So, I am writing to you from Suzhou, Portland's sister city, famed for it's gardens and its canals. We got here this afternoon, and so far we have seen several canals (it's not exactly "the Venice of China" but the canals are very pleasant) but no gardens yet. We had originally planned on going to Kunming, but the plane tickets turned out to be 3440 yuan, which was way to expensive. We decided instead to go to Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Shanghai. We spent the last two nights in Hangzhou, which is known as China's tourist capital of the world. The bus station seemed to prove that, because as soon as we got of the bus, we were hassled with dozens of people trying to get us to go to their hotels or on their tours or to buy their maps. Finally we managed to make it on to a bus and get into the middle of town. We ended up near the Hangzhou tourist information center, where a very pushy man told us that he could get us a room in a 3 star hotel nearby for 150 yuan. Ｗｅ　ｃｏｎｆｉｒｍｅｄ　ｔｈａｔ　ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｗａｓ　ｎｏｔｈｉｎｇ　ｒｅｍｏｔｅｌｙ　ａｓ　ｃｈｅａｐ　ａｓ　ｔｈａｔ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ａｒｅａ　ａｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｏｕｒｉｓｔ　ａｒｅａ，　ｓｏ　ｗｅ　ｆｏｌｌｏｗｅｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｍａｎ　ｔｏ　ａ　ｒｏｏｍ　ｔｈａｔ　ｗａｓ　ｎｅｉｔｈｅｒ　ｉｎ　ａ　ｔｈｒｅｅ　ｓｔａｒ　ｈｏｔｅｌ　ｎｏｒ　１５０　ｙｕａｎ．　　Ａｔ　ｆｉｒｓｔ　ｈｅ　ｔｒｉｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｇｅｔ　ｕｓ　ｔｏ　ｐａｙ　２２０　ｙｕａｎ，　ｂｕｔ　ｆｉｎａｌｌｙ　ｗｅ　ｗｅｒｅ　ａｂｌｅ　ｔｏ　ｇｅｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｒｏｏｍ　ｆｏｒ　１６０　ｙｕａｎ　ａｆｔｅｒ　ｂａｒｇａｉｎｉｎｇ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｔｈｅ　ｆｒｏｎｔ　ｄｅｓｋ　ｗｏｍａｎ．　　Ｗｅ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｃｅｎｔｅｒ　ｏｆ　ｔｏｗｎ　ｎｅａｒ　ｔｈｅ　Ｗｅｓｔ　Ｌａｋｅ，　ｔｈｉｓ　ｅｎｏｒｍｏｕｓ　ａｎｄ　ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ　ｌａｋｅ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｍａｎｙ　ｆａｍｏｕｓ　ｐａｖｉｌｉｏｎｓ　ａｎｄ　ｇａｒｄｅｎｓ　ｏｎ　ｉｓｌａｎｄｓ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｍｉｄｄｌｅ．　　Ｗｅ　ｅｎｄｅｄ　ｕｐ　ｏｎ　ａ　ｂｏａｔ　ｒｉｄｅ　ｗｉｔｈ　ａ　Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ　ｍａｎ　ａｎｄ　ｈｉｓ　ｌｉｔｔｌｅ　ｓｉｓｔｅｒ　（ｂｏｔｈ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅｉｒ　ｔｈｉｒｔｉｅｓ）　ａｎｄ　ｌｉｓｔｅｎｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｂｏａｔ　ｒｉｄｅｒ　ｒｅｃｉｔｅ　ｐｏｅｔｒｙ　ａｎｄ　ｍａｋｅ　ｌｉｔｅｒａｒｙ　ｒｅｆｅｒｅｎｃｅｓ　ｔｈａｔ　ｗｅｎｔ　ｗａｙ　ｏｖｅｒ　ｏｕｒ　ｈｅａｄ．　　After the boat ride, ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ｃｏｍｐｌｅｔｅｌｙ　ｄａｒｋ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｉｂｌｉｎｇｓ　ａｓｋｅｄ　ｉｆ　ｗｅ　ｗａｎｔｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｓｈａｒｅ　ａ　ｃａｂ.　　Ｗｅ　ｅｎｄｅｄ　ｕｐ　ｒｉｄｉｎｇ　ａｒｏｕｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｍｉｄｄｌｅ　ｆｏ　ｎｏｗｈｅｒｅ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｄａｒｋ　ｐａｓｔ　ｔｅａ　ｆｉｅｌｄｓ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｕｔｓｋｉｒｔｓ　ｏｆ　Ｈａｎｇｚｈｏｕ． Hangzhou is famous for a tea that is somehow related to the Qing dynasty emperor Qianlong and a well. 　Ｗｅ　ｇｏｔ　ｔｏ　ｓｅｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｗｅｌｌ　ａｎｄ　ｔａｓｔｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｅａ，　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅｎ　ｗｅ　ｗｅｎｔ　ｂａｃｋ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｈｅａｒｔ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｃｉｔｙ　ａｎｄ　ｗａｌｋｅｄ　ａｒｏｕｎｄ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｈｏｐｐｉｎ　ｇ　ｄｉｓｔｒｉｃｔ．