Our last field study of the trip took us to Tong Li, an ancient water town over 1000 years old. Located 11 miles from Suzhou on the eastern shore of Taihu Lake, it was home to many famous poets, painters, Confucian scholars and government officials. Today, it was home for five soggy Americans. Sloshing through the rain we swam our way to the bus depot and purchased tickets for the 40 minute ride back in time. The bus fare was just 8 yuan while the entrance fee to Tong Li was 72 yuan. 
Upon entering the town we went in search of food. The first picture on the homework sheet from Kojo was pig's feet which was quite tasty. Lisa, being a vegetarian found the pig's feet pretty disgusting. I, on the other hand enjoyed it with rice porridge and a cup of lu cha (local green tea) at a tea house just inside the entrance. After we were seated upstairs our server asked if I wanted coffee! Little did she know I had a double espresso coursing through my veins. Another picture was of "stinky tofu" which was very stinky here. I have had it three times and only enjoyed it once. Surprisingly, most of my group liked it. We couldn't figure out the third picture so Jet and Lisa bought some sort of flat bread with black sesame seeds; not one of our favorite foods.
Further in the town was a beautiful garden. The students compared the town of Tong Li with that of Suzhou. As Tong Li is an historic place the government has tried to keep modern advancements such as vehicles off the streets but vendors bringing in income and taxes are welcome.
The Suzhou style garden was beautiful even in the rain. Climbing stairs carved into a rock we landed in a covered seating area with great views of the landscape. From here we could see the dragon-like curves of the rooftops.
Fortunately, the return home was uneventful; we caught a quick bus and got back to Suzhou in no time. We left Lisa at the bus station to meet up with her host family as they live near Tong Li. We tried to hire a taxi but either the fares were too high or the driver didn't know how to get to LiDa. In the end it was much easier to take the bus.
My host family and Amy's host family have been friends for years and we enjoyed a wonderful meal together at the Zhou residence. I learned that bullfrogs do indeed taste like chicken! 
5 comments:
Thank you for the great writing and beautiful pictures of your spectacular trip!
We can't wait for each new episode of the adventure. Is my child the one that shops too much and is on a sugar high? I'm worried.
Great narrative. Lovely photos. Thanks
Thanks for your regular updates. They are great to read. Love all the details and the pictures. Hope your weekend is fun.
Beautiful photos, Pam! Sounds like there's lots of food. Enjoy your next stop on the Great Adventure! You haven't lost a kid yet, huh? Keep up the good work:-)
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