Have you ever met a great friend while traveling and then caught up with them years later? We’ve visited travel friends in England before, but this time, someone was coming to see us!
We’ve been traveling for three years without any visitors, which makes sense while backpacking. However, since we’ve been living in China for nine months, it’s the perfect time for friends to visit. So, our Canadian friend Bernie came to see us.
We first met Bernie in Egypt in 2011, spent a couple of weeks together, and parted ways. We met again in Jordan for a few days, in Lebanon for a week, and later in Nepal during the same trip. We said our goodbyes, thinking it was final.
Bernie had been traveling around Southeast Asia for the past few months and made a special trip to China just to see us! We hadn’t seen each other for almost a year and a half and were thrilled about the reunion.
We met him at the Shanghai airport, starting our two weeks of exploring together. Although we couldn’t take weekends off from work, we still had a fantastic time.
We spent two nights in the bustling city of Shanghai, exploring the French Concession area, old town, People’s Square, the walking street, and the Bund. Wandering through the old town, watching people chop meats, sew leather shoes, do laundry by hand, and have tea was the best part. No matter how many times we visit Shanghai, the charm of the old town never gets old.
We introduced Bernie to Tsingtao beer and Shanghai’s famous dumplings, and soon, our two nights there were over.
We took the fast train back to Yangzhou and showed him around our home. We watched a friend play guitar at a coffee house, enjoyed Dongbei food, and had a big night out with friends. We devoured a delicious hot-pot meal, danced at a nearby bar, and won every game at the pool table, with Bernie being quite the pool shark.
The next day, after a late start, we visited the Old Town of Yangzhou. The springtime bloom along the canals made for beautiful scenery. We wandered through the alleys and canals before enjoying some typical Yangzhou food for dinner.
We debated where to go for our week off work and decided on Hangzhou. This city, about 300 kilometers south of Yangzhou, is known for its beautiful lake and charming old town.
We hadn’t seen mountains or hills in a while, so arriving in Hangzhou with its lush, green hillsides was a pleasant surprise. We enjoyed street food, beers, and planned to walk around the massive lake the next day.
The clear water, blooming trees, and friendly locals made our walk around the lake delightful. We couldn’t go a few steps without someone wanting to chat or take a photo with us. We sauntered around half the lake before heading to the hills. The stunning greenery and temple-dotted hills offered a peaceful retreat from the city.
The next day, we aimed to explore the other half of the lake, enjoying another sunny and beautiful day in Hangzhou.
In the evening, we had local food, a bottle of wine, and Bernie even tried the notorious Chinese alcohol, baijiu. We made it to the lake area just in time for a surprising water and light show, which was fantastic.
It was wonderful to take a break from Yangzhou and have a holiday with our friend Bernie! He’s heading back to Canada tomorrow, but we have a feeling we’ll see each other again soon.