Hangzhou, Wuzhen, Suzhou - Still Calling!
Hey guys, it's me again, sharing the rest of my awesome 11-day solo trip to China!
Day 6: Hangzhou - Temple Run & Night Market Dreams
Started the day with a Luckin Coffee from my hotel lobby. Spotted them later in Suzhou too, might be a Shanghai thing but I missed it. Super cheap and yummy, though the app orders meant a bit of a wait. Grabbed some instant noodles from Family Mart near Hangzhou station for breakfast. Trying to order a Didi to Lingyin Temple was a mess without internet! Had to ask for help.
Luckily, a student eating a pastry outside the station helped us book. Then this guy overhears and warns the student about us scammers! My sister was annoyed, but I kinda get it. We assured the student we had cash and would pay him back. He was a gem, trusted us, and we all walked to the Didi pickup spot.
🚗🚗 An hour later, we finally reached Lingyin Temple thanks to the crazy traffic. Local tourists were out in force, even on a weekday! Temple entry was 50 yuan each. Climbing the stairs to the main Lingyin Temple felt impossible, so we explored nearby temples, had lunch, and grabbed souvenir bracelets (39-80 yuan is a good range). Didi to Leifeng Pagoda next, and more traffic! Snapped a quick pic at the Fayu Temple while we were stuck. 😉
Entered Leifeng Pagoda (40 yuan), explored, snacked, and took amazing photos from the top. Back to the hotel for a rest!
🦐🥗 Around 9 PM, we planned to hit Wulin Night Market, but the Didi couldn't drop us off nearby. The driver said it was a short walk, but without internet, we were totally lost and hungry. So, we just dived into a random restaurant. Best decision ever! 😋😋 We ordered seafood porridge, stir-fried veggies, and garlic prawns (the photo looked small, but the dish was HUGE, and the garlic was a bit salty). The porridge was amazing, sweet and fresh with prawns and oysters – best porridge of the trip. Veggies tasted like water spinach from Malaysia but were super crunchy and good. The restaurant's name roughly translates to "Qiao Street Night Food, Fengqi Road Branch". Too late for Wulin Market after that, so we grabbed a ride back to the hotel.
Day 7: Hangzhou to Wuzhen - Silk & Speed Trains
Starbucks breakfast and coffee right next to the hotel. Then it was off to Qinghefang to buy gifts. We bought Hangzhou silk scarves for the family, a nightgown, and some Longjing tea for friends. Back to the hotel to check out and head to Hangzhoudong station for high-speed train tickets to Tongxiang station. This part was almost a disaster! 😟 I had the luggage while my sister looked for the ticket counter. Hangzhou station is huge, and we wandered around for nearly 2 hours! Eventually, we found the right place, but the tickets to Tongxiang were sold out. Tried to sneak some internet at the taxi stand for a Didi, but no luck. Had to take a taxi, costing us 330 yuan. 😭 Should have booked a Didi from the hotel, would have been cheaper!
Checked into our hotel in Wuzhen. Around 5 PM, we headed out to explore. Wuzhen entry was 150 yuan (we booked a hotel outside the town). The evening scenery was serene, and the illuminated night scene was breathtaking. So beautiful! But I forgot my power bank! 😣 Phone died at 7:30 PM, halfway through taking photos! Went for dinner, strolled around, and met some lovely locals. Saw some performers juggling balls, cheered them on. After a fun night, we headed back to the hotel. Grabbed some strawberries, waxberries, and a strange yellow fruit from a shop across the street.
Day 8: Wuzhen to Suzhou - Hotpot & Night Markets
Breakfast at a wonton shop across from the hotel. Strolled around, bought some mandarin oranges, and t-shirts as gifts. Checked out at noon and took a Didi to Suzhou for 159 yuan + 30 yuan toll fees.
Arrived at the hotel around 3:20 PM, dropped off our bags, and went for hotpot. Ordered a two-compartment pot, but even after removing a spoonful of chili, it was still too spicy for me! (I can't handle spice) 😅 Switched to the tomato side. Back to the hotel for a rest. At 6:30 PM, we walked to Guanqian Street, which was packed with food, snacks, and souvenirs. Grabbed some blueberry yogurt, super yummy! Bought bracelets and keychains (cheap), and some clothes (good price compared to Malaysia – 180k to 470k per item). Around 9 PM, we ate Korean food next to the hotel and then called it a night.
Day 9: Suzhou - Canals & Relaxation
Took a Didi to Shantang Street, bought pastries for breakfast, and then some oranges, strawberries, and coconut water (lots of water but not very sweet). Strolled along the canal, bought a fan, and admired ceramics and cute souvenirs. Back to the hotel to rest. We'd been snacking a lot, so we skipped lunch. Felt tired from the previous days of trains and walking in Shanghai. Just wanted to relax. At 4:30 PM, we went back to the Korean restaurant next to the hotel, ate dinner, and strolled around Guanqian Street, bought some more snacks and clothes, then went back to the hotel.
Day 10: Suzhou to Xiamen - Airport Adventures
Bought some pastries in Guanqian Street, ate noodles nearby, and had super cheap (6.8 yuan) but delicious bubble tea. Back to the hotel to pack and then off to Suzhou station for high-speed train tickets to Hongqiao for our overnight layover in Xiamen before flying back to Malaysia. More trouble! The self-service kiosks wouldn't accept my passport info, even in English. Luckily, a guy helped us find the ticket counter, waited for us to bring our luggage, and escorted us to the counter. So lucky to meet so many helpful people! We had some "Guardian Angels"! Hihi.
🚄 Had dinner at Hongqiao airport, then checked in for our flight to Xiamen. Arrived at Xiamen airport at 11 PM. The XiamenAirlines free hotel shuttle was closed, so we found a hotel on Trip.com. Managed to get airport wifi (spotty without a Chinese number) and booked a random hotel. Took a Didi to the hotel, but the driver couldn't enter the alley and just pointed us in the direction. It wasn't that simple! 😣 Asked for directions late at night and luckily found a roasted pork leg seller who helped us.
The owner kept insisting the room he showed us was the best, but it wasn't like the photos on the app! 😫 Finally showed him the app photos, and he took us to the room we booked. It was okay. We reassured each other that we just had to sleep one night before flying back to Malaysia.
Day 11: Homeward Bound!
Woke up early at 5:30 AM to head to the airport. The staff in Xiamen had already issued our boarding passes, but there was no gate number. My sister went to the airline counter to ask, and the female staff made her queue. After waiting for over 30 minutes, the male staff just pointed us in a direction. So frustrating!
🛬 Back in Malaysia, the immigration was crowded, and the officers gave different directions. Luckily, some ladies helped us find the right queue. The automated gates were closed. When it was my turn, the immigration officer asked why I didn't use the automated gates since they were faster and could be used for the entire passport. Should have told us earlier! (I was thinking, why didn't the other officers tell us, I was speaking Malay, I waited for 2 hours in the hot airport and was covered in sweat). 😒
That was our trip!
Thanks again for reading. I hope my sharing is helpful to those planning a solo trip with the lack of experience.
Note: I had a daily itinerary, with specific locations, but as we didn't have internet access, it got disrupted, going wherever we could. We may explore new places that we have missed in the future.
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