Motykas in Asia 2018 Part 5 - Suzhou

In the morning after we went to Shanghai Disneyland (and DH went to Zhujiajao Watertown), we checked out of our hotel in Shanghai and went to Shanghai Railway Station by Metro. We originally wanted to take a taxi and the hotel staff booked a taxi for us but he didn't realise that there were 5 of us and as a result we got kicked out of the taxi! We didn't know that there's a strict limit to the number of passengers a car can take. It was like in Singapore and North America, but I really didn't expect this in China! So it turned out that it was easy to get to the Railway Station by metro from the hotel so it was not a problem. The hotel was very accommodating about our luggages, we packed a small bag just for a 2-day trip and left our large suitcases at the hotel concierge. They were willing to keep them for 2 days until we come back. I was so glad we didn't have to drag all of our belongings with us.

This time around, we already knew where the ticketing office was so we went straight there and lined straight up at counter 3. We purchased tickets on a fast speed train to Suzhou.

The ride took less than an hour and we arrived at Suzhou Railway Station. As soon as we exited the station building we could see how Suzhou is very different from Shanghai. They preserved the traditional feel to the buildings and designs there.

According to my itinerary, we were supposed to take Tourist Bus number 1 to Lion Grove Garden and walk from there to Scholar's Hotel Suzhou that I've booked. I was quite excited about this hotel because the design and decoration is traditional Chinese and I was looking forward to feeling like those Chinese princesses in the movies! Lol!

The tourist bus depot was not easily found, I had to ask a few times before I found their office, and by the time I got there the bus had just departed. We ended up having to wait another 40 minutes for the next bus.

Bus ticket counters, but not the one we needed. And no one was behind the counters!

To reach the tourist bus office you go towards that circle in the middle and turn left.

We finally got on the bus and off at Lion Grove Garden parking lot

From there we walked and walked towards the Scholar's Hotel Suzhou, that was also a bit difficult because the location on Google Maps was a bit off. On the way to the hotel we passed a food stall that was so foul-smelling I couldn't even describe what it smelled like! We quickly ran away from that spot and tried to avoid it as much as we could.

We finally arrived at Scholar's Hotel Suzhou and I handed them my passport to check in... but the guy behind the counter said they weren't able to find my booking. We went back and forth and my booking didn't exist... I was starting to worry and then the guy realised that my booking was actually for Scholar's Hotel Shantang, which was in a different area in Suzhou! Oh dear..... what have I done?!

Thankfully everyone were a good sport and we decided to leave our luggages at this hotel and went back to Lion Grove Garden according to our original plan. Well, my booboo this time was not as bad as our first trip when we missed our flight to Singapore afterall! hehehe..

We took some pictures at the hotel before we headed out...

After we finished touring Lion Grove Garden we continued to Humble Administrator's Garden. I have two separate posts for these places coming up after this one. From there, we walked back to the hotel where our luggages were and asked them to order taxis for us to take us to Shantang area where our hotel actually was.

The Scholar's Hotel Shantang is situated right in the centre of Shantang area, and it turned out perfectly for us because a visit to Shantang area was in the itinerary for that evening afterall! This way we got to see both areas without having to make a round trip. The hotel in Shantang has a different layout from the one we were at, but it was still very nice looking. I rented a 2 bedroom villa at this hotel and we were able to check in without a glitch.

Sitting area

Hotel lobby

Hotel entrance

The reception desk

Lobby

Sitting area

Bathroom Amenities

Lower floor bedroom

Common area

Chinese tea set

We settled into our rooms and had some tea before we went out to Shantang Street to find dinner. I will also have a separate post for Shantang Street.

In the morning we had breakfast at the hotel and it was included with our rooms. The breakfast offered a good spread of Chinese food, we were all happy to eat there. We had to wear our jackets to walk to the dining area though, because we had to walk outdoors to reach it.

After breakfast I took some time for pictures...

Holly

Just a little later we checked out of our hotel, took a few more pictures at the hotel, and walked to the nearest metro station to go to Suzhou Railway Station. It turned out that this station was only 2 metro stops away! So it was really a good mistake that I made in booking the hotel.

When we ride the metro, Miss Kiki was at the height limit for free rides, so we decided that she could ride for free. This is how kids are supposed to enter...

When we arrived at Suzhou Railway Station we were surprised to see the large number of people compared to the previous day. We lined up at one of the counters and received a bad news when we wanted to buy high speed train tickets to Hangzhou for that day. Most were sold out and the earliest available tickets are first class tickets at 5:20 pm. This was still in the morning close to 11 am! My plan for that day was to arrive in Hangzhou close to noon so we could sightsee right away and go back to Shanghai early on the following day. Well there goes my plan...

In the end, we bought tickets for regular trains that departs at around 3 pm that day. The earlier regular trains were also sold out.

We had a few hours before our train, but I was worried that if we had left the station to check something else out in the city we would have to rush back and if something happens we would miss the train. As such, we went to Starbucks and then to KFC to sit and wait... It was a very cold day so we didn't feel like being outside much.

Columbia boots that the Motykas brought for me

The Suzhou Railway Station seems newer or newly renovated, with some projects still ongoing inside. It was large but not enough seats were available for the crowd.

This lesson taught us to purchase train tickets in advance, which we did that day for our Hangzhou-Shanghai trip. I ordered the tickets via China Travel Guide app, and if you don't have the app you can do it through their website. After receiving the confirmation email DH went to the Suzhou ticket counter and pick up the Hangzhou-Shanghai tickets.

Finally it was time for us to board. We walked on the platform and saw light flakes of snow floating through the hole on the roof of the station. It was a mesmerising view, but I wasn't able to capture it on camera.

We found our seats and I was a bit disheartened when I saw the seat conditions... they were old and not very clean looking, though it was not as bad as it could've been. They were also not reclinable. The space was very tight and unlike on the high speed train, the seats on the regular train faces each other. It was a bit awkward when you are stuck across a couple of strangers and stare at each other for 4 hours! It's not like you can stare at anything else in there...

There were two girls sitting across from me and one of them had a cold. During the ride she seemed really unwell, so bad that she seemed like she was suffering. I pulled my phone out and used google translate to offer her some medicine, and to my surprise they took it! You've gotta be very trusting or naive to take a foreign medicine from a foreigner you've never met before and will probably never meet again... or maybe they were desperate. I gave them one Demacolin tablet and secretly really hoping that it helped her and that she was not allergic to anything in it.

Water from our hotel

Our 4-hour train ride was okay, it would've been better if they didn't let people smoke in between compartments with doors into the car wide open. In other words, we were all smoking for 4 straight hours and we didn't have a choice. It was supposed to be a non-smoking car but no one seemed to give a hoot. I complained to the staff a few times and they told the smokers to go elsewhere every time but that only lasted a few minutes and the smoking started again.

Now looking back, I think I should've paid and waited patiently for that first class seat on the high speed train!