Checking out West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province

This was my shortest weekend trip yet. I took a 6:55A flight to Hangzhou on Saturday and returned the next evening. I landed, jumped in a taxi heading to my 'Inn' and stayed local. All I really wanted to do was wander around Zhejiang province's famously beautiful West Lake.

West Lake

The large lake is decorated with traditional Chinese-style bridges and structures, and it's framed by more trees and nature laden areas than I expected. That was a definite bonus. The fresh pine smell that I still associate with childhood memories of living in Tahoe, was faint, but definitely present, and I even walked on some dirt paths, instead of the typical stoned ones.

Saturday was quite cold, but quiet. I walked around half of the lake that day, but I needed to intermittently stop to warm up. Sunday, on the other hand, was warmer and pretty crowded, but in typical Chinese fashion, it was only really busy in the few 'famous areas' which are close to public transport, and only after noon. Chinese tourist seem to sleep late, of which I am thankful for. So, despite some densely populated areas, I could always find a path to take that was lonely and a bench that was unoccupied. On Sunday, I managed to walk around the whole lake. 

According to my Fitbit pedometer, on Sunday, I walked over 15 miles.

 

Warming Up

I warmed up and rested at several Starbucks. I found statistics from June, 2017 claiming there were 125 Starbuck locations in Hangzhou, at that time. I heard from another 'foreigner' in China that Zhejiang province has special permission for unlimited Starbucks and for that reason they have more than any other province. 

China, look what you did. How did you make me start calling expats, foreigners?

I'm still amazed and humbled by all the wondrous places I can get to within a few hours by high-speed trains or affordable flights.