Thursday 16 June 2011

Day in Qingdao (23rd September)

After moving all our possessions downstairs so that we could relocate to a different room in the evening we took the wrong bus with the aim of climbing up through a park. When we did finally get to the right area we couldn't find a path up and instead found ourselves surrounded by university students on their break. Eventually we got to the right place and puffed our way up, it wasn't easy since I've got a bit of a cold developing. There were interesting plants en route, people collecting water from springs, two Germans and an American who were in the city on exchange, and a fine view over Qingdao (the university buildings had green roofs) and the coastline was good, despite the haze.

In the afternoon we strolled along the promenade along with what seemed like half of the residents of Qingdao. We then did some random wandering through the streets looking at the architecture. It was really hard to believe it was China, with houses that wouldn't look out of place in Tannenstrasse (where our granny in Switzerland lived). Outside the town offices blue clad men were arranging pots and pots of geraniums and flower assemblages spelling out Chinese script. This was presumably in preparation for the Chinese national day celebrations, the next coming public holiday.


Feeling really sniffley I retired to bed early in our new private room. One of the few benefits of developing this hideous cold was that I couldn’t smell the lovely China smell wafting up from the shower and toilet and into our room.

No comments:

Post a Comment