Another Wuxi weekend

Aiyun and I are seeing each other every other weekend. I ended up going to see her twice in a row because we have special events taking place in Hangzhou during our next two visits.

After breakfast this morning we headed out to the Huishan Ancient Town portion of Wuxi. It's seems every enormous city in China has an "ancient town" which is a long street with small shops on both sides. About half small snack and eatery places that specialize in local food delicacies and half small gift shops that specialize in small crafts.

Tanghulu was the immediate need for me. We scored some soon after our arrival. A thick sugar coating on strawberries is the perfect way to start your day.

Huishan ancient town had a very cool temple and gardens that we meandered through for a couple of hours. They were celebrating a Chrysanthemum festival. Lots of picture opportunities.

There was a large bell that you could ring. I found it funny that the tiny man that cut in front of the line to ring the bell barely hit the thing whereas the little girl in front of us smashed it very hard. She got a high five from the giant white foreigner. Wish I had grabbed a photo with her.

Lunch was rice and beef with a some mixed in veggies and sauce. I wished I had taken a picture of it before we mixed it all together. The rice comes separate in a small bowl and you can special order it how you like it. Aiyun and I both agree that it's best when you order the rice nearly burned on the bottom to get that crispy texture. The pickled turnips, cabbage, and cucumbers in a sauce are a regular thing. The seaweed soup not so much, but I must admit it's grown on me.

Dinner last night was as at a place that specializes in lamb. I've become a big mutton fan. These were smoked chops that had a heavy rub all over them. So good. And the egg drop soup was equally tasty.

We will see each other again in two weeks. Hangzhou International School has a special Thanksgiving dinner on Friday the 24th. They supply all the turkeys and the teaching staff brings all the sides. I'm planning to make apple pies. Hoping to get some friends to join me for a pie making event the night before. Only one person on board so far. We'll see how that goes.

Back to the grind for this week. Basketball practice right after school three days. Looking forward to a poker game next Friday and a round of golf next Sunday.

Last thought of the day. Started looking at flights home in June. It's been nearly a year and a half. Seeing the end of the adventure is making me question what I'll do in the spring time for a final trip somewhere in China. I'm going to run out of time with a list of things not accomplished. Chengdu. Nanjing. Tibet. Hmm. Maybe I'll have to come back at some point...