Tiredofstayinghomeweekafterweek,DaveandItookadrivetoNashville,Tennesseethepastlongweekend.Wecouldn'tvisiteverythingintwodays,butwehitmostofthemajorattractions.Herearesomeofthehighlights:
No.1Thenightlife.
TherearesomanybarsindowntownNashville,between2ndand5thAveonBroadway,andon2ndAvegoingnorthfromBroadway.Allofthemhavelivemusicatnight,andthesingersareprettygood.
1.Tootsiesissupposedlyt...[
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UnlikeintheU.S."howmuchmoneydoyoumake?"isapopularquestionbetweenChinese,atleastitusedtobe.IrememberedonetimewhenIwasinTokyoairport,waitingformyconnectiontoBeijing,afellowChinesepassengerwhowaswaitingforthesameflightstartedtochatwithme.Aftersomeintroductionofherself,ifIrememberedcorrectly,shewasabout60yearsold,cametoJapantovisitherdaughterwhomarriedaJapanese,herquestionscame.Itstartedlike...[
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Day16,17
InthenexttwodayswewanderedaroundShanghaialittlemore.WewenttotheYuGarden(豫园),whichisaverybeautifulgarden,butitwaspackedwithtourgroups,leavingusnoroomtoroam.
1.InYuGarden.
2.InYuGarden.
3.InYuGarden.
WehaddinnerattheOrientalPearlTower's(东方明珠)revolvingrestaurant,butwecouldn'tgetatablebythewindowbecausewedidn'tcallaheadandreserveit.Thereweremanytablesbythewindowthatw...[
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Day15
Thiswasthesaddestdayofthewholetrip.DaveandIweregoingtoShanghaibytraininthemorning.Mydad,auntanduncleweregoingbacktoNanjing.Finallyitwastimetosaygoodbyetothem.Ipreparedmyselfforthemoment,butwhenthetimecame,itstillhitmehard.Icouldn'tevenlookatmydadintheeyeswhenhespoke.Hesaid:"yourtripistooshort,wecanonlydothebestwecan.Whenyouhavetimeinthefuture,comebackmoreoften......Iamfine,don'tworr...[
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Day14
ThiswasthelastdaywehadinSuzhou.Therewerestillmanyplaceswewantedtovisit,butcouldnotpossiblyfitthemallinthistrip,sowechoseHanshanTemple,MapleBridgeScenicArea,andtheLingeringGardenfortheday.
HanshanTemple,madefamousbecauseofthepoem"ANightMooringbyMapleBridge"byTangDynastypoetZhangJi,isthemostcommercializedtemplewehavebeentoinChina.It'spackedwithtourist,barelyhadanyroomleftforp...[
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Day13continue
TigerHill,oneofthemostpopulartouristdestinationinSuzhou,hasanumberofhistoricalsitesthatdatebackhundreds,ifnotthousands,ofyears.Amongthem,YunyanPagodaandSwordPondarethemostfamoussites.Asaresult,itisguaranteedtofindmassivetourgroupsthere.Theymovelikeaswarmoflocuststhatdon'tcareaboutanythingintheirpath.It'snuts.Wewentinoffseasonanddidn'tevenseetheworstofit.
1.Stonetigeronabridge...[
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Day13
Luzhi,locatedonthesoutheastsideofSuzhou,isactuallyclosertoSuzhouthanTongliis.Infact,wefoundapublicbus(No.518)goingtherebyourhotel,anditonlycost4RMB/person.SincetherearefortysomestopsbetweenourhotelandthetownofLuzhi,Iwasafraidthatitmighttaketoolongtogettherebybus.Sowestilltookthetaxisinthemorning.Itcost90RMB,sameastoTongli.Icouldtellforsurethatthetaxidriverwastakingthelongway.Ididn'tcaret...[
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Day12
Besidesthemanygardensinthecity,Suzhouisalsofamousfortheancienttownsnearby.Tongliisoneofthem,Luzhiistheotherthatwewereinterestedingoingto.SinceIwasn'tsureifwecouldfindtaxisinthosetownseasily,andtherewerefiveofus,Iwasgoingtohiretwotaxisfortheday,sotheycouldtakeuswhereverwewanted.Butthetwotaxiswehailedfromthestreet,onewasaskingfor650RMB($88)fortheday,andtheotherwasaskingfor600RMB.Ithoughtth...[
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Day11continue
OursecondstopofthedaywastheHumbleAdministrator'sGarden,oneofChina'sfourmostfamousgardens.Itwasveryprettyindeed.Theonlyproblemwastheever-existingtourgroups.Eachonehadtheirowntourguide,whowasarmedwithayellowflaginonehand,andapowerfulloudspeakerintheother.Everytourguidewasdeterminedtooutspeaktheothersbothinwordsandinvolume.Itwastrulyannoying!
1.TheHumbleAdministrator'sGarden.
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Day11
TherearemanytrainsgoingfromNanjingtoSuzhoudaily.WeboughtticketsforD407afterwearrivedinNanjing.ItleavesNanjingat7:57am,arrivesSuzhouaround9:30am.Theticket(2ndclasssoftseat)cost67RMBeach.MycousinPingcametothetrainstationtoseeusoff.Itoldhernotto.Wedidn'thavemuchluggage,wecouldhandleitourselves.Butsheinsistedoncoming,sayingit'sonherwaytoworkanyway.
EversincewearrivedinNanjing,mycousinPin...[
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