And then we went to Hangzhou. After spending a few days in Shanghai, we took the high speed train to Hangzhou. The train was so fast it whisked us to Hangzhou in no time. And after checking into our hotel, we immediately saw the West Lake.
The West Lake is an interesting fixture of Hangzhou, and is said to be one of the most traditionally pretty places in China. We were staying in a hotel that was walking distance from this area, so we spent some time in the afternoon exploring its surroundings.
There were boats, large and small. We didn't take the boats during the first day, as that was something we allocated for the following day. During our first day, we just explored the perimeter, walking along the pretty paths. There is a park that essentially encircles the entire lake, and we just explored it, as well as the various causeways and other footpaths.
There are parts that tend to get crowded, but this was not an issue. We figured out how to escape the crowds when we needed to, and even though everyone and their grandmother seemed to be after the serene beauty of the place, we still figured out how to enjoy it in peace and make the best use of our visit.
