Suzhou? Just Don't.
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But the drivers on the road there? Each one seems more reckless than the last.
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I totally agree! Just got to Suzhou and my taxi driver was going incredibly fast.
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Coming from Changsha, Suzhou actually feels like a getaway from the heat.
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That's because there's been a typhoon around for the past couple of days, so it hasn't been as hot.
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A lot of the positive reviews on Dazhong Dianping (China's Yelp) are artificially boosted. Shops will offer you small freebies as an incentive, and then they'll even take your phone to write a glowing review themselves.
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I'll second that! You eat pretty much anywhere, and they'll bring over some little trinket to get you to leave a good review. On this trip, Dazhong Dianping really opened my eyes – and not in a good way. I'd never even used the app before. Is it really that influential? Everywhere you eat, they're pushing for five stars.
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I've been in Suzhou for ten days now. It's definitely not the kind of place for a 'whirlwind' or 'checklist' type of trip. You really need to slow down and soak in the atmosphere. I absolutely love it here.
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The Suzhou Metro now accepts Alipay. I'm a local, and even I only found out last week when I got back from a business trip and saw an Alipay ad at the train station.
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You can use Alipay or WeChat Pay, but I personally find their dedicated app a bit faster.
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If you've got a short temper, maybe give Suzhou a miss... I just got back, and the e-bike riders there are constantly honking – like, non-stop – even if you're not blocking them at all. It feels like they're just trying to blast you off the road.
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It's possible they're honking at another e-bike ahead of them. A lot of older folks and delivery guys ride really fast and impatiently, just laying on the horn. When I'm cycling and people honk at me non-stop, it drives me nuts too. I ride slowly and keep to the right, leaving plenty of space on the left for them to pass, but they still honk. Maybe many of them never got a driver's license and don't realize you're supposed to overtake on the left.
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It's the Suzhou locals themselves who are darting around recklessly; other people aren't nearly as impatient as they are.
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As they say: 'Airplanes in the sky, Su-E plates (Suzhou) on the ground!' (Basically means Suzhou drivers are notorious.)