A Whirlwind Adventure: Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou & Wuzhen!
Just last April, my sister and I embarked on a fantastic 10-day independent journey through Shanghai, Hangzhou, the charming water town of Wuzhen, and Suzhou. It was such a fun trip! Of course, there were a few little things we didn't get to see, but honestly, those "almost" moments just add to the wonderful memories.
Now, I don't speak any Chinese, but my sister used to work at a store selling agarwood to Chinese customers, so she can handle a little bit of basic communication. I completely trusted her, which is how this amazing trip even happened! ☺️
Some Things I Learned Along the Way:
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The Chinese people are incredibly friendly and helpful! We met so many lovely people during our travels. In Xiamen, a fellow passenger on our flight invited us out for a delicious seafood dinner (he wouldn't let us pay, no matter how much we insisted! He said we were visiting his country, so that made us his friends, and it was perfectly normal for him to treat us). In Shanghai, a sweet older woman pointed us to a great lunch spot and told the owner to make sure our food was extra delicious and plentiful since we were new to the city. And in Hangzhou, a kind 20-year-old student helped us carry our two huge suitcases from the subway station all the way to our hotel door and even helped us exchange cash for Alipay credit! There were just so many kind and generous acts throughout our vacation.
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We exchanged all our money in Vietnam before leaving and ended up using cash for about two-thirds of our trip expenses. The other third went towards hotels and transferring money into Alipay with the help of kind strangers.
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The food was amazing, the bubble tea was delicious, and the scenery everywhere we went was stunning.
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I especially loved buying those soft-skinned, juicy, and incredibly sweet oranges in China. So good!
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And the infrastructure? Seriously impressive! Shanghai is just unbelievably luxurious. Even taxi drivers in Xiamen sometimes cruise at speeds close to 120 km/h. What a thrill! 😆
A Note About Local Customs
There's one thing I had to see with my own eyes to truly believe, because I'd heard about it and seen it online, but it didn't really sink in until I experienced it firsthand: the spitting culture. It's just... everywhere. 🥺
Looking Forward to the Next Adventure!
My sister and I are already dreaming of our next trip to China, eager to explore and discover even more of this fascinating country!
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