Guest blogger Tim Parenti reports for the Heinz Chapel Choir as they tour China...
Another quick post. After nine days of travel, it's very easy to get tired quickly. Sorry about that, but it's better than nothing, right?
Day 9 – Wednesday 6 May 2009
日9：2009年5月6日（星期三）
First thing in the morning, we boarded our coach and travelled about two hours by highway to Suzhou, making one stop along the way. We went directly to Han Shan Temple, where we saw many Buddhist prayers and wishes tied to trees around the temple itself.
After lunch, we travelled to Suzhou Museum, only to discover that flip-flops aren't allowed inside, which would have excluded about a third of our group. So, we hung out for a while whilst alternative plans were made.
We went to the Grand Canal for a boat tour through parts of Suzhou, seeing a teahouse and some residents living on the canal.
We then got back on the buses (although that didn't deter the "mosquito" vendors), and went back to the hotel before dinner. After dinner, we had the evening free to explore Suzhou in our own ways. My friends and I went to the nearby streets of Suzhou, first in search of lip balm, but then we found some clothing stores with amazing "Engrish" shirts. Even though they were way to small for any of us, we couldn't help but buy a few… only ¥19 ($2.79) each.
More pictures from Day 9 can be found here.
Coming up: On Thursday, we travel to Lingering Garden and Silk Factory, and return to Suzhou Museum before heading to Shanghai in the afternoon. Once there, we will attend an acrobatic performance before heading back to the hotel.
