Thanksgiving in Hangzhou

With a couple of extra days added to the Thanksgiving weekend, we decided to take the maglev to Hangzhou, a city southwest of Shanghai with a big, beautiful lake called "West Lake".

This "bullet train" can reach speeds up to 360 km/hr (223 mph), and at top speed, it feels like you are on a jet just before it lifts off the ground.  It is an incredibly smooth ride.

After finding our hotel and having a well-deserved rest, 

we took a calm boat trip on the lake to a small island called, 

"Three Pools Mirroring the Moon."

While relaxing and enjoying the temple and 

mountain views along the lake, I took out 

my sketchbook and hardly noticed the onlookers.

The next day we went to the Lingyin (Souls Retreat) 

Buddhist Temple complex at the foot of Lingyin Mountain.

The entire site has beautiful landscaping, halls, 

and stone sculptures dating back

to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) .

We ended our trip by visiting the famous Mejiawu Tea Plantation

for some Longjing (Dragon Well) green tea.

Thanks to the bullet train's speed, we're thinking of 

going back to Hangzhou to enjoy some 

mango lassi we had at a cozy Indian restaurant!