HangZhou International Youth Hostel

Since last year, year 2010, I travelled to Melbourne alone and stayed in a youth hostel, every time when I Google and do some research about accommodation to places that I’ll be going, I will first search “xxx youth hostel”. So, this time is HangZhou. Because I’m travelling with a friend, at the very beginning, I was browsing some hotel, but find that they are not very cheap. Then I came across this International Youth Hostel, the location is very strategic, reading comments and mostly positive, looking at the pictures and they all projected clean and safe environment.

When we reached Hangzhou, the cab driver didn’t know where was it, luckily I have the address and he managed to send us there. When I was doing the check-in, I noticed a lot of the worker there are very very young… (is it because this is youth hostel so they only hire young ppl?) The reception is very helpful, that evening was raining and one of them even helped us to carry our luggage. I know if you are too used to live in a hotel, bell boy service is all time available, but mind you, this is a youth hostel, you need to be responsible to your stuff because you are still “youth” aka young.

This Hangzhou International Youth Hostel has 2 wings, the reception and rooms, they are connected by a small alley. I like about the security, you need to have an access card to enter to each wing, modern (security) + tradition (interior & exterior design).

Our room is @ the 1st floor of “room” wing, no lift or escalator, narrow staircase a bit scary when you are taking your luggage up and down. Before all the rooms, there is this public place for you to hang & dry clothes and basins. Further in, there are laundry room, bath rooms, toilet and hot drinking water supply room, all for sharing.

Our room was the 1st room after all the public area, short ceiling, kind of small, a little bit crack on the wall, but for me I prefer this kind of setting, I don’t like big room. There is a small window on the ceiling, cover with a curtain, I think it’s for you too watch stars at night. 

Left pic: You can also sit by the window, watching the koi in the pond. Right pic: it’s kitchen

Left pic: Living room for sharing too. Right pic: a balcony @ 2nd floor

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There's a cafe next to the hostel, I think they are running independently, but symbiotically. It’s kind of nice and when you were sitting in the cafe, you get confuse “am I in China, not France?” 

Highly recommended if you were to go Hangzhou… West Lake is just walking distance away, you can wake up every morning and do a bit of running or tai chi there…

For hostel info, please visit this site: http://www.yhachina.com/ls.php?hostID=2&id=33

Rosemary Bites Restaurant

(This post seated in my draft folder for months… suppose to be up in July… opps)

1st birthday celebration with colleagues in this company which I’ve joined 1 year ago (dated back to July, and when the birthday girl was still in the company, lol)… The birthday girl picked this restaurant and I think it is a good choice! Very obvious, this restaurant served American food, the interior can tell.

All four different dishes that we chose – Salmon fish & chips, steak, chicken chop & chips and chicken thigh with mashed potato. The portion is just fine for us, I mean we are smaller eater compare to those big sized Americans, and the price is very reasonable too. I like the environment which is not too noisy (or probably that’s a weekday so, they didn’t have a lot of customers), we were able to talk and laugh as much as we like. We were able to hang out in the restaurant for almost 4 hours, we were drinking their beer until they have run out of stock!! (or I think probably they didn’t keep a lot).

How could a birthday celebration without a cake?! I bake this mango cake for Anna and I’m happy the she love that! Most of them thought that the upper layer was chicken floss, no no no… it was crushed digestive biscuit!!  

Right: Mango cake from Secret Recipe

Left: My home-made mango cake (I think I should be more generous with the filling)

Rosemary Bites Restaurant

A-G-28, PJU 1/43, Aman Suria Damansara, 47301 PJ Selangor, Malaysia.

For Reservation : 03-7805-2088

Website: http://www.bites.com.my

Last Day in Hangzhou

Finally, came to the last day in China… as usual, Libran always has the same dilemma, eager to get home (can’t sleep at all at night due to cough, mind and body got exhausted already) but on the other hand, there are a lot more for me to explore in town, especially West Lake, it is a true beauty, I didn’t even have good time experiencing this man-made lake, crossing all the bridges while understanding the stories behind each of them, seeing the 10 must-see sceneries around the lake, surrounding the lake to walk at least a round (although this is quite impossible)…

Since I was not able to get quality sleep, I decided to get up early (West Lake was just behind the hostel), spend a serene morning with the local people and the lake. I thought I was early, but the local were earlier, at 6am, most of the parks facing the lake were crowded with people playing Tai Qi, dancing, running, brisk walking on the track. Some young working ladies or men were having their breakfast on the benches by the lake… security guards or police officers were also there to protect or maintain order I guess.

I was walking walking walking until I finally found an empty bench, although there were a lot of people but non of them making a lot of noises, now I understand why my Hangzhou friend, HuiJia’s husband used to wake up early just to come here to study during his school time… the environment is really quiet and nice, fresh cool breeze, bird chirp, green… you really need to be there to feel the lake with your heart…

After recharged with all the positive energy, I walked the hostel to shower, meet my friend, pack, check out and take our breakfast in the cafe attached to the hostel (because we have discount voucher to dine in). The breakfast was very very nice, look at the beautiful latte & our 5-star breakfast… the cafe looked simple outside, but has a beautiful and modern interior, will show the pictures in my next post.

Before heading to the airport, my Hangzhou friends brought us to walk a little in their newest mall, finally got a chance to spend some money and we had lunch My last lunch - 状元过桥米线, method to eat: 1. throw all ingredients (variety of vege, prawn, fish fillet & dried stuffs) to hot soup, after 2 minutes then throw in the mee. 2. soaked ingredients till cooked and served! Besides than the colourful combination, the soup was really nice too! At least this is not so “aggressive” to my stomach compare all the spicy dishes in every single meals that we had during the trip… mind you, the Chinese can be very “hot”!!! lol  

Lastly, HOME SWEET HOME WITH A PAIR OF PANDA EYES AND A COUPLE OF SIZE UP! CHINA… I’LL BE BACK!

2nd Day in Hangzhou

Day 2 Itinerary: ZhiWeiGuang Restaurant 知味观 –> Temple of Soul’s Retreat LingYin Temple 灵隐寺 –> The Grandma’s Restaurant 外婆家 –> West Lake西湖 –> ZhangGongGuan Restaurant 张公馆 –> HeFangJie Pedestrian Street 河坊街 –> Tea Buffet 茶楼

That’s the most contented day throughout the trip! My HangZhou friends are all very lovely, caring and passionate. They made my trip a colourful one.

ZhiWeiGuan Restaurant

Early in the morning, HuiJia and her husband came to picked us up for breakfast @ ZhiWeiGuan Restaurant. Her husband was so considerate, he had breakfast at home, so he could wait for us in car, and we could had ours in ZhiWeiGuan with his wife, because that place has no parking space… HuiJia knew I was coughing badly and she made me a liquorice water in thermo flask, knowing my sport shoes were wet by the rain and she brought me a pair of hello kitty crocs… I can’t be thankful enough for them…

The restaurant is something like our Chinese DimSum restaurant, HuiJia bought a book of coupon and started introducing the food at the food counter.

These were the dishes that we chose:

                      酱油鸭 (soy sauce duck)                                      蜜藕 (Honey lotus root with glutinous rice) *

            猫耳朵 (Cat Ear, made of dough)                                 馄饨 (Wantan, small dumpling)

               Salted Vege + Toufu*                                                炸酱面 (mee with thick gravy)

* are my favourite!!

After meal, HuiJia returned the remaining coupon and get back the cash. Interesting system.

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Temple of Soul’s Retreat – LingYin Temple 灵隐寺

Right after breakfast, 1st thing 1st, we went to LingYin Temple to pay a respect…

Nothing is free in China, no exception for this temple too. We need to pay to get in. When we were waiting at the ticket counter, we saw there’s a equipment which can help you to understand the temple more. It’s a device which it can detect your location and tell you the stories behind the statues/ places/ things that you are looking at.

                Uncountable Buddha statues…                                     root forming a Chinese word “heart”

                            The lovely couple HuiJia (most left hand side) & her husband (most right hand side)

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Lunch @ The Grandma’s

This Grandma’s that we visited is the flagship, it’s located at a same building as 2 of my HangZhou friends’ office, it’s very convenient for them to come meet us for lunch as both of them has no car.

All the dishes that they ordered are all very yummy… I love the chicken and the cauliflower.

                                                                                              茶香鸡 (Smoked chicken with tea leaf)

       毛菜汤 (hairy leaves soup, lol direct translation)                                     salty fried prawn

                            Fried cauliflower (very very nice)                    豆腐鱼 (fish cooked in spicy soup with Toufu) 

麻婆豆腐

Photo after lunch!!!

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West Lake

To describe the beauty of West Lake is beyond any word can do. I can’t even believe West Lake is a man-made one.

Initially, HuiJia’s husband suggesting us to see the lake by rowing a boat on the lake, but due to bad weather, we can only ride on the ferry boat, took us to a small island in the middle of the lake and walked around. I really like this place, very peaceful, harmony and romantic…

HuiJia & her husband started seeing each other in this place too!

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Dinner @ ZhangGungGuan

We have missed the dinner the day before, so, all of them decided to give us another treat! Because they need to OT in office to meet the deadline, they asked us to go to this restaurant near their office.

This restaurant served very authentic HangZhou dishes too, all of them were very tasty, especially the chicken feet and frog and fish from Thousand Lake.

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HeFangJie Pedestrian Street (like our night market)

We couldn’t walk a lot because it was raining that night, we just went in to one of the very famous traditional herb store and a bronze museum which shows collection of bronze art from the 5 generation of the family.

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Supper - Tea Buffet

This is one of the must-do in HangZhou, visiting to a tea buffet restaurant, tasting the premium tea and observing the beauty of West Lake.

The buffet charges is based on the tea that you ordered, for example, the tea that I ordered is RMB90, I’m paying RMB90 for the buffet. Unlimited refill of hot water and got a chance to change for another tea which is same value or lower.

To be continue… my last day in HangZhou…