7/14 Qingdao

We had a good rest that night. It was now time to check out the beach. Most of them were closed for algae cleanup but we were able to find a nice one a short bus ride away. It was a small beach but it must have been special, because there were at least 10 newlywed couples in wedding attire having photoshoots. I loved watching the dramatic poses, i.e. chin upwards, staring into the distance, hair blowing in the wind (you get the point). There was also a swimsuit model on the beach having a photoshoot, and I was able to stand behind the cameraman and steal some snapshots until she caught me, with a face that said, “No free calendar for you!” I had some beer and popsicles, walked around, chilled for a while, then took more pictures. All in all, a relaxing afternoon.


At around 4pm we went to the Tsingtao Brewery, the source of goodness. After taking the tour of the museum and factory we had a complimentary pitcher refreshing Tsingtao. But the fun was not over yet. Across the street from the brewery was a line of restaurants full of fresh seafood and fresher beer. We enjoyed an assortment shellfish consisting of clams, mussels, oyster, and shrimp. Accompanied by fried rice, of course. This would be the last meal of the long weekend so we figured we would splurge a bit.

An hour later we were again at the train station, on our way home. These few days were like a vacation within a vacation. It was only a short break from our normal classes but I felt that I had learned so much during this short time. We visited the place of Confucius family, walked around in a cemetery in the woods, climbed a mountain, made new friends, went to the beach, and had the freshest refreshment in China. And the best part about it was that this student organized expedition cost less than half of what the others paid for their travel-agency-arranged trips. I’ll drink to that.