Protip: Bring Gloves (because this is going to be a DOOZY)

(Brandon)

And we're back! The Bad Luck Bears are settled into their various dens with lovely host siblings, families, and school faculty members that all exemplify the epitome of hospitality. Today we woke up at 7:00 for one of our first expeditions around Hangzhou and its many offerings. We snatched up the low hanging fruits today and visited several key attractions. We were led by our tour guide, Peter, who spoke remarkable English, and also accompanied by Charlotte, a teacher of the high school (who will also be this year's ambassador to Dover-Sherborn in the following months).

Our first stop was the Six Harmonies Pagoda. Peter brought us to the base of the tower and gave us a brief description of the pagoda. It was originally built to suppress evil, specifically an evil dragon that was thought to cause tidal waves (or "bores") in the nearby Qiantang River. In terms of what type of pagoda this one is, the Six Harmonies Pagoda is a "pavilion" pagoda. Lastly, Buddhists built it with six sides to represent north, south, east, west, Heaven, and Earth. The morning was bone-chilling so the group was happy to go inside the thirteen story pagoda as soon as possible. While the Bad Luck Bears are used to climbing stairs, the mix of steep, creaky wooden stairs and worn, slippery stone stairs that welcomed us as soon as we stepped inside were still daunting. Mike and I climbed to the top (well, as high as we could go, which was 7 stories up) while the group took pictures from below. The view of Hangzhou across the river was spectacular.

Pit stop número dos was a local spring called Tiger Spring. This spring is known for its highly desired water. Locals say that Tiger Spring's water sits atop in terms of desirability for cooking or drinking (with tea, which Hangzhou is well known for), with river water directly after and well water at the bottom of the ladder. Many people will pay admission while bringing several empty containers with them to be filled and taken home. As soon as we stepped through the entrance, it felt like we were entering a whole new world. We walked down a path that wound through large pools of water fed by small waterfalls and filled with unique trees that had roots that spread throughout the pools instead of taking root in the ground beneath them. We stopped briefly in front of a rocky outcropping. I was taken by the statue nearby until I saw why there was such a large crowd in front of a pile of rocks. This was where people came to fill their containers with water as it flowed out from this outcropping. After exploring the spring some more, we continued on to our next destination. The van ride was much welcomed as it was heated, allowing the Bears to defrost their frozen paws.

Leifeng Pagoda. One word. Grand. We started off climbing more stairs (aided by an escalator however) and ended up going beneath the pagoda. Beneath the pagoda was, well, the original Leifeng Pagoda. Here's the catch. Built many years ago (as much of China was) by Buddhist monks, the pagoda was made of bricks. But in a hollowed out hole inside each brick was a Buddhist scripture. Snakes in Chinese culture can represent evil, and when people heard of these scriptures inside the pagoda's bricks, they would start stealing them in hopes of warding off snakes and other evils. I found it comical (albeit the sad reality) that this pagoda collapsed in 1924 due to people literally stealing the foundation out from under the original structure. It was rebuilt in 2003. We ascended the new pagoda (after cramming into a tight elevator) and took pictures at the top. Now we had a clear view of the famed Xihu, or West Lake, of Hangzhou. After we satiated our thirst for pictures, we descended to the second floor of the pagoda where Peter told us the love story of the White Snake Lady. In an effort to conserve space, I'll jump to the end of the story. A woman was imprisoned in the original Leifeng Pagoda while her husband and child painstakingly waited outside for her to be released. Eventually she was released and the family was reunited. When Leifeng Pagoda actually fell 1924, people were not that saddened by this because it represented the reunification of lovers and family (as in the story).

After a much needed delicious, scrumptious, delectable, and succulent lunch, we arrived at our final destination: West Lake! Peter led us to a group of boats and we climbed aboard. As we cruised around the lake, we passed several landmarks. One was the Three Moons, which Ms. Moy instantly recognized. The number thirty-three associated with the Three Moons (which are three small stone pagodas sticking out of the lake) has two origins. The three structures, when lit up during the night by a candle placed inside, shine light onto the water in five directions out of five holes. This creates five reflections. Ten "moons" per structure, thirty so far. The actual moon and its reflection on the lake are another two. The last one? Some people say that the last moon is the traditional moon cake that one eats during the Mid-Autumn Festival. More sentimental folk say the last moon is the heart (due to a popular love song in China that compares the heart to a moon). Thirty three moons in all. We also passed by the Broken Bridge (brimming to the max with people), which has become famous for its association with the aforementioned White Snake Lady story. We closed out our trip to West Lake by walking through a surrounding garden. It was serene, filled with koi and peacocks (I kid you not).

Thanks for hanging in there,
Cub San (aka Joey #3)