At the hotel staff's direction, I started on my way to Suzhou Industrial Park on Tuesday afternoon by taking a taxi to the Shanghai Railway Station to catch a high speed train. Even at 2pm, the traffic was a bit congested. I was let off at the station, completely at a loss of where to buy the ticket. I saw people lining up to pass the security checkup, so I went to ask the man in uniform whether I would need a ticket first, and the answer was yes. I followed his direction, only to find out that, being a foreigner, I would need to use the underground pass to cross the street and go to the ticket counter to get the ticket...and there was no escalator going down, which meant I could not just roll my luggage along...
Finally I was able to sit myself down, waiting to board the train.. The waiting area was quite full, with people from all walks of life.
There was a beggar going from isle to isle asking for money by making noises shaking a metal bowl with a few coins.. He would stop in front of each person, trying to make eye contact while shaking the bowl and doing a very strange set of hand motion.. Most people completely ignored him either by refusing to acknowledge his presence or waving him away..
There was also a rather young looking woman trying to peddle some toys. As she was going from isle to isle, flashing spinning tops were thrown on the floor to attract attention..The picture here captures a moment of that, an ordinary girl trying to make a honest living among ordinary people who were perhaps heading home, going on a trip to see friends, or like me, an ocean away from home and making a trip to a strange city for the first time...
It took only about 30 minutes to get to my stop. Upon checking in at the hotel, I was happily surprised with a free upgrade to an executive suite..
The suite was gorgeous with panoramic view of the lake both from the bedroom and living room..The bedroom was simple yet elegant with a touch of traditional Chinese theme.. The bay window overlooking the lake was to the left..
As said in the title, "来也匆匆，去也匆匆＂, my schedule in Suzhou was so tight and hectic that I did not really have time taking a stroll along the lake until the last day right before my departure. So I had only been able to admire this beautiful view only from my window for almost my entire stay..
The hotel served up an extensive variety of breakfast.. However, I only had eyes, or stomach, to be precise, for congees, pickled vegetables, and made-to-order soup noodles..
Congee and pickled vegetables...
Beautifully presented appetizers - kimchi on the left, and I was not quite sure what it was on the right except that it was very tasty... 
Made-to-order soup noodles...Now you know how capable I am at handling spicy food:-)...
This decorative boat was along the way to the breakfast place.. It attracted my attention the very first time I walked past..
Overlooking the lobby from above.. This was taken on an early morning, quite deserted but with a quiet charm..
I packed the black dress and the bejeweled belt bought right before my trip on a rare shopping outing with my hu*****and. It was what I wore during my second day in Suzhou..
Here is a close up of the belt..
And me in the dress with the belt..
We were treated with an evening performance the second day that showcased the long history and sophisticated culture of the city..
Elegant Suzhou belle walking on the narrow cobble stone street and dancing in the rain..
Amazing acrobatics..
昆曲-牡丹亭
Finally the business was over, and I changed out of business wear and slipped into a pair of jeans before going out for dinner with some friends, both new and old..The night air was a bit chilly, so I put on my favorite jacket...
As nice as the high speed train was, the overhead to and from the station was a bit too much. So I opted for a taxi on my way back to PVG. It was set for 8am on Friday.
I headed down to the lake front garden at around 6:30am before the breakfast.. On my way there, I spotted this simple piece of a wooden wheel..
There was only another early bird in the garden. The tranquility was overwhelming, the only sounds coming from birds chirping and water lapping at the bank..
Now for the first time, I was seeing the lake on the ground level..
Looking up from the board walk back at the hotel.. It was in front of one of those windows that I was often standing to appreciate the scenery in the past few days...
Water lapping at the rock.. There was a quality of eternity in the simple and repetitive motion - it was there before the skyscraper was erected, and it would be there perhaps long after it's gone...
The contrast in colors as well as the layers captured my imagination...
The taxi took me away at around 8:15am.. I had this picture of the lake in my mind as I bade farewell to this beautiful city..
Goodbye..I wish I had more time..
Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed my story..
