Making this quick before time runs out at hostel computer...
Monday morning I finished packing up and Damin saw me into a taxi to the Hongqiao airport. As soon as I walked into the airport, I felt a lot more relaxed about everything. I guess airports are something of comfortable place for me...they have a lot in common with one another I suppose. Killed a bunch of time with things like breakfast and reading, and then a bit more since my flight was delayed (by less than an hour). Walked through the gate...and then onto a bus...and then from the bus up the stairs into a plane. Pleasant flight with good snacks.
Took a bus into the centerish of town. Cheap, and easy to use since people were very helpful explaining it to me, but took a while. Had a lot of trouble finding my hostel, but someone eventually took my bag and walked me there, which was especially nice because it involved far too many stairs for me to ascend without help. (With a computer and a 24-kg bag, at least.)
The hostel is in an old observatory at the top of a hill that's a park. The people at the desk told me trains to Beijing are sold out through the 17th, much to my surprise, but they can reserve a bus ticket for me, which may not be fun but it'll get me there when I want. Headed out soon after arriving and eventually found the right bus to the most popular beach. Qingdao is the perfect temperature and full of parks and beaches- so different from Shanghai, and the perfect place to go to recover from 2 months there. I hung out on the beach a bit, then walked along the shore for a really long time on a nice path. Ate some seafood on a stick that made me squirm a little bit, and taxied back to the hostel, where I read outside a little just because it's soooo nice out.
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4 comments:
How lovely to be in nice weather and at the beach! You've earned it!
It is wonderful that someone walked you to the hostel and helped carry your stuff. A little hard to imagine that happening many places in the U.S.
Too bad the trains were full, but as long as you get there.
Have fun in Qingdao!
Happy to know that the first leg of your decompression trip was so successful. Thank goodness for the nice people along the way!
So nice that you found a lovely beach (complete with lovely weather!) to enjoy. Your Aunt Pat is beaching at Hilton Head this week, so you're not the only one!
A bit of news...Allen and Shannon arrived last night and will be visiting with us until 8/18. They were ready for a break from the heat and humidity of Atlanta!
Good luck with your bus trip!
Glad you survived your trip, as well as the seafood on a stick (at least it wasn't squirming, I assume). Good preparation for the State Fair.
Enjoy the nice weather, etc. You deserve it.
almost-flawless travel! nice work.
why are you measuring how heavy your bag is in kgs? enough with the metric stuff.
i can't believe you ate something that was squirmy and on a stick. there will be none of that in our room next year.
but enjoy the beach!!!
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