Restaurant area

After our day at Houshan and climbing the mountain, we boarded the bus and returned to the city and were taken to a fascinating place for lunch at a very old Chinese place, where much of the old village and canals were still being used. It was fascinating - the restaurant featured traditional Chinese food - and we were lucky to have some of the Chinese teachers with us to explain what it was we were eating. What a marvellous feast! Afterward we wandered around the grounds - we saw close up a shop where there was a wide variety of fish and other water animals that we believe were to be used in the restaurant. I'm OK with fresh fish, but seeing frogs and turtles still living and making their way around a tank not knowing that their days of life are soon to be over and they would be someone's dinner. The complex is quite near a canal with larger water transport, and apparently a boat that tours the canals. We must do that one day. But it started to rain again, so we were glad to board the bus and return to the college. It had been a wonderful, but exhausting day.

More canals

There are canals everywhere. Just behind and beside our apartment are more canals. One is quite fascinating as there is some interesting activities there.

Some days I see fishermen - they have a fish trap in the canal. I've get to see them catch any fish, but I have difficulty seeing what is going on. They quietly ply the water in their little boats - I'm not sure what they are called, but they look a little like "sampans". They are very steady in the boats and stand up without wobbling the little boats.

Against the wall is a vegetable garden and every now and then a lady comes along in her little boat, picks some vegetables and puts them in a bag. She throws something that looks like white powder (nutrient of some sort I suspect) and then using the paddle/oar sweeps water from the canal onto the plants.

I am told that every now and then this canal is emptied - and her garden is dismantled (it must be illegal?) but after cleaning out the canal she returns and builds her garden against the wall of the canal and starts all over again.

In this photo you can see two fishermen in their boats, and up against the far wall, the vegetable patch (it is one of two along the wall).

(this photo was taken from the kitchen window of my apartment)

Canals of Shaoxing

The city of Shaoxing is large with a population of over 4 million. It is a very modern city - but many parts of the city are quite old as well. With a long history it is not surprising that a lot of the old buildings are kept and are still in use.

There are canals everywhere. The canal above is in a little village which is opposite the college. We can go there to purchase food from the many street vendors there, and a variety of other things. There are hairdressers in tiny shops, cake shops, shoe shops, clothing shops, kitchen/household items, and at the end of the laneway just past the bridge over the canal are the fresh food markets. Some lovely fruit and vegetables can be purchased here. Some of the vegetables I have never seen before.

I've also added a photo of the village lane. Cars, motorcycles, cyclists and pedestrians all use this laneway and one just has to keep one's eyes open, and ears, as the cars and motorcycles toot loudly so that you jump out of the way in a hurry. It is a noisy busy place.

Everyone is friendly to us Westerners. They wave - and try and sell us items, but negotiating with them is difficult. The language barrier again. But they all seem to have calculators and can understand numbers!