Get the massage

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Hangzhou is left behind and we find ourselves again on the train travelling back along track we rode coming from Nanjing days before.WE have decided that the train and bus travel is geting to us and decide to change the schedule.We have underestimated the distances between places and while the travel agents have done everything we asked of them we asked for a bit much.We are off to Suzhou the 'venice of the east'.Again we are met by a smileing Speak sign attached to George a great guide with a warm and engaging smile and personality as well as an excellent command of english.We are spirited to a Tourist restaurant which sems to serve tours exclusively.While we eat we discuss the changes to our schedule with George.A woman passes by with a large jar of snake wine!! yes folks a large dead snake curled up pickling in this concoction.We pass on the snake wine with little remorse.
We have decided to not go on to Wuxi tomorrow so together work out a new plan which keeps us in Suzhou and time to relax.George has suggestions as to what to see and we adjust the sights accordingly.Suzhou is known for gardens and canals and we head off to the 'garden of the humble administrator'.We tell george that this garden is listed in a book Ann read recently listing the 1000 places you should see before you die. George is in agreement as is the United nations apparently having designated the garden as a worls heritage sight. The garden is beautiful dating back 500 years with streams,ponds pavillions and old trees.It was designed by a painter in the Ming dynasty and was a wonderful glimpse into a life we will never see again.
The afternoon wound down with a visit to the 'Master of nets garden' a much smaller thing of beauty but in proportion stunning.The Chinese have shown us in the many places we have seen their interest in the beauty of a place integrated with its functionaality and these places are wonderful examples of that with windows framing rocks and trees and pavillions.
After the garden it is off to a silk factory where we are given a lesson in silk and silk production actualy seeing the silk worms do their thing then watching the women at the machines unrolling the finest thread of silk from each of the coccoons.Remarkable to see how fine it is as a single continious thread is unravelled. The silks for sale after the visit are a disappointment.We remember the beauty of silks in India with spectacularly intricate designs and dazzing silks compared to the rather mundane designs available so far in china. We will continue to search however.Supper is a buffet and to our surprise we bump into the Dane's we met on the cruise.They are heading back in the morning and tell us of the wonderful Budda in Wuxi!! Oh well you se one budda you see a thousand. George convinces us that massages are in our future and we agree to go after a brief rest in the hotel. I am scheduled for full body and Ann for a foot massage.We have seen these places all over China and have no idea what to expect but jump in feet first...yuck yuck.
We are picked up by a driver from the massage place and with George along for the ride, off we head. The place is a KTV (karaoke tv) bar or so it seems.These are places we have also seen along the way and by annecdotal research they are similar to Geisha houses with business men renting rooms for parties with Karaoke, drinks and female company.We enter and it is very clean with a sweeping staircase up to the second floor past a room with about 6 young women dressed in what looks like prom dresses..The cost is 80 yuan each and we are seperated. I am led off by a young petite woman in track suit and and not really sure what to expect though my imagination has all sorts of tangents going on but as the door opens and I am led into a room of tables with 5 men on them and women beating and slapping them all my ideas are set aside.I am fuly clothed as are all the young men in the room and am directed to lay down on my back. For the next hour I am slapped,pinched massaged bent spindled and mutilated by this young woman.Always careful to not touch anything she should not and pulling down my shirt when it rides up.She has her hands full with me and I am sure the conversation between the girls centered on the size of me and the amount of effort she had to put in to bend me and stretch me.It was painful at times and I decided shortly into it I am not meant to be bent like this. Ann has a similar experience with a handsome young man massaging and slapping her around on a lazy boy chair. We are both a big hit and curiousity for the many staff men and women waiting to work.
Back to the hotel and a brief walk around downtown before bed.

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