Less than a thirty minute ride on the bullet train from Shanghai followed by a short bus ride from the train station, lies the bustling water village of Suzhou, the Venice of China.

Walking along the pleasant water ways in the weekend crowds passing Chinese curio shops and cafes displaying typical street foods, my eyes are drawn to what are better known as walkie talkies, or chicken claws. Literally hundreds of them hanging or in a dish ready for consumption. Yummy 🙂

  
 Nope, I have not tried them nor have any intention of tasting any, not even the pigs hooves can tempt me! Trying out the various seafoods is as far as I dare to explore. Maybe a coward or lacking adventure but there is a limit to what I will try…..for now anyway 🙂

   
 There are so many quaint alleyways to explore and temples scattered around that we could easily spend a couple of days here. Sadly, this is one of those afternoon trips that you wish you could just return to your local accommodation, freshen up and go for an evening stroll.

   
 The return train to Shanghai is far more interesting than the bullet train we took out, as its full of travellers from different parts of China who are curious about these foreigners in their carriage. One Shanghainese has the courage to venture into a conversation with us. Watched by his fellow countrymen, he reports back to them our conversation every few sentences, followed by lots of smiles and nods of heads. It maybe a crowded noisy train, nothing like the overcrowding on Indian trains, nevertheless it’s just as interesting.

Returning after just an hour on the train passing by the multitude of tower blocks of apartments, it really brings home the size of the population of this vast country.

Glimpsing at the hectic skyscrapers that welcome our return into the city for the evening, we know it’s Shanghai time again!