Luzhi - a postcard from a water town

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Today Maggie took me to Luzhi to visit the old town and to see her shop.

It was a really lovely girls day out with some very funny, quiet, cute and acutely aware moments.

Luzhi is a small water town which is still in Suzhou but takes about 40minutes to get there. Maggie picked me up in her large Chevrolet - the second time I’ve been driven in a car in 9 months.

Luzhi is like Tongli but more real with more people living in the old part and less tourist attractions so I liked it. I don't like the water in and around the town. Not only is it heavily polluted and it’s an ugly green colour but it’s also full of rubbish on the outskirts of the town. It’s such a shame because if it is not cared for and it will only get worse and maybe eventually, there will be no water in the water town at all.

The main tourist area’s little stone floored streets are cute, the buildings are original, the rooves are amazing and the water ways are bridged by many old stone bridges but again, on the outskirts of the town, the beautiful bridges have been covered with concrete so that the electric bikes can ride up and over them. There seems very little regard for the real beauty of such a place.

My favourite moment was with Mou Ju Se, an 80 year old lady who we came across who randomly showed us around a neighbours 3 roomed house and then invited us into her own 2 roomed home. She said she only knows her last name but cannot write it. She’s sprite and lively but very lonely. Her spirit is low because her 3 children don’t visit and her husband has died. She had big tears welling up when she told us about her husband and I felt very sad.

But, I know that the day goes to Maggie for her kindness in picking me up, taking me out and buying an enormous special lunch - next time it’s on me. And, next time, we're going to wear those ugly dresses in the photograph shops and have our photo taken by a bridge by the water - just because we can.

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Photos

my little red jade bead the size of a pea
that apparently gives you luck in whatever path you choose in life

the walls papered in newspaper then overpapered in brown
and then a nice little calender from '06

girls lunch Maggie and Cherry
Maggies favourite bit is around the fish eye

Irises and pants on the way to work
Pingjiang - Suzhou