Item from the Past: Late April 1994

April 29, 1994.

We’ve made it to Hangzhou, famed in travel books everywhere, and Chinese poetry, they say. But we haven’t seen the West Lake yet, just parts of the city and Hangzhou University, where we’re staying in a dorm. Total cost for two per night: 56 yuan, or about $6.50. A fine place to flop for a few days, a dorm room about as big as my freshman room. There are two fragile wooden beds, two nicked desks, two worn bookcases, two clothes cabinets, all in various states of disrepair.

We woke this morning early in Shanghai, caught a taxi to the station and had some nikuman [steamed meat buns] for breakfast from a vendor. After a little confusion, we found our train, which left on time at 9:45. We sat across from a couple in their 70s, both wearing neat Mao jackets. Their son and daughter-in-law were sitting nearby, wearing expensive Western clothes. The son spoke some Japanese-- he told Yuriko that he was a student in Tokyo. We didn’t delve into whatever connections this family had to make that possible.

We watched the fertile, springtime Yangtze basin roll by. Complete with people working the fields. A lot of people. A whole lot of people. Take your hand: each finger represents a billion or so people. One finger represents Chinese peasants.

We arrived in Hangzhou on time, and after a little confusion (getting off the bus too soon, etc.) we found the university. We went to an on-campus restaurant for dinner, spending about $3 for fish, soup and fried rice -- heaps of it, more than you’d expect. It wasn’t really that good, but it sure was filling.