The Roberts Family: Day 4

I woke up early around 5am. Closer to 6am, David was sleeping in, so I scootered over about a mile to some street food vendors. These vendors start setting up early in the morning to be available to construction workers and other workers to have breakfast on the go.

David coached me on what to order, so I only knew how to say one thing "Ji Dan Bing". It's like an egg crepe with pastry in the middle. It has onions, hot sauce, and I don't know what else on it. The point is, it doesn't have anything gross in it! The street vendors didn't speak English and were laughing the whole time.

Our breakfast was bagged up and I was on my way. To-go food. Scootered around for about 30 minutes enjoying the freedom of the quiet and the non-busy streeets. Stopped to pick up some drinks.

Silk Market

David took me to the silk market today. Hangzhao is known for its silk and being the biggest player in the silk market. We took a cab over there. Streets and streets of silk vendors. You name it, it was made of silk. Mostly saw sleepwear (gowns, robes, slippers, boxers), silk bedding, silk dresses and shirts/blouses and bolts and bolts of silk fabric. Bought us both new robes like the one I've admired in Gus Mayer back home. I was able to buy slippers in my size but no other shoes. They didn't have any size above about an 8. Enjoyed the silk market most of the day.

David had a meeting, so he took a cab away from the area. I stayed around and walked for several blocks. Strolled around the area some. Saw this restaurant with the fish swimming around in the window. You pick out your fish in the tank, and they prepare it...just like lobster is done in the USA. There is one fish in there that is swimming upside down, I don't recommend picking out that one! You can see it in the middle tank. Poor things.

Night Market

Went back to hotel, got cleaned up for dinner, whatever it was we ate, I liked it. Took cab to night market. Shopped there for a while. All kinds of goods, from designer knock-offs to homemade goods. And lots of street food vendors. Saw a handful of foreigners there. They were all Austrailians buying purses for their wives. I helped consult on their purchases. David is #1 at getting the BEST price on items. He drives a hard bargain and they quickly realize it. It is amazing to watch him go! He'll go back and forth with them in Mandarin until they either take his offer or tell him where to stick it, :-). He knows how much things really cost, knows how much is fair for their markup, and doesn't let them go any further than that.
It was fun to look around and see all the action.

Blind Man Massage
Sat on the street enjoying a beverage and snack and resting and taking in the sights. Took cab to get a massage at the Blind Man massage place. It is open 24 hours. The place is no-frills, looks like an apartment. Blind men are the massage therapists. This massage is performed while you are fully clothed. We had a room sectioned off for 2 tables so we could be together. The massage was good, mostly theraputic instead of just feel-good. He hit some spots on my back and leg that I wish he hadn't, :-) And he honed in those spots. Oh good. That was painful.

Took cab back to hotel after midnight. Saw several brothel rooms on the ride back. They look like apartments on the street level with red light on the inside. Pretty Chinese girls all dressed up sitting around on sofas. These places are illegal. So, officially, they are "salons" open 24/hrs a day. But I've never seen anyone getting their hair done in there! It bothers me to see them in there like that. That would be a good ministry to start up here...helping those young girls find there way out of those places.

Hopped on scooters and went to snack stand and then fruit stand. Got another delicious pineapple and bananas from the side street fruit vendor. The street scene looks very old school. Like maybe what the USA looked like in the 1940's or 1950's. People out late eating at tables outside, some playing cards, lots of conversation.