DAY 4

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No breakfast again! We really must get out of this habit! Bed was very firm once again but not uncomfortable. Room was OK but aircon wasn’t working properly so no respite from the warmth and humidity, not as bad as further south though. We are staying at ‘Hangzhou The New Hotel’ (built 1913) next to the West lake. It is a very beautiful area with lotus gardens and many walkways around and across the lake, pagodas, temples, teahouses, boats on the lake and golf carts driving around it. Kwan met us at about 11.00 with a friend Dana who speaks fairly good English and we went for an early lunch at a well known lakeside restaurant called Lou wai lou. Meal was excellent, Kwan even ordered sweet and sour pork just for us, she knows us westerners like it. She also knows we like a couple of beers too! After lunch Dana took us wandering around the lake and to a couple of other sightseeing spots. The rain has held off today which is good but I don’t know whether it’s mist or smog but the visibility is really bad as you can see from the photos. It would be so much nicer if we had blue sky and could see into the distance. Went back to the hotel at around 4.00, Jac had an afternoon siesta and in the evening we went to an artistic play which was set on the lake. There was a small seating stand set up in a courtyard facing the lake and there was a big stage set about 50mm or so below the surface of the water that you couldn’t see. This particular part of the lake was surrounded by trees which were all part of the light show - it was quite a spectacle and I’m sorry about the poor pictures. A short stroll along the lakeside back to the hotel finished the day off nicely.

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Photos

Jac, Kwan ans Dana
Strolling along the West lake just along from our hotel

West lake
One of the many tea houses in the area. We had to go to Starbucks to get coffee!

Lingyin Temple Area
Stone carvings in the caves aroung Lingyin Temple

Lingyin Temple Area
Theres hundreds of carvings throughout the caves and you can see where the people rub them for good luck

Pagoda of Six Harmonies
Ancient pagoda (which has been rebuilt twice!)

Pagoda of Six Harmonies
View from the top for what it's worth. Would have been great on a clear day but we've been told it's almost always like this.

Impression West Lake
Photo doesn't do it justice - sorry.