Hangzhou the Beautiful

Hangzhou has been lovely but exhausting. The first day, we did not go on our marathon car ride. Instead, we checked into the Shangri-La (De da) and then met with one of our suppliers. Later on, we went for a boat ride on the famous West Lake.

The streets are immaculate and there is manicured landscaping everywhere , which is normal for Chinese cities but Hangzhou stands out as among the most impressive.

This lake sits right across from our hotel and was originally a small sea inlet. Then some emperor decided to dump a bunch of silt and presto, a lake was formed. Kazelles, one of my work friends, was concerned about getting in the boat because she doesn't swim. She had nothing to be concerned about, though. The average depth of the lake is only around five feet.

After the canoe ride, we took a cab to this great market in the heart of the city. Hangzhou is famous for its silk and its Longjing cha (Dragon Well tea) and this market is known for the quality of its handmade goods.

I managed to get tea, some unique verbena incense and this incredible handmade replica of an old Harley-Davidson motorcycle. It's wrapped and packed away but I'll snap a picture of it once I'm home. It's a nifty conversation piece.

Today was the day that we had to make the four hour trek out to the factory. I was pleasantly surprised. Yangzhou is a busy, thriving city and not at all what I expected. Our factory contacts were gracious hosts and lunch was actually quite good. No heads, feet or fins to be seen. Afterward, we quickly toured the place and drove another TWO hours to a second factory. Again, the people were great. I learned all about toothpaste production and the unexpected plus at this place was that it smelled really good.

Then, we climbed back into the car, got lost for and hour and then spent another two traveling back to the hotel. Early tomorrow morning, we are flying back to Guangzhou for the second half of the Canton Fair. I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. That is, I could see a light until I spoke with the president of my company. Apparently, we've got quality issues with some of our product in California so it looks like I'm going to have to rearrange my schedule to make a pit stop in Santa Barbara on my way home.

Sometimes it feels like it never ends.