Day 1 in Suzhou

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We posted a post on couchsurfing last night mentioning all the things we want to see in Suzhou and asked if anyone could recommend a route for us. We woke up to an email suggesting a walking tour! Just what Tris and I love.


We caught a taxi to Shi Quan Ji Street: a street known for its nightlift and went to the recommended steamed bun place for breakfast. After trying one, Tris went back for more. I had trouble keeping the juice off my hands, and dribbling down my sleeves. I must've looked like an idiot trying to eat them. We finally sat down and I ate them leaning forward between my legs so the juice would drip on the ground, rather than on me.

We walked to the Master of Nets Garden. It is the smallest garden in Suzhou, but considered the most well preserved in the city. It was laid out in the 12th century and was later restored in the 18th century as part of the home of a retired official turned fisherman.

Trying to head to our next destination was a challenge. The streets and alleys aren't labelled well which makes it difficult to get around. And not speaking the language doesn't help. We got lost a couple times until Tris spotted the Twin Pagodas in the distance. We made our way onto the right street and figured we ended up walking on the wrong side of the canal when looking for them. The walk was beautiful along cobblestone streets, lots of big old trees, and Chinese people whizzing by on the silent but deadly electric scooters.

We wandered around Ping Jiang Lu street which is quite touristy but very picturesque. It is also situated along a canal with old architecture, lots of cafes and tea houses (all quite expensive) and little shops. It was a perfect place to wander around with the sun shining and the crisp winter cold making our noses run and cheeks pink. We stopped for a rest and had a milk tea at a little artsy cafe.

This was where we ended our tour. We will continue the rest tomorrow. We found a tourism office and got pointed in the direction of a train ticket office. Walking, we came across a restaurant with lots of locals in it. When we went in we saw that they were all eating the same thing. They look like fried breaded dumplings or something. So we pointed to a plate and also ordered some soup. It was a delicious meal for $4, and we were stuffed!

The train station ticket office was no where to be found. We asked numerous people and they said we were on the right road, but there is no train ticket office. SO we decided to catch a taxi to the actual train station. When we arrived we realized we forgot our passports and we'd have to leave and come back.

We will just wait until tomorrow.

In the evening we headed out to Times Square, a popular area surrounding East Lake. The area at night is lit up by a bunch of lights and is really pretty.

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