Free Ride to Dalian

Because of my participation in last spring's Exploring China competition, I was given one free school trip. Last year I wasn't around for their winter outing, so I decided to go to Dalian with them this spring. Dalian is a port city on the southern-most tip of Liaoning province. It's known for being the site of the Russo-Japanese war in the early 1900's and as a colonial hub for the two warring countries from then until the end of World War II. For students like us, Dalian offers a great weekend getaway location, especially now that the high-speed train makes it possible to get there from Changchun in three hours. Luckily for us, we had a weekend of perfect weather waiting for us.

 



 

 

Mandatory hotel shot

 

 

 

Night market behind the hotel

Day 1: Discovery Land

 

Lolli-- lolli-- oh, lollipop!

 

 

Waiting for the "Splash Mountain" ride

 

 

The moment we shell out 5 yuan to stay dry

 

 

All that plastic only half-worked

 

 

Near Aladdin's food court (all Chinese food)

 

 

Lots of Russians in their street parade

 

 

One of the rides Tavj (blue hair) just managed to handle. So proud of him!

 

 

Ethnic something show. Never found out where the performers are from. Could be southern Chinese, could be a minority...could be Filipinos for all I know!

 

 

This is my "losing face" face.

 

 

No books were harmed while shooting this fabulous picture of myself.

 

 

At the American Street, all I could find was dried squid and knock-off leather.

 

 

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!

 

 

Day 2: Aquarium

 

I've already posted all of my good aquarium pictures on Storehouse. I'm posting this one because not long after it was taken I lost my sunglasses. I was in the bathroom, getting ready to leave the stall. I had just grabbed my bag where my sunglasses were hanging. They fell off, hit the ground, slid under the wall to the next stall, and landed right in the squatty potty. As I stood just outside the stall wondering if I should go in for them, and old Taitai came in, spotted my glasses and said, "My mother! What are these doing here?!" She reached into the basin, fetched the shades, and tossed them aside. She then closed the door and proceeded with her business. I left, not knowing what to do. I decided if she could touch them, then so could I. So I marched back into the restroom only to find that they had disappeared.

 



 

 

At the New People's Square we rented a quadracycle for 60 yuan, about $3 per person. We spent the hour navigating traffic, yelling "Push, PUSH!" at each other, and getting chewed out by various police men for driving in all the wrong places. Tavj eventually blared his phone's playlist and we jammed to JLO while I drove us back to the rental station.

 



 

 

Lastly, we had to change our plans because the 30 km stretch of coastal road was closed due to a walking marathon happening. To make up for missing the tiger park and aviary, the tour guide took us to the Russian street, where we bought Dalian's famous dried squid, rip-off Russian chocolate, and where I unsuccessfully searched for a hat. At last, we made it to the train station, where I took a nap on the floor. By eleven that evening we were back in Changchun just in time for the rain to start again.

 

Me, my new fake Gucci, and some Chinese dude