Scenes From a Canal Ride

One of the things we were really looking forward to in Suzhou was a canal ride. Portions of Suzhou have homes built right on the canal, with little stone steps that lead right down to the water, presumably for washing clothes or whatever. I realized that I don't have a picture of the whole boat that we were on, but you can see below that it had a covered portion in the middle with seating, then flat open area in the front and also in the back, where the operator stood. He was a lovely older man, brown and lean, and he rowed like a champ with his one long angled oar.

Madelyn rode out on the front of the boat like the river queen!

Passing another boat, one without the covered middle, but a similar model.
These children were catching fish in the canal and were happy to pose for a picture as we passed.

Scott took a turn trying to row... it was not as easy as it looked!

This sweet local lady waved to us as we passed her window.

Toward the end of our ride, our boat operator asked us with gestures if we wanted him to sing. We were agreeable to whatever it was he was asking, and were so pleased when he began to serenade us in Chinese as we floated along! We applauded loudly for him, then we sang "Amazing Grace" to him, which he seemed pleased about. After a few moments, he broke into song again, and after that we took turns singing back and forth. It seemed to me like a moment suspended in time... like I couldn't believe we were actually there to experience it. I wish we could have understood what he was singing!