The path to enlightenment...

The first half of Day 4 was set aside to explore the Hangzhou lake district. Explore is apt a word given the total inability of Chinese drivers to follow the simplest map - I reckon we'd have been no worse off had I climbed out the sunroof with a sextant! Like so many things in China, it seems the easiest solution is just to throw money at the problem - fortunately in tourist cities such as this there are plenty of local guides willing to hop in a car and madly shout directions for a few Yuan.

Anyway, to cut a long drive short, we eventually showed up at a big Buddha temple. The idea of these temples is to buy incense at the tacky stalls and then burn it in the temple and make a wish. The incense comes in a variety of shink-wrapped flavours - some give you a good career, others a happy family, and till others load you with lots of money. Chosing between these sure to be granted wishes was proving somewhat difficult for our hosts, so it was time for the stockbroker to step up and offer some incisive capitalist insight. Surely, the author argued, the choice was simple. By selecting the GiveMeLotsOfMoney incense, one could then burn it and once the money starts raining down one could then afford to buy all the rest and burn it, thus securing the perfect future :)

Clutching the incense, we set off happily for the temple. In the end I decided my somewhat cynical attitude to the whole process rendered my offering a bit hypocritical, so we left the burning to our hosts and instead admired the enormous golden Buddha statues.

The next stop of the day was the Leifeng Pegoda, which sits majestically on a hill above the lake. The old pagoda was 1000 years old, but unfortunately was destroyed. Thus the tower is a modern reconstruction. When I say modern reconstruction I mean a somewhat loose interpretation - I somehow doubt the original structure had a double glass elevator system inside. Still, the Chinese actually did a masterful job of integrating what remained of the old structure into the new pagoda - it's more a museum than an attempt to recreate history. And once people get to the top they certainly wouldn't be complaining (well, most people, there's always an exception ;) - a breathtaking view over the whole region.

Our tour of the lake district complete, we then set forth for Huangshan... but that's a story for tomorrow...