A Pair of Panties and Boxers

My fever last week left me with a smoker’s cough, which remained a permanent side affect until I left China. Feeling slightly less feverish, I hopped on the train at the Shanghai Railway Station. In 15 minutes, I was able to inhale Suzhou’s crisp, light air and exhale Shanghai’s industrial pollution. It was a relief. For the day, my smoker’s cough left me at peace.

Suzhou’s beauty lies in its lush imperial gardens and beautiful stone bridges.  It would have been paradise if there weren’t as many people. But who am I kidding. This is China.

Leaving the Suzhou railway station, we hopped into a cab. Our one day trip began at the Lingering Garden, one of the most famous gardens in China and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The garden was so stunning that I had to wondered which parts were natural and which were man-made.

The Chinese have always had an extreme talent for creating picture-esque and harmonious landscapes with the blending of trees, flowers, stones and water. It always carried an aura of tranquility. The Lingering Garden was exceptionally beautiful and a pleasure to wander around in. We encountered live music scattered throughout the garden all afternoon.

From the Lingering Garden we rode in a rickshaw to our next destination. I noticed that our driver used a cane and was missing a left leg. Thank goodness the ricksaw ran on a motor. Otherwise I would have felt awful if he had to peddle us all the way to our next stop.

We arrived at the gates of The Tiger Hill Pagoda, a Buddhist temple with a tilt. You might say that it’s Suzhou’s Leaning Tower of Pisa. But I’m sure that tilt was there long before Italy’s Pisa was constructed. The Tiger Hill Pagoda sits on a summit on a small hill. We would have been able to climb to the top of the pagoda to watch the sunset, but we were a few minutes too late. Instead, we enjoyed the sunset peaking in and out between the tree leaves.