So I Took a Bus....

 

My favorite place to go in Suzhou is The Humble Administrator's Garden.  It is an ancient garden that was first built in 1131-1162 during the Song Dynasty...you know...the Song Dynasty.  It has been continually destroyed and modified since then and now is kept in the style of the Ming Dynasty.  I've been there a few times so I knew what I was going to see.  I decided to take the bus by myself.  I had my address printed out and enough money to take a cab home if I were to get hopelessly lost.  I had the stops written down in Pinyin (using English letters for Chinese symbols) so I could keep track of where I was.  At first, I thought this is too easy, each stop was clearly written in Pinyin.  Suddenly, there were only Chinese characters, so I started counting the stops and trying to read street signs. When I figured it was time to get off, this is where I was.  Hmmmm.  I did remember from being there with my mom that when we came out of the garden we were in no man's land...remember Mom?

I saw a sign that got me on to this street.

In the distance, I saw this group of women working on the left.  I would have given anything to be able to speak Chinese or at least to have a good camera so I could get some close ups of them. 

They were working so hard with these old looking tools, that were actually perfect for the job.   They were cleaning out the remaining debris from buildings that had been torn down; bricks, concrete, glass, chunks of who knows what, so they could plant it like the landscaping on the right side of the road.  It seemed like a portal into the past.  I thought the women looked old, and of course David had to tell me later that they were probably my age.  One of our deaf friend's mother has a job like this and it is very physically hard work. There is beautiful landscaping wherever we go in the city and often you see people of this age working away digging and planting.

 

Around the corner I did find the garden and it was just as I remembered it but with some updates on the paths and filled with tourists as usual.   It is almost impossible to get a photo without someone you don't know in it.  There are several spots perfect for taking a photo of someone.  In the photo above you can see the girl in pink in one of those spots.

The first time I was at this garden we had a guide who explained to us some of the beautiful things about the garden but one of the things that wasn't so beautiful was the fact that sometimes women of the family were virtual prisoners in it because with their bound feet they could hardly walk.  So hard to imagine.  When I saw this girl sitting across the walkway from me I imagined her one of those beautiful Chinese girls and then as I looked closer I thought, maybe if they would have had a cell phone like her it might have been more bearable.

 

The garden has very cool Chinese architecture of course.

It is early spring so things are just beginning to bud so the lotus in the ponds are not visible yet.  Prime lotus time is in July when it is extremely hot and humid.  I think this must be wisteria on this bridge.  So beautiful.

There are several different buildings to explore.  This one is "The Hall of 18 Camellias"  So lovely.

The Bonsai section of the garden was recently refurbished with beautiful walking paths.  When I have been there before it had gravel and mud paths but hundreds of fabulous bonsai plants. If I remember correctly this tree is a few hundred years old.  If you can zoom in you can see that it looks completely dead except for the beautiful blossoms which I think are apple.  The Bonsai garden reminds me of being in a cemetery.  So, of course, I like that.

Dave and I just bought a bonsai like this one, but that is for another post.  I wonder if ours will look as nice in 50 or 60 years.

I love this old Chinese woodwork.



I found a job I would like.  Working with these women keeping the paths swept. They were shy about me taking their pictures but they looked great in these beautiful silk Chinese jackets.

 And...they have awesome bamboo brooms.

 

I made my exit, walked down the lonely street, hopped on the bus and made it home...all by myself.