Eleventh Port – Qingdao

6 September – Qingdao, China

Qingdao – another huge city in China that few of us know much about.  We passed by downtown as we approached the harbor.

Disembarked the Vela in the morning with our considerable amount of luggage, which they lowered down the side with a winch:

Easy immigration passage into China.  In 2014 we had to provide details on our hotel arrangements, an invitation letter from a Chinese host, and could get a visa good for  one year.  Now our visas were obtained with only an application and are good for 10 years.  The immigration officer even smiled at us!

We spent our night in Qingdao in a western-style hotel a few miles from the train station.  The rainy weather cleared in the evening, and we went out to investigate the area.

Perhaps especially in urban environments, social and cultural activities seem to be key to the  neighborhoods here.  Groups of people from all walks were out enjoying the public squares and promenades….. ladies dancing together, children roller-skating, teenagers playing hacky-sack, and elders looking on.

As we wandered, our attention was drawn to a screeching sound further down the street; we clambered through some bushes and came upon….. parking-lot karaoke!  A couple of dozen people had set up a huge video screen on a large paved lot, and were giving it their all to some classic Chinese faves:

It was just awful in the most wonderful way.

And thus begins our 2- to 4-week sojourn in China.  (Our date of departure still is up in the air, depending on the schedule of the ship we will be taking home.).  We’re excited about seeing Zeng again and what we will do and see.