Hello Hangzhou! 2/2

The next morning. The sleepless night feels like 8 weeks rolled over me in a few hours (just a little joke). Heavy gong sounds come from outside through the open window. Probably the sound is coming from one of the Buddhist temples located upstream.

We have thought of the necessary for breakfast, as you do not think of breakfast or even Western breakfast when you get a last minute bargain. Bananas, wholemeal bread and Nutella, everything Anna needs to survive. As we prepare our sandwiches on the terrace in front of the house, the lovely landlady comes home, sees us, and hurries inside. A few minutes later, she appears with two bowls of typical Chinese breakfast, liquid rice porridge with some vegetables. We both try it skeptically and exchange a questioning look. Good idea with the Nutella.

With fresh provisions, we set off on today's hike to Longying, a village famous in China for its "Dragon Well Tea" in the hills around West Lake in Hangzhou. Even Chairman Mao appointed this tea as his favorite green tea. After just a few hundred meters along the route, we both become suspicious. The tree next to us vibrates audibly, but we cannot see why. I take a cautious walk to the other side and immediately see the reason, even suspicious to me: orange wasps the size of my thumb nibble on a piece of chicken meat attached to the tree ... Pahh! It still shakes me just to think about it. Anna wants to quickly seek refuge in the distance, and I have no objection to that.

We continue uphill towards the ridge. The right path is well signposted and it is difficult to deviate from it. Hiking here means climbing stairs. The hiking trails in China, no matter how remote they may seem, are firmly laid out. Whether cemented, elaborately carved in stone or paved with stones, no effort is spared.

The high humidity visibly drives the mist into our faces. Until we reach the ridge, everything sticks. From there, we move through the beautiful tea-growing area with the village of Longying located in the central valley. Or is it actually a very intricate boxwood plantation? Along the ridge of the hill, a few people with typical Chinese hats work on the bushes, the sight almost looks like from a screenplay.

For a snack, we only had sweets in yesterday's rush, hearty food is rather rare. While we eat cookies, fruits, and cola, we dream of mountain cheese and Landjäger. To-do for next time 😉

The path leads 15 km through tea fields, bamboo forests, temples, and Longying. When it gradually darkens, painters gather off the beaten track to capture the scenery on canvas. Exhausted but happy about the trip, we return to the hotel.

In the evening, we go to Thomas and Rene. Their hotel is centrally located in the village, the old building with its spacious veranda invites you to relax. Moreover, Rene owns an Italian coffee machine, a rarity. We drink tea and espresso and show Thomas how to play Maumau.

The next day is rainy and perfect for gentle entertainment. Breakfast is the same as yesterday, and once again the landlady sees us and rushes towards the kitchen despite repeated apologies. She comes back with a plate full of ... boiled corn. We thank her, exchange a "Actually not in the mood, but what kind of impression would that be" look. Anna tries a piece, I do too, and a little later the plate is empty. The mild, almost bland corn actually has something to offer for the still tired taste buds, an unexpected experience.

We stroll through the small shops in the alleys, visit temples, try on traditional Chinese clothes, and meet a lot of new people. In an esoteric-looking shop, we find a lot of homemade necklaces, carvings, and incense sticks. Meanwhile, the owner takes care of his backyard with a shrine, fish pond, banana trees, and an outdoor futon. We pick a few stones, and he makes 2 bracelets for Anna out of them and blesses them with a Tibetan prayer. Curiously, we ask through a translator app about the background of the ritual, and in the end, we philosophize for 2 hours about faith, society, and charity. In addition, he explains the wheel of life and the 5 forms of Buddha to us, his shop feels like a small, self-created paradise.

On the way back, the entire traffic around the lake is congested. After a 1.5-hour drive for a whopping 7 km, time is once again pressing, and we want to quickly buy subway tickets. Unfortunately, the young ticket seller seems to not understand English because she only shrugs and giggles in response to our "East Railway Station". Once again, we take out our phones, load maps, search, show, and she hands us the tickets. As we turn around, she blurts out to Anna, "You are so beautiful!" - What, how?! Suddenly, English works now? At first, I'm confused, but actually, that was pretty sweet of her 😊 Standing on the crowded train on the way home, we eagerly plan our dinner: schnitzel and currywurst with fries, bon appétit!