Suzhou  Expedition

Well, the morning started out good enough as I was really excited about my Suzhou expedition. I arrived early at the Yangtze New World Hotel to wait for the tour bus to pick me up. The concierge kept checking with me (or I with him) until finally it appeared that somehow the bus was late. It started out that it was in a traffic jam, and still coming, as myself and two Australians were anxioulsy awaiting.

Then about 15 minutes later the concierge scurried us into a taxi (for which we were not to pay) telling us we were being driven “to meet the bus.” It turned out quite crazy really. We drove actually out of Shanghai city limits, and on a couple of different freeways, even on the way to Suzchou… All the while the taxi driver (who naturally spoke no English) just following directions from phone calls either from the hotel or the tour bus and tour company.

Everytime the phone rang, we would stop and wait or change direction or drive a little further. Finally, hs pulled over on the side of a busy freeway, right past the tool booth and we ended up waiting there alongside the road for about half an hour, during which time a phone call came through and I (who was in the front seat and thus the appointed spokesperson) talked to our tour guide, who said she was on the way to meet us there.

We were all expecting the whole tour group and bus, but finally our driendly, excited Chinese guide came bounding at us from another taxi parked alongside the freeway.

The trip turned out to start very personally guided with me and the Australians. We visited Tiger Hall, a temple, and passed quickly many interesting souvenier stands. There were mostly all Chinese tourists except us. We also saw the park area of a pagoda which is leaning like the Pisa Tower.

When it came time for lunch, our taxi drove us to the restaurant slash gift emporium, silk embroidery factory, where we met up with the rest of the group. We were fed well, everyone a little hesitant on what to eat, as are most people upon initial arrival in China. Then we saw ladies meticulously embroidering one thread at a time of silk tiny thin painstaking strands, even with human hair, one strand at a time. It was awful — both to see them do, as well as the final results, which were trotzdem overpriced! There was one piece of a cat, done by a lady who won an award for it, International Competition in Belgium, it took her four years to make, and six months just on the eyes. Stupid.

So we all were cased and individually tracked and followed around the shop, just in case we felt inclined to make a purchase, which no-one did. It was an annoyance and the stuff is so god-awful ugly!

Then we were driven on to the next sites. We visited the old city gate “Watergate” and the “Garden of the Master of the Nets” which was really nice. (See photos.) Along the way, we passed THE KILLER porcelain and ceramic stalls! It was all the stuff I like in the greens and yellow and which can’t be located in Shanghai (except in some over-over-priced “antique stalls”). I was spotting pieces I like ahead of me, then setting a price and hurriedly trying to bargain my way down before the group got too far ahead of me.

I did pretty good! I ended up with eight pieces (or seven) from three different sessions, at a total of 85 Yuan so about $1.50 each!!! I was stoked and naturally impressed with my newly found bargaining skills. The more I bargained, I found, the larger a crowd gathered around to watch the numbers fly on paper or calculator amidst astonished gasps of “nooh!” Too high or too low motioning and “No no no no!” It was fun albiet I was always running to catch up with the group.

Last we visited a “handmade” silk factory, where every painstaking silk cacoon was pulled apart and sorted by hand. The silk was then unspun and put by hand onto a stretcher of various sizes, left to dry (Lucille even told me they snack on the worms from cacoon shells) and then stretched by hand (four bent-back ladies) over a table making 100 layers for the silk comforter filling. Amazing how slow and tedious the work is. We would have had machines already during the Industrial Revolution doing that.

Of course they sell the things for outrageous amounts 1200 just for the filling, not to mention the required silk cover. Then, they let us loose in the silk storem where I bought some awful fitting silk underware (in large!?) and a scarf probably for Dagi. We didn’t see where all that stuff is made though? Prices were semi-high and set, so no bargain, no buy!

Saturday, 25 September 1999