Tongli /Water Town, Some shopping and another road trip.
“Zhege…Duo Shao Qian?” [How much is this?]
”Yi Kuai-Ba Shi” [180 Yuan]
“Ah…. Bu hao!!!” [No Way!} I clutch my chest and stagger back as if having a "Fred Sandford" heart attack and start to walk on.
“How much… you say.” He shoves a calculator at me…[ahhhh… now he speaks Yinguo {English} cagey devil]
“Si Shi. “ I say typing 40 into the device, a 20% counter offer. I catch him off guard by still haggling in Mandarin.
“Bu Shi.” He cries… waving his hands and rattling faster than I can understand [Me thinks he protests too much] and types in 120.
“Wo Bu Yao.” [I don’t want it now] I say and walk away …He chases me down ...I got him!
“You say!” shoving the calculator at me again
I type in 40 again… he types in 80…
“Bu shi… Wo you...Si Shi,” ["no way... I have 40", typing 40 for the last time and I walk another step.
He breaks down and shakes my hand… “Hao… Haode…Si shi”.
Our guide, stifling a giggle looks at me and shakes her head in amazement.
I just haggled another $25 dollar tchotchke down to $5.
We’re in Tongli but lets see how the day began.
Since Tongli is on the way to Shanghai, we check out of the hotel after a quick breakfast, load the van and Chucky who usually fides up front to nap pics, hops into the back seat to take notes and write a NOWAT on the way.
Tongli also known as Water Town is over 1000 yrs old. Its original name was Tong Shi or Rich Land which caused the government to levy very high taxes. In due time a scholar convinced the townspeople to chang name to Tongli and the taxes went down.
We entered the town through the traditional gate announcing the location and down a very busy but mighty bumpy street where traffic control was an unheard of concept with people and vehicles of every size, shape and description dodging each other on both directions. Otherwise it is a lovely tree lined avenue with shops of very kind along the way. Pic happy Chucky is dodging in and out of traffic and the stores recording the walk as we go and stopping for a kid here, and an old man there and getting lots of stares and smiles along the way.
As we cross the bridge over the main Canal, we enter a lovely square that includes a large stage where many of the popular TV soap stars have performed and have their names and series titles carved in a “Walk of Fame” style plaza surrounding a large stone carved with the TV network name etc.
We move on to the first of the “Gardens” we are to visit here, Cong Ben Hall Originally built by a business man in 1828 and re-built 1912. It is not a real garden in the sense of the Humble Administrators or Lingering Garden; rather it was a big house with several courtyards on the site of a 400 year old garden. By this time, only the rich had gardens… business men had big houses. This one had 10 rooms upstairs, 10 downstairs and 4 courtyards, in addition to servants quarters.
Walking along the canal with shops and tea houses lining the water way, everyone is ready to haggle.
“Hello… jade… hello….Rolex [they all have Rolex’s at $20USD] “hello… you buy silk… chopsticks yes?”
The canal is teaming with traffic and lots of water taxi’s docked and ready along the way. We debate on taking one but decide the trip up and back was too short for the price and elect to continue walking, as Chucky is now snapping every different tea pot service he see’s [the man is really whacko!]
Lunch was at the delightful Xiange Jiarlou...or Shanger's restaurant as the English sign proclaimed.
We were ushered to a quiet spot upstairs [we'll quite until a British and American couple with Chinese Guide were seated behind us and proceeded to order ala carte and then complain about all the Chinese meals they have had since in country. [Hey… obnoxious “Round Eye” if you want Meat and Potatoes, stay home… or expect rice with every meal and like it!!!!]
We enjoyed a Great “fall off the bone” Pork Shank in an sweet wine... the ever popular beef & peppers [not Pepper steak] a better than usual Bok Choy dish with some interesting spices, good country vegitable and noodle soup, fried rice and.... Beer good! A ****+ rating and well deserved.
We stop in another delightful spot… the Retreat and Reflection Garden. Built in 1884 during the Qing dynasty by Ren An Sheng a High official in the Anhui Provence. He was dismissed 
because he did not try his best in one of the local tribal wars and built this “Retreat [which had the double meaning of his retreating from duty and place he retreated to] to “Reflect” on his shattered life. Another large villa with 10 rooms up and 10 down, it was surrounded by a delightful oasis in the middle of the sometimes chaotic village. Aside from some really stunning courtyards, it had an interesting veranda where all the old men sat to chat and spit, whereas the women would find cool little semi secluded grottos to relax in… and try to dodge the Fengtzi Meiguo’s camera.
because he did not try his best in one of the local tribal wars and built this “Retreat [which had the double meaning of his retreating from duty and place he retreated to] to “Reflect” on his shattered life. Another large villa with 10 rooms up and 10 down, it was surrounded by a delightful oasis in the middle of the sometimes chaotic village. Aside from some really stunning courtyards, it had an interesting veranda where all the old men sat to chat and spit, whereas the women would find cool little semi secluded grottos to relax in… and try to dodge the Fengtzi Meiguo’s camera.
Dragon Lady’s Notes & Observations…
Babies appearing to be 1 to 6 months of age do not wear diapers. Country people dress the babies with an opening in the back – with the fanny exposed slightly. This allows for faster clean up of the infant [not sure how they avoid accidents but haven’t seen any. City babies however wear disposable diapers. Also, in the rural or poorer areas we observed children under age of 2 used for selling fruit and begging, encouraged by the parent to approach tourists with fruit in their hands.
We made another pass around the area looking for final items for her “List” and Chucky scores one of his best haggles of the day netting 3 charms for their boys and a Signature “chop” to replace the one he had in Bangkok in the ‘60s that was stolen from his footlocker on the way back to the states. He won’t embarrass the maker by revealing the paltry sum he beat him down to for all of it… but it WAS a good score.
It was getting late and after one last look for bargains, we call Mario Andretti to meet us at the entrance of town. As we dodge the oncoming traffic, who have no compunction of driving onto the sidewalk to maneuver around other kamikaze’s we spot a bank and try to make an ATM withdrawal for Shanghai “just in case”… no go… it is too rural and we'll have to wait for the “Big City” banks in Shanghai.
Its time to bid farewell to Ke Jia, who is feeing better and thanks us profusely for the meds and advice. Email addresses are swapped with promises to write, Illy even told her she could live with us if she selected FIU to finish her English and Tourism Translators studies and if she could swing the hurdles of a Student Exchange program. What a woman… always an open door.
Mario Andretti Li slides into the bus stop and with hugs and air kisses around and we are off to Shanghai at a little better that a ruptured turtles pace…[Gotta love this guy…at least he’s cautious}. He even knows what a turn signal is… but still likes the horn better.
Illy gets a chance to use the digital, Chucky actually relinquishes control as he catches up on another NOWAT.
再见朋友
Zài Jiàn Péng-You
Chuck and the now very heavily tchotchke laden… but still not sure she has enough
Dragon Lady.
Babies appearing to be 1 to 6 months of age do not wear diapers. Country people dress the babies with an opening in the back – with the fanny exposed slightly. This allows for faster clean up of the infant [not sure how they avoid accidents but haven’t seen any. City babies however wear disposable diapers. Also, in the rural or poorer areas we observed children under age of 2 used for selling fruit and begging, encouraged by the parent to approach tourists with fruit in their hands.
We made another pass around the area looking for final items for her “List” and Chucky scores one of his best haggles of the day netting 3 charms for their boys and a Signature “chop” to replace the one he had in Bangkok in the ‘60s that was stolen from his footlocker on the way back to the states. He won’t embarrass the maker by revealing the paltry sum he beat him down to for all of it… but it WAS a good score.
It was getting late and after one last look for bargains, we call Mario Andretti to meet us at the entrance of town. As we dodge the oncoming traffic, who have no compunction of driving onto the sidewalk to maneuver around other kamikaze’s we spot a bank and try to make an ATM withdrawal for Shanghai “just in case”… no go… it is too rural and we'll have to wait for the “Big City” banks in Shanghai.
Its time to bid farewell to Ke Jia, who is feeing better and thanks us profusely for the meds and advice. Email addresses are swapped with promises to write, Illy even told her she could live with us if she selected FIU to finish her English and Tourism Translators studies and if she could swing the hurdles of a Student Exchange program. What a woman… always an open door.
Mario Andretti Li slides into the bus stop and with hugs and air kisses around and we are off to Shanghai at a little better that a ruptured turtles pace…[Gotta love this guy…at least he’s cautious}. He even knows what a turn signal is… but still likes the horn better.
Illy gets a chance to use the digital, Chucky actually relinquishes control as he catches up on another NOWAT.
再见朋友
Zài Jiàn Péng-You
Chuck and the now very heavily tchotchke laden… but still not sure she has enough
Dragon Lady.
