and then some! Category? I said so! 

My nighttime arrival proved to get quite boozy, for me I kept my head clear enough to have my senses fully intact. Getting up after a nap-like sleep just after breakfast time, well a little after that! I left my fancy pants hotel with a 'Lawson' grab and go breakfast in mind, Chris advised me against that with a key recommendation! Chris pointed me in the direction of the 'Librairie Avant-Garde' with the promise of a boujee coffeeshop scene come bookshop as one! As if luck would have it, I only had to walk for a little bit from my 'Sofitel' hotel that was on 'Shan Xi Road'. Nanjing, you sure made me feel like loving you! Certainly, I ordered my iced latte with the quickness, sure I appreciated those lofty book shelves but I saw something else! No, get your mind from out of the gutter! My historically and aesthetically pleasing view impressed me much as I sipped on my coffee drink, 'Jiang Su Road' looked like a whole mood! Those fifteen minutes that I spent at that coffee/book situation felt correct, Nanjing proved third times a charm! Yes!

Belling me via WeChat, I met Chris outside of the locally named '先锋颐和书馆' without a moment to lose! Heading down the road that I had clocked from that previously mentioned bookstore, we decided to take a stroll down that '鼓楼区' road with an eye for those 'pioneer style' buildings. The weather was truly blessed, clocking renovated buildings with that 'collective' period vibe, those sights served me something like Qingdao and Changchun had both tried to. It was great to reconnect with Chris, we spoke about life and kept things 100% on our level, you could never sit with us! Of course, Nanjing third time was a blessed thing, she kept things 100% at the same time, we kept things moving! With our next landmark agreed, we took the Metro down towards 'Ji Ming Temple/鸡鸣寺'. Chris had opened my eyes to the 'travel pass' feature on 'AliPay', without question I scanned that QR with ease! 2016 could never and 2019 needn't even try, 2023's view of Nanjing was banging! Sure, the morning was ace without any complaints, N! 

Whilst I am readjusting to life in China after spending three years away, Chris clocked my use of 'sorry' and 'pardon me'. Chris said that I was much too formal with my language, that those crowds didn't need to pardoning each time a person walked across my path. People weren't stupid during that delightful Saturday afternoon because people were out in their droves as we made our way closer to 'Ji Ming Temple', we felt it necessary to view the temple from another viewpoint. Those cherry blossoms stopped me in my tracks, I was feeling that 'Spring into Summer' fantasy because those beautiful blossom trees gave me all of the feels! It felt so great to have broken my usual homebody weekend mode, Chris's call from Nanjing had been what I had needed! Yes, that temple looked much too busy, we scanned those codes and then ascended onto the wall at '玄武门/Xuan Wu Men'. To be honest, that city wall didn't give me any feeling of vertigo! Nanjing knew not to even play with my feelings, the day had only just started! Really?

Clocking those brothers on the city wall impressed us both much, we had to check our conversation topic because those Chinese words could be understood! Oh, yes that temple looked fabulous from that city wall viewpoint, we both agreed that from that distance we could still appreciate that Nanjing city place of worship! The sunshine was roasting, the lake on the right hand side looked cool with sprawling trees surrounding that waterside for miles! Chris told me me about the coffee festival that he had been to within that park area, we had already had our coffee for the day! You already know the Nanjing's 'Zi Feng Tower' looked like the baddest of them, that cloud touching skyscraper allowed us to relive that boozy skybar kiki! Keeping it moving, we made our way down from the wall because we were getting hungry! I for one wanted to try some Nanjing food because the last time we had a McDonald's because were too boozed to care! Soup dumplings with a side of 'Jesus Christ Superstar?' We weren't ready for that! No, no! 

Nanjing's 'Zi Feng Tower' followed us like an obsessed stalker, girl we saw you! Heading towards another part of the city not far from the city walls had us feeling thirsty, the humid weather conditions quite literally didn't have any chill! Clocking a supermarket, we managed to get a thirst quenching cold-ish pop. Let me just say that as foreigners in China, we are both well versed how the e-payment systems work, let's just say a choice was made! I loved the overhead cables that followed our path, I lived for that portion of Nanjing street Realness! A church? Yes, me and Chris saw a white building which had a huge cross outside of it! Curious for the cause, both us climbed to the top of the stairs to see a full choir and congregation. More of that for another time! Stumbling past a small but perfectly formed Chinese style garden impressed me much, Chris said that he used to spend some lunchtimes sitting in that immaculately presented park during his time at his former training centre. Was it lunchtime yet? 南京市, I was starving! 

Chris gave me the choice between 'soup dumplings' or 'duck blood soup, we would definitely be committing to the cuisine of Nanjing! As adventurous as I am, I chose 'soup dumplings' as my choice because 'duck blood soup' didn't really sound like something for me! No, it just wasn't going to happen! Finding a simple eatery, the busy tables told us that the kitchen never missed a beat, I was excited! Ordering two kinds of 'soup dumplings', I also went for a beef noodle dish because I was super hungry! Getting some beers from a nearby shop had to be done, those cold ones allowed us to chill out because the weather was turning out to be no joke! My nephew called me on a video call, he thought that I would be attending the family gathering the following day and then I'd go back to China. That was honestly bittersweet because he was expecting to see me! Done with our lunch, we took our beers out into the street because you already know Nanjing served trade! I wanted to see one more landmark, another beer? Make mine a 'Wusu!' 

Mochu Lake was our final landmark of the day, I wanted to take it easy in-front of the lake with the most! The bus did a disappearing act, ditching that negativity like a bad dream, a taxi was called! That taxi ride was another great opportunity for myself and Chris to catch up once again, four years had changed our circumstances but not our friendship. Arriving at the lake, sure a level of energy was presented to us, was it going to be that busy lakeside? No! I loved those manicured gardens with much observation paid to those Chinese circular designs. Finding the lake, we sat down on the grass verge with the sun beating down even though teatime approached the heat was a lot! The views from that grassy verge served housing blocks but the immediate style was very historically Chinese. Even though the lake was surrounded by apartment buildings, I loved that body of water. Without question, Mochu Lake was the right lake for us! Nanjing through the years, well she's showcased an awful lot to me! '莫愁湖' served on! Go, NJ!

We didn't have any plans past that '莫愁湖 meeting, so we decided to continue our lake gazing and truth testing conversation. Joined by Chris's boyfriend, it was great to be reunited with him because I had decided to leave KTV first during the early hours of that very same day. No regrets, revisiting Nanjing for the third time was the right thing to do because there was no question about that decision to return. The whole day had been full-bodied, from my iced coffee in Gulou District, clocking the Zi Feng Tower and finally for us to take it easy at Mochu Lake, all of that felt correct! Making the most of that cool scene, the three of us hatched a plan for the evening. We had all collectively decided that a future trip would provide us with a boozy night out, that Nanjing affair would be chilled for certain! Being back in China during that moment felt correct, the road back hasn't been easy but with Nanjing now on my doorstep, well life has a funny way of correcting itself! Sure! Leaving the Nanjing wasn't the one, sure I'll return again!

Nanjing... Enough Love!

Desperately Seeking Adventure