To Jiaxing, China... Thanks For Everything!

A sober Saturday morning? Was I sure!? Jiaxing City in China's Zhejiang Province was my savoir, staying away from the booze on that Friday evening allowed me to keep things moving! From a brand new train station to then a friends favourite lunch haunt, I couldn't grumble with those formative choices! Moon River day drinks? OK! Jiaxing was about to get me in trouble! 

Trapped in an unhealthy cycle of Friday night 'home-drinking', I always look for barriers that keep me sober after that work week finishes! My friend Andy had suggested that we erased the calamities of the latest Suzhou trip with something of a more sensible solution! Now, we were both in agreement that a Friday night meet at any bar would be a recipe for disaster! Booking those Ningbo to Jiaxing return train tickets automatically cancelled out any danger of our Friday night going pear-shaped because there wasn't one to ruin! I awoke during that November 2024 Saturday morning with Ningbo Railway Station my first port of call, sober I sure was! It felt wonderful to be hurtling towards Jiaxing before lunchtime without any hangover insight! Suzhou had been a bad influence on us both, we needed to shake things up with a change of scenery! After seeing Andy's 2023 国庆节 photos of the newly opened 'Jiaxing South Railway Station', I wanted to see it for myself! Ditching those Friday drinks, we did! Now, that's growth! 

My high speed train from Ningbo to Jiaxing took less than two hours, better still I didn't even need to leave the province of Zhejiang! Arriving at Jiaxing South on-time, I was able to marvel at that perfectly formed train station, it looked very new and within a few moments I had reached where I took my desired station snap! The weather was absolutely lovely for a November mid-morning, it felt like summer was trying to hang on for a little bit longer! Andy was on his way, his service from Suzhou departed a little later than my Ningbo train but not by much. I managed to get a taxi with my 'DiDi' application, when you know, well you know! The Ibis hotel that we had booked was an experience because those reception staff looked at my passport as if it was a document fresh from a spaceship, of course I was the alien! The room was fine, for sleeping in and getting ready it would serve those purposes just the same. All I needed was for Andy to arrive at the hotel, I was intrigued to see his 'Pre-Pandemic' China home! Sure, we're still here! 

That McDonalds breakfast no longer kept those hunger pangs at bay, I looked to Andy for his educated decision because we both needed something to eat! He suggested 'Boom Boom' as it had been a firm favourite of his to enjoy a hearty meal at before the perils of the Pandemic hit our shared working country. Rocking up to 'Boom Boom' had me feeling thankful because I was famished! No, I really was! Both of us ordered our lunches and toasted the overnight trip with a beer! Of course, that Vedett wasn't my first of the day because I had sank a lovely can of lager on the train over from Ningbo. I ordered the bacon and cheese beef burger because I wanted something hearty to safe-guard the days drinking that I had ahead of me, it's all about being organised! I had no complaints about that lunch choice because the chips and onion rings were welcome accompaniments. Jiaxing had already started to impress me, it was great to be within another city in Zhejiang Province! I do love Ningbo but I needed a change of scenery! Yummy! 

Andy had gone for the Japanese style curry, both of us had no complaints about our choices. Reunited and ready, 'Boom Boom' was the perfect refuelling station for us to catch up! We agreed that meeting on a Saturday that time really was a much better choice, also having a cemented plan felt like something of a win! Life for us both had been busy, both of our working lives had brought different challenges and with our shared culture we both told our truth! Where would we head over to next? Jiaxing was uncharted territory for me but Andy had called this pint-sized city in China's Zhejiang Province home before that pesky COVID mess changed his seemingly chilled life in Jiaxing! Andy had expressed how Jiaxing still holds a place in his heart. Even though Suzhou remains his current working location within China, he expressed to me that he had made great efforts to restore those Jiaxing settings but life took him over to Jiangsu Province instead. Would Andy ever go back to Jiaxing to work? He absolutely would do! Drink?

Heading over to 'Moon River Historic District' during that then afternoon moment was like a flashback from our 'Tongli Water Town' outing. Now, we kept it cute because those afternoon drinks didn't get too boozy, well they might've! Those locals did stare at us for a moment due to our foreign looking appearances but nothing became an issue because we kept things moving. That historic area had been fashioned into an older style but we didn't mind because those settings allowed us to sit beside the river with a beer in hand! Now, my photo taking was at a limit because I wanted to enjoy the sights that were around me but one lady on the bridge was really posing for the perfect photo, indeed! We did have a laugh because she was putting her friend through the mill, they took more than fifty photos? We were certain of that! Changing establishments within that area allowed us to carry on the afternoon drinking, we were mindful because evening plans had already been made. The afternoon was lovely, Jiaxing impressed me! 

Heading back to the hotel, we then regrouped in the reception not long after that. I had originally planned to head back to Ningbo that evening but with the room booked, I decided to stay. Andy had prearranged to meet with two of his friends, I tagged along for that dinner because I am nosy like that! It was a great evening filled with conversation, delicious barbecue and a reasonable amount of drinking involved. Andy called it a night but you know that I wanted another 'Moon River' drink before bedtime. Yes, I headed back to that water town place with another drink in mind. Now, I see that I was just being greedy and to be honest I didn't need those extra drinks but we live and we learn! Jiaxing was a nice overnight break away from my usual weekend routine, I appreciated having a sober Saturday but the Sunday, you can figure that one! Of course, with our holidays approaching at that time, we decided our next meet would be sometime in 2025. Here's to making better choices and knowing when to call it a night! OK! 

Jiaxing, Done! 

Desperately Seeking Adventure