Fang is from China. She is fan of Beijing, Tokyo, Madrid, Sevilla, San Sebastián , mountains, and cold weather.

What she likes most about traveling is you can just look and think into deep silence, without any noise and what fang likes least about traveling is sometimes the weather just doesn’t back you up.

Songcheng 宋城 travel guide

It began to snow heavily starting early in the morning, which is so rare to see in Hangzhou. Fortunately there wasn’t a lot of traffic on the roads so we got to the Song City quickly.

The Song City is actually a theme park of the culture of the Song dynasty, so all the things we see are like they were 800 years ago (Hangzhou was the capital of Song). I knew I would like it very much as soon as I saw the traditional Chinese gate and the dragon columns. And instead of destroying our visit, the white snow perfected the experience of traveling back in time.

The first thing I saw inside was a big plaza with a rectangle stage which reminded me that in ancient times instead of TV and internet there were a huge number of buskers performing on the roads, and to see the live shows was the most interesting entertainment for the people.

We picked our way behind the stage to explore; then we saw a small bamboo bridge leading to a tall city gate just like a pass. It was beautiful! You know when you see this gate with the red lanterns and flags and scrolls, and the shape of the structure, the color and the detail; you can easily easily discern the cultural atmosphere of the Song dynasty from the Ming’s. Almost all the historical resorts of Beijing like the Forbidden City and the city gates were built in Ming dynasty.

So this is the Song’s gate:

And this is the Ming’s gate:

(Which do you like better? :p)

Well, this big gate gave me many surprises indeed: for example, the public notice board on the wall beside the pass. At that time the police or the government placed a criminal’s likeness or a new law on the wall of the city gate, so when people entered the city they would read it just like a newspaper. Be careful since it’s for official use only: you were forbidden to post your “Lost Items” there, so just go and find a big tree :p

Inside the pass, there are on-duty soldiers in armor and a peddler selling traditional winter shoes for children.  I loved the shoes very much because I used to wear them when I was small.

Two young girls wearing traditional hairstyles and calico cotton-padded jackets were bargaining with a vendor which looked lovely.

Then we came to a small road filled with old-style restaurants and teahouses. All the waitresses and owners were wearing traditional Han clothes which made me laugh.

Renting traditional clothes to make photos is a really hot business. I thought it could be fun so I paid 30 Yuan for two outfits: a golden armor of the generals and a red dress of the high-ranked imperial concubine (the clothes of the emperor’s second wife are much more beautiful than the empress’, so I think that’s why the third wheel is always more attractive and popular… )

Then we came to a street called “The Strange Street”. There are many rooms with many funny things, like this:

Look at this, a huge Buddha leaning on the Mountain:

And a building with a mod makeup:

I was told that the best time to go to Hangzhou is in April. However, although it was a little cold, I still sooo enjoyed this winter trip :)

There are many other interesting places beyond what I’ve covered here. Explore the area yourself, and share what you find!

Songcheng 宋城 travel guide

Fang is from China. She is fan of Beijing, Tokyo, Madrid, Sevilla, San Sebastián , mountains, and cold weather.

What she likes most about traveling is you can just look and think into deep silence, without any noise and what fang likes least about traveling is sometimes the weather just doesn’t back you up.

Since we knew this would be a busy day we got up at 7:30 in the morning, and decided that before our guide’s appearance we’d better get some breakfast first. I really liked the hotel’s breakfast – a traditional Chinese breakfast buffet – they offered rice soup, eggs, noodles, steamed stuffed buns, vegetables and fruit; they also had coffee, bread and butter in consideration of foreign customers.

We left at 9:30 am and 15 minutes later arrived at the Xihu Lake located west of the downtown area of Hangzhou.

I once looked up information about the lake on the internet. Guess what? The water is 4.37 kilometers square, the total area of the islands is about 6 kilometers square, and the perimeter of the river is 15 kilometers!

Unfortunately it was a cloudy day, so we couldn’t see the beauty of the lake very well; we couldn’t even see the nearest island.

We still enjoyed a leisurely walk on the famous Bai Dike, which is 2 kilometers and was built more than a thousand years ago during the Tang dynasty by the temple minister Bai Juyi who was also a famous Chinese poet. There are many green willow trees standing on both sides of the road and several small traditional boats mooring alongside the bank; it’s interesting that the boatmen wore traditional Chinese clothes. The gray color of the sky, the green trees, the small boats and red kiosks reminded me of a roll of Chinese painting.

Of course in the Xihu tourist zone there are many other interesting sights like the Duan Bridge, the beautiful islands and the Zhejiang Provincial Museum. I’ve visited them during past trips; however, I most enjoy walking along the dike – it’s quiet and touching and you can ponder and dream as you stroll.

After the river bank walk, we drove to have lunch at the Yuhuang Mountain. It’s a natural park not far away from the center. My friend said that the restaurant located half way up the Yuhuang Mt. has the most beautiful scenery and most traditional local dishes; that’s why many businessmen go there to make deals with their partners.

Well, it’s quite true. Although it’s a little cold to sit outdoors, you can clearly see the beautiful landscape around the mountain. For example “Baguatian” (the Eight Diagrams Farmland) which was built by a Song emperor to show the people that the emperor also farms just like them is visible from the restaurant vantage point.

I was very interested in this farm because it’s like a representation of the Chinese Eight Diagrams. In the center is a round shaped land of green trees and if you look at it from overhead you’ll notice that it’s like two fishes end to end. Outside the center there are eight colorful divided farms planted with different things. Many local people come here to buy vegetables on weekends since it’s 100% natural.

We ordered several typical dishes like Tangculiji, made of pork underback and a sweet-sour sauce, it’s just sooo delicious!

I also like chicken hot spot, made of a natural small chicken, mushrooms and bamboo shoots. The soup is so light and nutritious. To tell the truth, that was the coolest meal I’d ever had, plus a perfect ending with a cup of Lurngmern tea.

To see the lake from above, we climbed up to the top of the mountain. An unexpected surprise – there is also a tea house and a temple at the top. A number of people sit in the yard of the tea house chatting with friends. Some old men stood in the high kiosk reading newspapers, just like gods of ancient times.

What’s happening in the temple is quite interesting. It’s a temple of the immortality of wealth of Taoismo, where people come to pray for a prosperous year. This is very typical especially in Zhejiang province where almost all the people are doing business. There are Taoists wearing traditional Taoist clothes and hair styles, which is pretty different from the Buddhists.

We were shocked that inside the temple there was a big band performing. About 20 old ladies in red clothes were dancing and singing with the music in front of the immortal god of wealth. I hadn’t seen anything like it before; I thought it was quite funny because I didn’t know the gods need entertainment just like we do :p

I made a wish into the noise, music and singing, hoping that he could hear me…

I wanna go to Hangzhou!

Fang is from China. She is fan of Beijing, Tokyo, Madrid, Sevilla, San Sebastián , mountains, and cold weather.

What she likes most about traveling is you can just look and think into deep silence, without any noise and what fang likes least about traveling is sometimes the weather just doesn’t back you up.

We expectantly arrived at Hangzhou in the evening of Christmas Day and immediately got into my friend’s car. I’d been there 2 years ago for just a short visit (about a couple of hours) so I’m still curious about this city.

It’s about 15 kilometers from the airport to the city’s center. At first there was nothing special, but when we started to cross the Qiantangjiang Bridge I was shocked, because the bridge is really huge!

I was told that there are 6 bridges total above the Qiantangjiang River in Hangzhou, and 5 of them are double-deckers; the biggest one has 6 two-way lanes with a total length of 8 kilometers. The scenery combination of the big river, the giant bridge and the prosperity along the riverside, for me, is just fresh and loveable.

There is remarkable architecture on the river bank worth mentioning. It’s global shaped, if you see it from a far way it’s just like a big shining ball…and this is the International Conference Center of Hangzhou.

The most impressive thing to me about Hangzhou this time is the rich atmosphere of commerce. We kept driving downtown after crossing over the river and the majority of shops I saw were clothing shops. There was no difference between the main roads and small ones; they were totally filled with all kinds of shops. Guess what, it’s easy to know ‘why’ because Zhejiang Province is the biggest wholesale market of small commodities, clothes, silk products, etc. in China. I once heard a notice on TV which said that 85% of the world’s Christmas decorations come from Yiwu, another city in Zhejiang Province. So, as the capital of Zhejiang, Hangzhou undoubtedly is a super commercial city.

We arrived at the hotel at 9:30 pm and we decided to take a walk and find something to eat. We walked along the road behind the hotel but could not find any place to eat. We were told the next day that we went the wrong way, which was the financial street full of office buildings. But finally we found a 24-hour fast food restaurant, so we went in and picked up something simple.

One thing I found interesting was that the bakery beside the restaurant was bustling at 11 o’clock at night. And another thing I was deeply impressed by was that there were outdoor kitchens on the road! They held fire and woks and all the ingredients waiting for business along the road. You could order dishes just the way you like then take them with you; it’s not even a booth, it’s unbelievable!

So that’s our first night in Hangzhou. It was a nice start; the following two days were really great. I can’t wait to share them with you!

Stay tuned for the next installment…

Adriii finaly got the time to do her long-time expected train-trip through the north-east coast of the United States… and she is telling us about her journey!

I can’t believe I’m done with the photobook. I hope you enjoyed the ride through the East Coast with me. To say good bye, I have a few more recommendations to do.

All I’ve told you about New York required lots of activities and movement… but, what about relaxing for a while? To do that, the best choice is to go to Connie Island, city’s beach. Maybe you can get a ride on the big wheel or lay down in the sand…

A few more shopping to do? Well, when it comes to electronics and entertainment, go to J&R , the best and cheapest place to buy cameras, mp3, Dvds… If you’re more into clothing shopping, then go to the fifth avenue and visit Abercrombie: clothes and pretty models (man and woman) selling them. You can even take a picture with them. It 2×1 ;) And if you want something more casual and cool, don’t miss the Yellow Rat Bastard store at SoHo.

You’re feeling more cultural? Then don’t miss the Lincoln Center. You’ll probably find an event you like organized there and, if not, it’s worth just to visit the place. If you’re more into science, I loved the American Natural History Museum, their collections are great and you’ll have choices for all taste.

Movie and television fan? Then go the NBC, CBS and HBO stores. Also you can do the tours that NBC organizes. They take you to some places at the city where movies or shows where shot. Also, going to Toys ‘R Us is a good idea. They have a lot of movies related merchandising and, if you don’t find anything, at least you can take a look at the big realistic T-Rex in the store. They even have a big wheel inside!

But a personal favorite is the Bubba Gump Store. The restaurant it’s too fancy for me but the store has a lot of Forrest Gump merchandising and you can take a picture with “him”.

If you have the time, go to Harlem on a Sunday morning to attend a Gospel mass. It’s so interesting. If you don’t know where to go, I strongly recommend the Riverside Church. Beautiful building and emplacement there.

So, it’s time for me to say good-bye to the photobook and I didn’t find a best way to say it than tell you what I did on my last night. It happened to be my 25th birthday so we went to Brooklyn and I invited my friends to a delicious pizza at Grimaldi’s. Then we bought a cake and went to the Brooklyn Bridge park. At night, the views are astonishing. Then I blew my candles and we all said goodbye to the city.

Would you like to join us? Calling all seasoned backpackers!

Willing to share your hidden gems with your fellow backpacker enthusiasts?
If so, we’re willing to share our love in the form of some well-deserved cash!
Email us at backpackreporter@iwannagothere.com to lear

Adriii finaly got the time to do her long-time expected train-trip through the north-east coast of the United States… and she is telling us about her journey!

New York is mostly about the skyscrapers, the people, the hurry, the contrasts, the surprises in each corner, the different neighborhoods… The city that never sleeps. But there’s one thing apart from all the city life that it’s also the heart of Manhattan: Central Park.

Central Park is huge and has so many different spaces that you will see so many different people, activities… First of all, the park is so big so my first recommendation to you is to rent a bike. They have them on the Boathouse at a very fair prize. Riding a bike is the best way to visit every corner. Do it on a Sunday, it’s when the park is more alive ;)

First stop: The Dairy. There they’ll give you a very detailed map. There you’ll see all the places worth to visit. I’ll give you some of my favorites.

The Dairy is in the southern part so we decided to visit all this area first. The Carousel is quite unique and it is next to a baseball court so we stopped for a while to see some middle-aged friends playing. It was fun. Then we did a quick visit to the Zoo from the outside and the little pond there.

Then we ride all the way to the upper side (don’t worry, the park is mostly flat, you won’t get tired at all). After visiting the north meadow, we bordered the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, the biggest lake at the park. Very beautiful views there.

Then we got to the Great Lawn. It’s often full of people doing yoga or practicing martial arts, sleeping, reading… you get the point, right? ;)  In that area you’ll find the Delacorte Theatre, the Obelisk and the Belvedere Lake. Take a picture to the Belvedere Castle from the opposite side of the lake and then go up the hill and visit the Castle; you won’t regret it at all.

Going down there is the Ramble, a labyrinth of little paths surrounding The Lake. I recommend you to do the Ramble, it’s pretty and you’ll encounter the Bow Bridge on your way to the Strawberry Fields.

Then we took the transverse road t o get to the famous Bethesda Fountain and Terrace. Do not just visit the fountain, if you go under the bridge, there’s a beautiful arched structure where a family chorus usually sings on Sunday.

To finish the visit, we went to the Conservatory Water, where the Hans Christian Andersen statue is located, and tried to see Pale Male. We did!
After that, it was about time to get back to the boathouse and return the bikes.

Would you like to join us? Calling all seasoned backpackers!

Willing to share your hidden gems with your fellow backpacker enthusiasts?
If so, we’re willing to share our love in the form of some well-deserved cash!
Email us at backpackreporter@iwannagothere.com to lear

Adriii finaly got the time to do her long-time expected train-trip through the north-east coast of the United States… and she is telling us about her journey!

There are a few “oasis” in the skyscrapers jungle of New York. Obviously the Central Park is the biggest one but I’ve already talked you about the uniqueness of Bryant Park, the many things to do at Battery Park, the views at the East River Park (both Brooklyn and Manhattan sides), the River Terrace Park and the street art at the Washington Park.

But I have another peaceful place that is not a park: Columbia University. For me, this is a mandatory visit when being in New York: the buildings, the history, the atmosphere… I’d even recommend you to go inside the Library if you have some time to spare.

Another must-visit is the Flatiron Building. Probably you’ve seen it in pictures but it’s so amazing when you’re there… It’s incredible how a simple lot problem can become a great building as this one is.

My next post is going to be all about Central Park so let’s walk towards to it and make a first stop at the San Remo Apartments. You might see famous people when being around this building. The two towers are a very recognizable landmark of the city, especially when you’re inside Central Park.
Also, next to it, you’ll find the Dakota, the famous hotel where John Lennon was shot. City all reserved a spot inside Central Park, just in front of the Dakota, to commemorate Lennon.

Would you like to join us? Calling all seasoned backpackers!

Willing to share your hidden gems with your fellow backpacker enthusiasts?
If so, we’re willing to share our love in the form of some well-deserved cash!
Email us at backpackreporter@iwannagothere.com to learn more.

Adriii finaly got the time to do her long-time expected train-trip through the north-east coast of the United States… and she is telling us about her journey!

The last days at New York are a blur because we did so many different things that I can’t actually put an order in them, so I’ll share with you some moments and places ;)

First of all, I visited both the Empire State and the Top of The Rock. People usually just do the Empire State but I strongly recommend you to go to the Top of the Rock. Its slightly lower, but the views are much better: Lower Manhattan with the Empire State and Upper Manhattan with the central park. See it for yourself here

If you are in New York for a few days, you should go to some Broadway show. It’s an unique experience and you can get a 50% discount on tickets if you go to this booths. I enjoyed Wicked and Spring Awakening so much. The first is entertaining and spectacular and the second is modest but brilliant and the soundtrack is amazing.
Now that we talk about spectacles, you can get free tickets to be part of the Saturday Night Live audience, just go to the NBC Store. Be prepared for long lines, though.

But New York is also about the shopping. If you want to get cheap presents for your close ones and buy yourself some treats, Jersey Gardens is your place. It’s one of the many outlets at New Jersey, just half an hour from NYC, and everything is so cheap (I’m comparing to Europe prices) that I’ll be surprised. Plus, you’ll have a different skyline of Manhattan from the bus ;)

Now that I’m in the advising mood, a couple of tips. First, don’t think you can walk everywhere in New York. I made that mistake and after two days my feet were wrecked. Metrocard is so fair prized and they have three-day, seven-day or even monthly passes. Also, don’t get anyone fool you with the NY Pass. You don’t need that. You’ll feel forced to visit everyplace and you won’t save money… most museums and other similar places have free visit days.

Would you like to join us? Calling all seasoned backpackers!

Willing to share your hidden gems with your fellow backpacker enthusiasts?
If so, we’re willing to share our love in the form of some well-deserved cash!
Email us at backpackreporter@iwannagothere.com to learn more.

Adriii finaly got the time to do her long-time expected train-trip through the north-east coast of the United States… and she is telling us about her journey!

We sadly just had one morning left at Boston before we had to take the train so we made the most out of it. After a quick visit to majestic Harvard University, we went to the Christopher Columbus Park and the New England Aquarium.

We didn’t have the time to do the whale sightseeing so, as a good-bye, we took a totally recommended Duck Tour.

Again, don’t miss the Skyline view from the train when arriving to New York ;)

The train left us at New York City too late to do anything interesting so we went to the Apple Store to check our emails after leaving our things at the Broadway Hotel ‘n Hostel and went to Times Square. There we spent some time at the M&M’s three stored shop. It’s so entertaining and you get to have a chocolate-based dinner for free ;)

Would you like to join us? Calling all seasoned backpackers!

Willing to share your hidden gems with your fellow backpacker enthusiasts?
If so, we’re willing to share our love in the form of some well-deserved cash!
Email us at backpackreporter@iwannagothere.com to learn more.

Adriii finaly got the time to do her long-time expected train-trip through the north-east coast of the United States… and she is telling us about her journey!

Already in the Carmen Park, we found the Holocaust Memorial and spent some time admiring it.  Following the Freedom Trail we encountered a lot of interesting and beautiful places like Quincy Market, the Cheers Bar Replica and the Store where we spent some money :P, the Fireman Building and the Old South Meeting House.

We reached then the Charleston Bridge from where you can see the Memorial Bridge and all the Charleston Bay. At the other side of the bridge there’s a high class residential area so we didn’t expected to found the Pirate Ship and Naval Museum there; It’s part of the Freedom Trail for a reason ;)

After going to the last place on the trail, the 294 steps of the Bunker Hill Monument, we took a bus -have you realized what we did in just half a morning? – To the North End and had an early lunch at Mamma Maria’s Italian restaurant. Delicious. The following hours we just wandered from street to street and neighborhood to neighborhood just to enjoy the city while visiting some important touristic points. We’ve been in Bacon Hill, where we visited some spots of the Black Heritage Trail and the original Cheers Bar, Newbury Street and Commonwealth Avenue. We spent some time at the beautiful Public Library and had a rest in the Christian Science Plaza.

It was a complete tiring day so far so after visiting the Fenway Park and the Red Sox Stadium, where a game was about to start and we got the chance to be part of all the excitement and the lively atmosphere, we did some grocery shopping and came back to Boston common to see it at night and have some dinner.

Would you like to join us? Calling all seasoned backpackers!

Willing to share your hidden gems with your fellow backpacker enthusiasts?
If so, we’re willing to share our love in the form of some well-deserved cash!
Email us at backpackreporter@iwannagothere.com to learn more.

Adriii finaly got the time to do her long-time expected train-trip through the north-east coast of the United States… and she is telling us about her journey!

Actually, this post is more about Day Ten than nine… It takes 8 hours to get to Boston from Washington and our train was at noon, so we let ourselves sleep longer this time ;) After buying some stuff to eat in the train (there is a salad place with delicious huge salads) the journey started.

If you ever take the Acela Express line don’t miss the New York skyline you get when leaving Penn Station, it’s astonishing.

So, we had to do the check in before 10pm so when we arrived at the Boston’s station at 9pm we were kind of worried. The Prescott Hostel is a little far away from downtown but it’s actually easy to get there by metro and bus.

The next day, Day TEN, we get up so early that the nice terrace of the hostel was empty. We just had just one day to visit the city and a nice guy at the hostel recommended us to do the Freedom Trail and his arguments convinced us ;)

The start point is the Boston Common Park. Walking around is really nice and you can take boats or have a drink in the frog pond. But we didn’t have time to just wander around so we looked for the red line and begin the Freedom Trail.

There are so many things to see during the trail that it overwhelms me to tell you about it. We saw the State House, and then we got to the Park street church and the graveyard close to it. We spend some time in the cemetery, looking at the graves while a 17th century-dressed guide was telling the history if that place.

Then we continue to the market street. The one thing I love about Boston is its uniqueness. It’s so picturesque and the streets are strange because you can see buildings from different eras and architectures next to each other. You find twin old ladies feeding pidgeons or a suited-up executive buying fruit on a corner.

Would you like to join us? Calling all seasoned backpackers!

Willing to share your hidden gems with your fellow backpacker enthusiasts?
If so, we’re willing to share our love in the form of some well-deserved cash!
Email us at backpackreporter@iwannagothere.com to learn more.