Paradise? Think again.

Dear all,

Thank you for all your concern. As you may have imagined, it was one of the most terrible trips I've had due mostly to the scorcher. The both trains (went to

and back) were unbelievably packed with "migrant workers"; I just don't understand why they keep going to and from in such burning days. The downtown of HangZhou city wasn't any better than any other cities I've ever seen; all you got was

wall-to-wall people and vehicle, constant traffic jams, expressionless and indifferent residents, buses that were simply loaded to the gills... The city had everything that you may be disgusted with. What seemed senseless to me most, though, was that many buses just kept going around without even reporting the name of the bus stations! I saw very seldom someone offer seat to some elders, which

can't be more common in my city, Jinhua. Another thing that made me mad was that I'd have to move heaven the earth to find someplace where I can answer the nature call. Now imagine you were an out-of-town tourist with no relatives in this

"paradise".

It took more than half an hour's bus ride to go downtown from the hotel I stayed

, and the heat and crammed buses certainly had done nothing to whet my appetite

to see the downtown area, so I simply spent most of the time staying in my room

which thanks goodness was air-conditioned. My friend and I still had a walk around the Xizi lake, though, one night. I have to admit that the view of the lake

must be picturesque if only the weather weren't this brutal. So make sure the

weather is nice before hitting the road if the lake really seems appealing to you.

The food they served was wonderful. I would think better of the hotel, which named "HaiFu Hotel" and was situated in BaBao there, though, if my room were not adjacent to a KTV bar. :( The noise simply set my teeth on edge. I complained

to the hall receptionest and they agreed to see to it, but the scratching sound

kept raping my ears until midnight. To make it even worse, I broke a shampoo bottle which was loosely attached to the wall, and this cost me twenty yuan without any explanation or receipt. Talk about a trap! Let me tell you I am not about to go stay in that hotel again if it were the last hotel in the world.

I've never liked big cities like this, and this trip made me feel sorry for those who have to live there, having to go to and from work everyday rubbing elbows

with strangers in nastily stuffed buses. Give me a small, peaceful town anyway.

.. I do feel better now because I am now sitting in my office necking with my laptop.

Don't hurry to raise to the bait when somebody goes around telling you what a real paradise Hangzhou is. If this city can be called paradise, I'm afraid paradise is already ruined by human civilization.

:D

Panpanpan.