Went to Hangzhou a few weeks ago. This small city of six million peeps an hour from Shanghai boasts West Lake, a feichang piaoliang // majestically beautiful place. True, but you can’t swim there. Growing up forty-five minutes away from Lake Michigan at South Haven, I can’t understand this. Like, if I just had to walk along the beach at Lake Michigan (basically like the ocean/差不多) but not go in the water…that’d be fucked up.

But Hangzhou does have mountains, something you won’t find in Shanghai, not counting mountains of 发票s/fapiaos or cash. On a Sunday walking around mountains and blue ponds. Don’t know why this pond is blue.

And met a lovable dog with a crooked face at a 农家乐 restaurant. 农家乐 = nong jia le, country home happiness restaurant/possibly hotel, in the owner’s house.

These restaurants are dank and affordable, like RMB100 – 200 ($14 – 28) for two – three people to eat really well on some home cooked Chinese food. Especially eggs, always try the eggs at country home happiness restaurants. So fresh. Chill owners too.

As daylight was packing up we still had an hour walk back down the mountain. Luckily an old grey sliding-door van crept down the hill by our outoor table, blasting an advertisement for 核桃 (hetao – walnuts). We negotiated a kilo of walnuts and a ride down the mountain for RMB60 (about $10). No seats in the back, just sacks of nuts and digital scales. I shouted out the window “赶快来买世界上最好的核桃,” but no one bought any. The uncle driving the van got out and patted me on the back when we reached the bottom.

Some songs for hitchhiking down a mountain in a walnut truck -

(1984) Horace Ferguson – Sensi addict

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(1996) Redman – Pick It Up

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