Arrived in Suzhou

We have arrived at our hotel in Suzhou after touring the old city and visiting a famous garden. We seem to have a little extra pep in our step today, maybe because we caught up on some sleep during the 2 hour bus drive here. Suzhou is considered a small town (1 million) compared to the craziness of Shanghai. Here we are getting a better feel for what we might think of as a suburb. The garden tour was beautiful, as we were pretty well placed in the picture perfect setting we all envision of China. From the gardens it was on to the silk factory where we learned all about the production of silk. We literally looked at every stage from the initial worm eggs, to watching laborers sort through thousands of cocoons, to a fashion show of models wearing silk products. Who knew silk could be so entertaining?

From there it was on to a walking tour of old town Suzhou. This was my personal favorite so far on the trip. We walked down CROWDED streets where vendors and locals mixed and bartered. While most students started out a bit apprehensive, they quickly learned that the locals were very friendly and every bit as interested in us as we are in them. One of those "light bulb" moments. Tonight we are hanging out at the hotel where we will have dinner, and tomorrow afternoon it is off to Guilin. The fun never stops!