Forever Friends: Suzhou, China!

April 2024 saw me lose my actual Medulla! I was going through it, I needed to get out of Ningbo for the weekend with the quickness! Suzhou was fast becoming one of my 'Forever Friends! So, those train tickets and hotel reservation were both made without hesitation! I knew that seeing those familiar faces would quell my personal drama! No problema! 'Tongli' who? Soo, shady! 

Life for me during March 2024 sucked so bad after returning from the Philippines, I really needed something nice to bring me into April 2024! Suzhou looked like a perfect diversion, I made those weekend plans happen because I needed something to quell those feelings of anxiety! Getting to the train station in Ningbo felt like I was about to make my sweet escape because that Zhejiang situation had done me dirty! Life without the paradise settings of El Nido didn't feel right and I was missing the graciousness the Filipino people expressed to me! I wasn't impressed by my everyday life after that being in that 'Polite Pinoy Paradise', let me have my moment because back during that time I really found it challenging to express this in an appropriate way. Zooming along that Jiangsu bound train line, I knew that those four beers I had ordered on the train would get my Friday kicked off good and proper! With Suzhou set in my sights, those Tstingtao beers tasted even better! Baby, it was getting late but I didn't mind! 

Suzhou North Railway Station didn't do me dirty because that Wujiang bound taxi felt a lot quicker than usual! My Friday vibe had been saved, it was time for me to check-in to my hotel and drop my bag with the quickness, I didn't have time! Knowing the area even more, I was able to walk to the 'rooftop' bar where I met Andy! No communication issues we did have that time! Cheers to the madness of our lives, it was great to be drinking in that much spoken about bar, I wanted to try it for myself! Reuniting with Ryan and Brittany was also great! Andy and Ryan had some football to watch, that signaled myself and Brittany to move along to 'Twin Tails'. Sipping on those craft brew drinks, myself and Brittany spilled the tea good and proper! Now, the way I pronounced 'ice cubes' really offended that one individual, it was such a trivial thing but at least I try and speak Chinese on the daily! Also, being that level of drunk is never cute! Damn foreigners, I keep my 'Laowai' circle small because those 'Expats' act the fool! 冰块? 对不对? Oh!

Keeping those Friday drinks to a sensible measure allowed us to meet at a reasonable time during that Saturday morning! I had booked tickets for us to visit Suzhou's '狮子林' (Lion Forest Garden) because I wanted Andy to see one of Suzhou's premier historic beauty spots! It was unclear whether our tickets were even necessary because the way they weren't even checked, letting go of that eventuality wasn't a mood! Getting on with our pursuit I had major 'iPhone Envy' because my iPhone 11 was nothing compared with Andy's iPhone 15, the quality of his photo editing was out of this world! I knew what part of my next salary would be going towards, it was time to turn the lights down on that almost old mobile handset. I really enjoyed seeing that Suzhou landmark because it reminded me of my previous visits to other locations such as '拙政园' (The Humble Administrator's Garden). We both agreed that the pool served everything 'Chinese' that we had wanted to see but the crowds didn't impress us one bit! Not one bit, 苏州!

We weren't envious of those tour groups, we didn't have time to see red during that sunshine Saturday! We felt that our experience at Suzhou's 'Lion Forest Garden' garnered the right energy, moving on we decided that a bit of lunch would be wise before we headed to our next destination. It was clear to see that the food options nearby didn't serve a local flavour, it was all about the 'top flavours' because tourists from all parts of China would just expect generic dishes. We weren't mad with those selected dishes, our three plate lunch tasted just fine! It was time for our first beers of the day, those cold ones were actually local to Suzhou. To be honest, it was amazing to be out of Ningbo for the weekend during that less than desirable time. It had been a great morning thus far, with the afternoon fast approaching it would be time for us to move onto the next phase of our Suzhou day out! With summer on the cards, we knew that this April jaunt would be our last until the autumn. Kunshan will be a possibility! A night at the footie? Alright! 

Pingjiang Road wasn't beneath us but we were tired of crowds, located close to Wujiang was Tongli Water Town. On paper '同里' looked as if it was located much further from the city centre but that would've been if we had chose public transportation. The weather was much too hot, we decided to take an express call taxi from our lunch spot to Tongli. Now, during that April moment I didn't know the enormity of Tongli's 1,000 years of history, I needed to educate myself much better! I already knew that Suzhou is famed for its abundance of canals and natural water forms. Established during the Song Dynasty, 'Tongli' originally had the name, '富土,' (Fertile Land). Regarded as a name that reflected a higher status, it was decided that 'Fertile Land' was too extravagant. We had gone and bought tickets but they had been for nothing, we were much too prepared for that day out in Suzhou! We had clocked that after a certain time, visiting Tongli is free! Of course, it was a learning experience and that counted for something! 

It was evident that the golden hour was approaching fast, we found a canal-side bar for our opening 'Tongli Sesh!' I caught the image through a side window on the way back from the facilities, sometimes we can't guess when such beauty spots can be found! It was great to kick back with our drinks, it was a trifle hard to order our drinks because at first the bar looked closed. It was then I used my Chinese language skills to ask if the bar was open, we were just early. We were joined by Ryan, he was open to having a drink with us and truly that is when our night started! The sun had not even set yet, those mixed drinks were already being ordered! Tongli really impressed me, it was busy at that point and we were able to take in those sunset views over the water with the water town houses in clear view. Getting to see so many new parts of Suzhou through the years has always kept me humbled, this new start in China has allowed me to continue with my love for travelling in China. The night was still young! So, let's drink up! 

As we walked from the first venue to our second, the darkened skies had transformed that part of 'Tongli Water Town' with a thousand lights looking like Christmas had arrived! We weren't sure which bar we were going to choose, our chosen venue looked alright to us. Taken our seats at a table in-between the bar and stage allowed us to be in the best position. As the singers started, it gave us something different to take from that experience. It was apparent that we were the only foreigners in that venue, for us it wasn't a problem because most people were intrigued and excited by our presence. It was evident that many foreigners don't frequent the bars at Tongli, we really caused a stir that night but it was in a positive way. I thought it would be a bright idea to change my chosen drink to a whisky with coke! That truly was a whole choice, a chaotic choice for certain! Why on earth got me thinking about October's National Day holiday? I needed to have my phone taken away from me! The night was about to escalate! Taiwan? Yes! 

The drink had got me thinking about that Golden Week trip, I went onto book a five night trip to the island of Taiwan! Those return flights will be with China Eastern Airlines from Ningbo to Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, I chose to book something extra! Saving money by not having to pay for any expensive airport transfers, I upgraded my Taipei-Ningbo leg of the journey to Business Class. I was able to book a reasonably priced hotel room in Ximen with that Rainbow crosswalk present! Taking in Juifen, I later went onto plan a day trip to make those 'Spirited Away' settings come to life! Of course, I looked at Kaohsuing for a day out from Taipei! What was I thinking? Had I completely lost my mind? No, I deserved that purchase because I truly believe there was method to my drunken decision! Sure, I had made another choice, that was to visit my chosen secret bar but you know the vibe was different! Suzhou saw me depart back to Ningbo in my usual hungover state, we needed to talk! 苏州, when will I see you again?!

Suzhou Is The Only Answer! 

Desperately Seeking Adventure