Water in the canal lies motionless under a sinking afternoon sun, disturbed ever so slightly by the oar of a lone boat plying the water on its way to another place. Spring is in the air, and my feet are itchy. Destination: Suzhou.
The heavens have the moon and the stars. We have Suzhou and Hangzhou. — Chinese Proverb
It’s a perfect opportunity to get the camera out and go exploring, to jump on a train and go somewhere to “see what can be seen.” If only out for a day, there is still much that can be discovered. It’s time to chug a cuppa espresso, sling the camera backpack over my shoulder, and out the door, I go.
Day Tripping is Easy
Travel in China is incredibly easy. Just pick up the camera bag and go. Hope the subway to the train station, and in less than thirty minutes, you can be a hundred kilometers away for less than the cost of a Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks. The Chinese do mass transit right.
Though the ancient water town is primarily a tourist attraction now, it is still possible to capture glimpses of a time when Marco Polo passed along this way, or perhaps what life was like during the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Several of the stone bridges and some of the architecture remain. Prowling along the canals and up the narrow streets, it’s easy to see why Suzhou is often called the “Venice of the East.”
Adventure is Out There
Authentic experiences can be found near or far, planned or on the spur of the moment. Often, it’s the unscripted ones that are the best. It’s all up to you. Adventure is out there.
The afternoon wanes as the sun sinks in the sky. Shadows grow long, and the light warms to the eye. There is still much to see through the lens of my Sony cameras before catching the bullet train back to Shanghai.
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