it's picture time: Hangzhou

I think I'm actually going to be able to post some pictures, thanks to the wonders of Starbucks and its amazing free wi-fi. You never know how much you should appreciate Starbucks until you've been wandering through China for two weeks with terrible internet quality the whole time.

Just to fill in you moms out there (you know who you are): we're in Chongqing, a big city on the Yangzi river. This is our last day in town--we leave for Chengdu tomorrow afternoon--just a short 5 hour train ride away. I've been under the weather since before we left Guilin, so Ben convinced me to take it easy today, sleep in, rest, chill out at Starbucks for a day. I have to say, it's been a wonderful respite.

Here is a handful or two of shots from Hangzhou. I'll post some from Guilin and Chongqing in separate posts.


View across West Lake, Hangzhou


Goldfish pond near West Lake


Me at the top of Leifeng Pagoda


Ben rides the escalator to enlightenment


Candles in a Buddhist temple


Red lanterns at the Buddhist temple


Happy New Year! (now can I go inside, please?)