Beautiful Hangzhou and "Errors a la carte"

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So Natasha, Jenny and myself decided we wanted to go to Hangzhou, a city 2 hours away from Shanghai and spend the night there.

Hangzhou, is one of the most important tourist venues in China. When Marco Polo arrived to the city he said it was the most beautiful city on earth. I have heard some people saying: "There is heaven in the sky, in the earth we have Hangzhou" (or something like that).

We decided to go by train and I have to say the trip was really good, we were surrounded by dozens of Chinese people that were either eating or sleeping. Jenny actually spotted a couple that in 2 hours had 4 soups, crakers and soft drinks... I wonder how they stay that thin...

In fact Hangzhou is a beatiful city, very clean, with lot's of trees, mountains and a big lake (the West Lake). Upon arrival, we started wondering what could we do to move from Shanghain to this city.... We walk along wide streets lined by trees, we stroll by the lake and cross some of the many small bridges watching families and little kids play around us.

I guess if you think of China 500 years ago, you will have in your mind a picture similar to how Hangzhou looks now.

We got to practice our chinese (since almost nobody spoke English) and because we did not want to spend a lot of money, we stay at a youth hostel (with 5 other people in our room) we drank cheap chinese wine but spent most our money eating local delicacies, like the "beggar's chicken" filled with chinese cabbage, onions, covered in lotus leaves and baked in clay, "Dongpo Rou" pork marinated and braised in sweet wine or vinegar and some fish with vinegar and soy sauce. Everything was excellent!!!

Know I just need to convince Omar to go back with me :)

Of course I can not finish this short blog without some quotes of "Errors a la carte" compiled by a magazine I was reading before catching our train to Hangzhou

"Shanghai's Delicious Dishes"
-Gross Crab
-One of the Seafood in Lemmin Juice
-Salted Err with Smashed Meat
-Irritate
-Strong-smelling Bean Crud in Pot
-Meat and Dork
-A Fried with Filling in It
And today's special for cannibals: Han with Winter Melon in Soup ("Han" is the race the majority of Chinese people belong to)

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