CHINA- CIXI ZHEJIANG

There is not much to see in Cixi, in fact there is nothing to see but if you find yourself there then stay at the
HANGZHOU BAY HOTEL
ADD; NO 301 Sishan Road, Cixi, Zhejiang, P.R.C.
TEL; 0574-63914888.
WWW.HANGZHOUBAYHOTEL.COM
It's a japanese style hotel with 4 floors.

There is a Western style buffet and breakfast area off the lobby. It seemed more Western China than Western to me. I had to do the rounds a few times before I found something to eat. The sushi did not look that fresh. I finally went for the roast chicken with old roasted potatoes. The table next to me munched on starfish, yuck! The maitre d', Jacky, was very attentive and insisted that I try an espresso from his new coffee machine.

The hallways are well lit.

The rooms are small but very nicely laid out. I like how the vanity wall is not solid which makes the bathroom area less claustrophobic.

The bed was very comfortable with a big wall TV. HBO was free but you had to pay for CNN access. Free internet access is always a plus.

There is a Japanese style bathtub near the window which looked nice but is a waste of space.

All the rooms have balconies which look onto a lovely inner courtyard.

If you like going to the gym then this hotel has an issue. The gym does not open until 2pm and when it does open it is a little crammed but I still managed to get a good work out in. Forget the pool it is a kidney shape and tiny. The hotel did offer free bikes to guests but I did not use them.

ZARA MENS- RIGHT ON FASHION 3/19/13 update

Zara's parent company INDITEX continues to be shining star of retail stocks and after taking a peek at the spring 2013 offering, I am sure that they will continue to shine.
They are just right on fashion from head to toe.

I saw a very nice selection of caps and fedoras. This sewn paper braid fedora was my favorite. The head size was very comfortable with a very interesting trim of a chevron webbing with a piping edge which gave it a modern nautical look.

Love these shorts with the faux rope wallet fob at 29euro or HK$399.

Lots of easy selling colors to mix and match.

Nice linen blend shirt in olive or natural with D-ring adjustable sleeves at HK$399.

Love the unfinished kilim detail on the shoes.

If you are feeling a little sartorial then mix the hat and shorts with this navy linen blazer and these gorgeous tasseled shoes.

Mind you, there were a few future markdowns on the floor.

Just a little too bleached and a little too shredded.

This floral T was a little scary but these Hong Kong hipsters loved it and bought it.

I guess there is no accounting for individual taste.

3/19/13.
Had a peep into today to see what would get my attention.

Loved this linen blazer HK$1199, with suede details and elbow patches.

The button detail is just delightful.
Wear it with these roll up chinos for a sexy casual look.

Unfortunately this linen blazon HK$999, is a mark down waiting to happen.

Nice shirt HK$499 in blue or white with a little aztec trim on the sleeve and the inner collar.

This jersey blazer ensemble is just so perfect for a preppy guy.

This russian tourist agreed with me. He asked the shop assistant what the whole look would cost and bought it lock, stock and barrel.

OPTIMO CROWN PANAMA HAT

The OPTIMO crown panama hat is a classic style. In its native Equator it is simply called The Natural.

The Natural is simply an unblocked panama body that the wearer rolls up and sticks in his pocket when he does not feel like wearing it. After a few roll-ups the crown takes on a natural crease.

The OPTIMO crown panama became the hat of choice for British expats and British Empire builders. They wore it throughout the tropical Empire from Malaysia to Hong Kong to India, usually with a gin and tonic in their hand. They wore the OPTIMO crown panama hat to ward of sun stroke, the gin to ward off boredom and the tonic to ward off malaria with a slice of lemon for vitamin c. To this day the OPTIMO crown panama is more popular in the UK than in the USA.

The original OPTIMO crown hats of the 1800s were not made of PANAMA but were TAMSUI hats, made from Taiwanese (Formosa) Pandanus odorattssimus fiber. Tamsui hats retained their whiteness, were washable and could be folded and carried about without damage. The Tamsui hat was replaced by the panama hat in the early 1900s when the panamas popularity increased.

I am sure these panama hat wearing gentlemen were seen, swaggering around London on trips home, by a hatter who saw a hat trend and made an OPTIMO crown hat block to cash in on the look.

So here is how an OPTIMO crown panama hats works.

There are of course many grades of Panama. This one from Debenhams is low quality but it will get you through a weekend at Brighton.

Fold the hat in on itself, along the crease of the crown.

Roll it up into a cone shape.

Unroll and it should bounce back into its original shape

CAVEAT EMPTOR : Do not roll up an expensive GENUINE panama hat. Do not believe it if a hat store tells you can do it. It might bounce back a few times but in the end it will crack. Panama is a palm like leaf that will dry out over time. If you bend steel enough times it will break and so will a straw hat. This is why many hat store have sings "DO NOT PICK UP HATS BY THE CROWN".

WENLING, CHINA

If you need to go to Wenling, there are hourly trains there from Shanghai's Hongqiao train station. They can sell out, so unless you want to get stuck like me in steerage, I suggest making a reservation as early as possible.
My traveling companions were delightful but 4 1/2 hours sharing a bunk with others is neither fun nor comfortable.

 There's not much to see when you get there.

The Hotel Koro is the hotel to stay in. It is quite massive and I wonder if they will ever fill it.

 Very imposing foyer.

 The hallways are a little scary at night with only minimum lighting.

 The gym was cold and empty of customers.

The view of down town Wenling.

NINGBO CHINA

Ningbo, which is to the south of Shanghai, has a nice little downtown. Somehow, unlike so many other cities, it has managed to keep some of its historical heritage.

It also has a hilltop park which has managed to avoid being built on. It makes for a nice morning stroll where one can watch the locals playing tennis and practicing tai chi.

There is an active Buddhist temple at the base of the hill. Chinese monks look kind of angry and their concentration seemed to wonder at prayer time.

The Nanyuan Hotel, 2 Lingqiao Road, Ningbo, is a very nice hotel which overlooks the old downtown area. It also has a very nice Japanese restaurant and good breakfast buffet.
www.nanyuanhotel.com