Missed Trains and Lost on Mopeds

Last I left you, I was anxiously awaiting my first weekend trip to Hangzhou and MY oh my have things happened since then. So first, Hangzhou was beautiful. The picturesque West Lake (pictured on the back of the 1 kuai bill) was everything I was hoping it would be, even in the overcast weather. But getting there was not so picturesque. While waiting in the train station for our 8:47 AM to Hangzhou, we stopped to get food. We finished in plenty of time, but right before we returned to our terminal someone in our party was MIA. Minutes ticked by and sooner or later it was 8:36 when we were all back and sprinting to our gate. We arrived only to be stared down by the ticket agent. Obviously, communication was a little issue so he just stood there and let me attempt to scan my ticket. A large, red, and clearly english sign read: SEE TICKET AGENT. Joy. So two hours and 18 kuai later, we boarded our train to Hangzhou with a sigh of relief. Five straight hours of walking around the lake were wonderful but I definitely learned a lot more that day than I was expecting to. But the lessons did not end there! Monday night a group of students decided to drive their mopeds for the first time to dinner. To assure we wouldn't get lost we quick looked up directions beforehand. A mere 1 mile and 4 turns total awaited us - how could things possibly go wrong? Well somehow in the sea of mopeds I got separated from the group and it took me over an hour to get back. I wish there was a better excuse but truthfully I just refused to go on the sidewalk like the locals when the streets were "no moped" zones. On the upside of my two misadventures, I learned a lot about how China functions in the transportation sector. I confidently can navigate train stations and drive my moped safely. To whatever adventures await until next time!

love,

kpk