So!!! Finally made it to China, and it all started in a town about 170 miles out of Shanghai called Honqiao. Stayed at a youth hostel in an area called West Lake. I can't B-E-GIN to tell you how pretty that area is!!! Its a national park, full of pagodas and temples surounding a collection of little lakes, preserved and maintained by a universities that do their environment-related research. The scenery is something out of the House of the Flying Daggers! Willow trees, traditional Buddhist bells being tolled by monks, and some sort of haunting singing going on around a particular area. Didn't get to witness that last one, but i heard it from afar! The hostel was good, the people spoke english, which was refreshing, but i suppose if it wasn't for the haggling taxi
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