The use of Gao Tie (fast trains) was also inspired making the longer journeys more manageable and allowing us to spend more time at the destinations of choice. Also at 39.5￥ each, for this journey, it made good financial sense. The benefits of having Chris along was he did the ordering, buying and initially the shepherding in the station, we just did the travelling. As time went on we became more confident and the chaos and interpretation of the platform and timing hoardings became easier.
The only issue on this journey was the use of a squat toilet on a moving train, need I say more?
We arrived at SuZhou and were plonked into a taxi and off we went to the Overseas Chinese hotel, as this was only for one night we did not unpack but just grabbed some tea and snacks and got straight back into another taxi to spend some time in a formal garden. It is worth mentioning we saw a Kingfisher perched on a tree in the hotel gardens, a rare treat for us and it felt quite auspicious.
Here I would like to add a little advice. The use of taxis were not really a luxury but a necessary mode of transport, during our visit we used tube or underground trains very effectively but taxis were plentiful and on the whole cheap. However, there are taxis and taxis, the SuZhou taxis we used to get to and from The Humble Administrator's garden were the latter. No seatbelts, a cage around the driver, noisy, smelly, fast to the point of risky and to our daughters disgust the driver wound down the window at one point and spat! Personally I thought it was fantastic!
The Humble Administrator's garden cost around 70￥for an adult and was a perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle we had experienced thus far. I sat in a formal tea house and drank green tea, another of my must do's in China, it was perfect. We walked around the gardens and although out of season it remained a glorious spectacle. There we lakes and swathes of bonsai, quintessentially Chinese buildings and architecture, paths and corridors through aromatic bushes and trees, sculptures and art. Chris seemed keen to get round and get to another garden but we wanted to enjoy one properly, so we slowed the pace and got him to sit with us in the sun as we wrote postcards home.
This caused a bit of a spectacle and some Chinese men gathered to watch this strange ritual, I managed to exchange some words and they seemed happy I was a bit of an English eccentric writing illegibly on pieces of card.
This was the first time I had had to reflect on our journey so far and I began to wonder how we were being viewed by the Chinese, odd I expect! I think to this point I had seen a busy, modern version of China, full of smog and bling, not the tea drinking philosophical version in my head. The divide was reinforced in the exploration of the food culture, we are eat and go people, the Chinese sit and eat for hours, talking, socializing, doing business, and drinking; more of that later.
If there was one thing from today, it was I needed to focus more time and energy after our return on learning Mandarin properly, not just for me but to support our daughter in getting this essential language into her life. My use of this language was poor, I could get my meaning across but responses were hard to fathom and my blank stares were causing frustration. However my cultural understanding was improving rapidly, I could see the gaps but also the bridges.
I purchased a new tea mug on the way out. My concerns about it getting broken in transit were assuaged as the lady who sold it to me stood in it to show it strength. I was notably impressed!
My cash reserves were used up on our return to the hotel as we paid Chris for the train tickets for the whole trip and the days taxis.
Shanghai to Suzhou was 133.5￥ for the three of us, SuZhou to ChangSha 1305￥ and Guilin to ShenZhen 636￥, plus a booking fee of 15￥ for each journey. Added to this was 200￥ plus 200￥plus 60￥ for taxis.
I was now going to have to rely on the old credit card, again, more about that later!
第4天是2016年12月19日-慢慢吃和吃饱了
第4天是2016年12月19日，我们很早起，打包行李，吃完早餐，坐出租车到上海火车站搭09:00火车到苏州。我们大部分的国内旅游都坐火车，这是一项明智的决定，这样可以让我们看看中国，而不是只从飞机上跳瞰。尽管许多人建议我们必须考虑车站的繁忙和混乱，但事实证明这是正确的决定。
高铁（快速铁路）的运用也可以让旅行多一些弹性，时速到达300公里/小时使长途旅行更易于掌控，并让我们到目的地有更多的时间。此外每人39.5元，对这次旅程也很经济实惠。在我们旅途中有克里斯随行的好处，是他可以在车站协助预订车票、购物和引导，让我们可以纯粹享受旅行。随着时间的前进，我们变得越来越有自信，经由说明月台和车班时间显示板，这一切的混乱就变得更加容易一些。
在这旅程中唯一问题，是在行驶中的火车上使用蹲式的厕所，这需要我多说吗？
我们抵达苏州，坐进一辆出租车和然后直往华侨酒店，因为只住一晚，我们没有不要解开行李，只随意吃了一些茶点，又直接回到另一辆出租车，目的为了可多花点时间来看一座正式的园林。值得一提的是，我们看到一只翠鸟栖息在酒店花园的一棵树上，这对我们来说感到珍贵的是，它让人感觉很吉祥。
这里我想补充一点建议，使用出租车并不是为了奢华，而是一种交通需要，我们造访期间，使用捷运或搭乘地铁是非常有效率的，这里出租车很多，而且整体价格相当便宜。那里到处都是出租车，用来往返拙政园到苏州，不过我们坐上一辆较差的出租车。出租车里没有安全带，一个笼子把司机围在里面，嘈杂，臭，速度快到危险的地步，我们的女儿厌恶司机把车窗摇下一点向窗外吐痰！但我个人认为那才是真正的中国！
拙政园的门票一位成人要 70 元，对我们到目前为止所经历的熙熙攘攘，这是一种很完美解方(药)。另外一个我在中国所要做的事情，是坐在一个正式的茶馆喝着绿茶，这是很赞的。我们走在园林的周围，虽然是季节不对，但它仍然保持着极好的景色。那里我们可以欣赏湖景和大片的盆景、经典建筑物和结构、 小径、通往芳香灌木和树丛、 雕塑和艺术的走廊。克里斯似乎很想赶快逛完这一个到另一个园林，但我们完全想要慢慢享受一个园林，所以我们放慢脚步，当我们写明信片回家时，他和我们一起坐在阳光底下。
这造成了一点奇观，一些中国人聚集在一起观看这个奇怪的仪式，我设法与他们沟通，他们似乎很高兴地看着我，写一些难以辨认的歪斜英文字在几张卡片上。
这是第一次我不得不反思我们到目前为止的旅程，我开始想知道我们是怎么被中国人看待，我推想一定是奇特的！我认为在这点上我见过的中国，充满了烟雾和金光闪闪，繁忙的现代版本，而不是在我的脑海中饮茶哲学的版本。这鸿沟增强我在饮食文化的探索，我们算是吃得很快的人，但中国人一吃坐了几个小时，说话，社交，做生意和喝酒；或者更多。
如果有一件事从今天起要做，那就是在我们回家后需要集中更多的时间和精力在学习正确的普通话，不仅仅是为了我，而是为了支持我们的女儿，让这种基本的语言进入她的生活。我的普通话还不太好，我的意思可以被人理解，但别人的回应却让我难以捉摸，我茫然应对让我很挫折。然而我对文化的理解正迅速提升，我不但可以看到缺口，也看到如何通过的桥梁。
我在出来的路上买了一个新的茶杯。我担心它在运输过程中被打破了，但卖给我的那女士站在那里展现它的强度。我对它特别有印象 ！
当我们回到酒店，支付克里斯我们整个行程的火车票和出租车的钱后，我的储备现金用完。
上海到苏州我们三个是人民币133.5元，苏州到长沙是1305元人民币和桂林到深圳是636 元人民币，加上每一次旅行预订费15 元。再加这些 200 元 + 200 元 + 60 元出租车钱。
现在我将不得不依靠旧的信用卡，随后会再说明！
No comments:
Post a Comment