Suzhou: So Good, I'm Never Coming Back!!!
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I'd had crab roe noodles at Xie Jia Da Yuan in Shanghai before, so my first meal in Suzhou was 'tu you huang' (pure crab roe). Honestly, it was beyond awful. That night, back at my guesthouse, I was frantically searching online trying to figure out why it was so bad!!!
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Just finished my trip to the Jiangnan region, and Suzhou was the biggest disappointment. The gardens were all packed with people and quite expensive. There was construction everywhere, making it dusty, and there were hardly any trash cans. Also, many subway entrances lacked escalators, which was really inconvenient for elderly people and those with luggage.
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So true! I wandered around all morning with two empty water bottles and couldn't find a single place to throw them away.
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On our way to Pingjiang Road, we saw an elderly vendor selling some fruit we didn't recognize. We asked him what it was. He briefly explained in the local dialect and then turned to talk to another male tourist. We then asked if we could try a piece. He just said, '10 yuan per jin (half a kilo).' We were pretty speechless and just walked away. Then we overheard him telling the other tourist, 'Those young girls just want a free sample, they're not looking to buy.'
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Haha, I had a similar experience! Right after leaving the Humble Administrator's Garden, an old lady was selling some fruit I didn't recognize. I asked, 'What's this? Can I try some?' She said, 'It's very expensive, you can't try it unless you buy.' I was too curious, so I bought a small portion for 25 yuan. It tasted a bit like grapes.
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That's strange. I spent five days in Suzhou, and I found the taxi drivers there to be really chatty and friendly, happy to talk about anything and everything. Then again, maybe it was because my friend who was with me is also very talkative and kept praising Suzhou, which probably put the drivers in a good mood.
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Or maybe it's because my friend planned such a thorough itinerary. We had an amazing five days, and our photos turned out fantastic!
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You really don't want to take the subway at all, do you, dear? The train station is right in the city center! It's stressing me out just thinking about you not using it!
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I did, dear! But when I got off the train around 5 or 6 AM, the subway wasn't running yet.
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Warning everyone: Avoid this qipao shop called Qing Yu Qipao! We bought four items there, paid, and arranged to pick them up later. Key point: We never actually saw the physical items, and they never left the store! While walking around afterwards, I realized one of the qipaos, even in the smallest size, would be too oversized for me. I'd been hesitant at checkout, but the staff was already holding the payment scanner and seemed to be rushing me, so I went ahead and paid, thinking I could probably return that specific one. Later, we went back to the shop and very politely asked if we could return it. I practically pleaded, 'We haven't even seen the actual garment; could you please process a return?' But their only response was, 'No returns, it's already been 'processed out of inventory.'' Then, a man in the shop started threatening us, accusing us of causing trouble and saying he'd call the police. Is this how they treat out-of-town tourists? We had to accept the loss, but I really hope other women visiting Suzhou will steer clear of Qing Yu Qipao.
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I saw this post too!
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The night view on Pingjiang Road is also beautiful,
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Damn! I visited Suzhou for five days and went to Pingjiang Road twice, but I never noticed this place!
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The food was terrible. Places like Xiang Xue Hai and Xin Zhen Yuan were just mediocre.
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Perhaps it's just that our palates, being more accustomed to Northern Chinese cuisine, aren't used to it.
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I spent over 70 yuan on a tiny bag of snacks from a dessert shop on Pingjiang Road. My wallet is bleeding!
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What?! You bought snacks on Pingjiang Road? You glutton! Didn't you promise me you'd resist the snacks on Shantang Street and Pingjiang Road? Resist those dyed plums from street vendors! Resist the crab roe noodles!
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That poor driver, though. Waited in line at the train station for ages, only to finally get a 15 yuan fare to the super crowded old town, and they can't even refuse it...
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I took a ride-share.