Suzhou Grand Canal
Arriving in Suzhou we boarded a bus and were introduced to our local tour guide. It was a short ride to dock where the Grand Canal tour boats were located and our local guide filled us in on the history of Suzhou and the Grand Canal. Speaking of the local guide. I don't remember her name, but I remember her demeanor. She was a once teacher and tried to command the same level of attention from us that she'd have gotten from her students in class. Several times she got very annoyed when people weren't paying close attention to what she was saying. Being a teacher of adults myself I had to laugh at how upset she got and her determination that everyone would pay attention to her whether they wanted to or not. She was interesting to listen to as she was middle aged and had lived through the Cultural Revolution. She had much to say about life in China before, during and after the Cultural Revolution, and it was interesting.
Turning down one of the smaller side canals we would get a firsthand view of what life is like living on the canal. Cruising down the canal we literally invaded their backyards. Laundry hanging on lines to dry, children playing and waving to us, potted plants bathing in the Sun, and women doing their laundry in the canal were common sights along the canal.
Now back on the Grand Canal we headed to our meeting point with the tour bus for our next stop ... a visit to a silk factory for a demonstration on the silk process and, of course, a visit to the local store offering silk goods for sale. Believe it or not it was fascinating (the demonstration part not the store part!).