Hangzhou
I am a restless traveler. This is less a statement of pretentious wanderlust then it is an admission that I very rarely sleep well staying in hotels and I’ve never been able to sleep on the overnights train. While China trains are an incredibly convenient and cheap way to travel, I spend the night fitfully trying to find the right body configuration to keep out stray light, odd noises, and, on occasion, even odder smells. Possibly (probably) I’m just getting old.
I managed a few hours on the overnight from Beijing to Hangzhou but this afternoon necessitated a 45-minute nap before I felt human enough to brave the misty shores of West Lake. I love my students, but after 36 hours of close contact, I decided to disconnect myself and head out on my own. Right now I’m bathing in fast WiFi and hiding in plain sight at – of all places – the lobby bar of the West Lake Park Hyatt.
The rain postponed a planned hike in the hills above the lake. The kids were gamers, but I thought spending the first afternoon of a five-day trip wandering around in freezing rain to be more whimsy then