I don’t think the heat was working in this room; no matter which buttons I tried pressing on the heater controls nothing worked correctly. Instead I put on all my blankets, turned my computer on and put it under my blankets to use it as a space heater. I slept alright.
For breakfast I ate at a buffet at the hostel. After my Hostelling International 20% discount, I can have all you can eat for $1.63. Well, it isn’t Big Boy Restaurant, but good enough.
I decided today was the day to finally see Hangzhou, called the most beautiful city in China. Except today it was raining and foggy, so there wasn’t much to see. Everything surrounds West Lake. Lakes must be a big deal to Chinese people, but they aren’t to me. The lake is about the size of Cass Lake or Orchard Lake in Michigan and there are paths going all the way around it. I saw some people taking wedding photos, but it was kind of funny, with all the fog, shooting the photos on a white background would give the same effect!
I also checked into a new hostel. The old one didn’t have wireless that worked. The cafe next door did have wireless, but they turn off their modem on off hours. The new hostel said they have Ethernet in every room, so I paid. When I got in the room, the Ethernet was dead. They gave me a key to another room, dead there too. Actually, it appears every dorm room has it deactivated, only the more expensive rooms have it. I ended up going to the lobby, unplugging one of their computers and plugging in my own. So many problems with Internet access traveling through China! I haven’t been able to upload my photos.
Today I saw Jingci Temple and Lingyin Temple here in Hangzhou. The second one was a really impressive place at least.