Moving to Dalian

Wednesday, June 15, 2010--Haerbin and on the Train   After checking out of the hotel at 10:15, I wandered Stalin Park again.  Then I took a boat to Sun Island.  It has galleries, a park, etc., and it is the center for the famous Ice Festival that Haebin has each winter.  There is an Ice Scupture Museum which houses some of the sculptures from past festivals.  I arrived there and had to wait.  They do not admit just one person.  They let me sit inside and gave me hot green tea while I waited for more to arrive.  Because the admission price is steep (about $15 including the protective clothing you must rent in addition to the almost $5 cost to get inside the park), they don't get lots of visitors.  After about 30 minutes, however, a group arrived, and they rushed me inside with them after I put on my protective leggings and a long overcoat.   The museum was fascinating, though.  There were huge ice sculptures from previous shows.  Colored lights made them even more marvelous.  I wandered and took photos.  The experience was spoiled only by the fact that they kept trying to get more money from me through special offers--the chanch to have my photo made, the offer of coffee or beer from an ice bar, the opportunity to go down an ice slide on an innertube, and the chance to buy offerings to leave for Buddha at an ice temple.    There were thunderstorms coming through when I left the museum.  I waited at a pavilion where others also came.  One large group wanted my photo, so I had it taken over and over with each one.   After the storms passed, the sun came back again.  I wandered through more of the park.  They have a very nice sunbathing platform where I stopped to read for a while.  I watched people on rides at an amusement park.  Etc.   Town was more crowded than ever when I returned in the late afternoon.  Hawkers lined the entire Pedestrian Street selling every trinket imaginable.  Everyone was buying, too.  But I was disappointed.  Everyone was on the move.  There was no entertainment to stop and watch.  So I decided it was time to leave Haerbin.   I returned to the hotel and got my luggage.  With plenty of time, I just slowly walked to the train station and still arrived with 3 hours to remain before departure.  There were many others already there waiting, though.  I have the impression that this holiday in China is equivalent to Thanksgiving in the U.S. when it comes to traveling.   When the train did arrive, it was 21:30.  There was little time.  After getting on, I went to the toilet and then got into my bed.  The lights went out at 22:00 for the night.   Wednesday, June 16, 2010--Dalian   Unfortunately, my compartment mates got up and were opening window curtains and talking at 4:30!  Around 7:00 when the women reclined again as if they would sleep some more, I was so happy that two of the men in the same compartment sat on the ends of their lower-berth beds and disturbed them!!   China must have one of the highest rates of allergies in the world.  So many people on the train, like me, had stuffy nasal passages and dry coughs this morning.  It's due to those horrible trees with cotton-like spores flying through the air everywhere.   Our train actually arrived about 1 1/2 hours late.  I didn't mind.  I wanted to go straight to my hotel, and 6:30 would have been a bit early to try to check in.  I didn't mind going at 8:00, and they had a room ready for me at that time.  It's a 4-star hotel, and I am on the 24th floor.  I got on the computer for a while, then I went back to sleep in bed for 2 1/2 hours.  It was so nice to sleep comfortably.  I even went into a deep dreaming mode!   This is the last day of the holidays here.  It is known as the Dragon Boat Festival Day.  I checked on the Internet and found an entry saying there would be Dragon Boat races here, but it didn't mention a time or a place.  I went downstairs to ask at the hotel desk.  No one seemed to have any idea that it was such a day or where or when races would be held!  But all over China, this is the day for Dragon Boat races--the 5th day of the 5th lunar month!  Strange.   I spent the afternoon exploring.  I went down the walking street where I had a nice, spicy sandwich.  I found the main square (actually a huge circle) which was surrounded by wonderful, old European-style buildings.  I eventually went to a park looking for where people might be.  Many were there, but nothing unique was happening.  I then went to a supermarket and bought some supplies for the refrigerator in the room--diet cola, beer, and yogurt--and a box of instant noodles to eat for dinner there.    Unfortunately, while I was out today I lost my section of my guidebook for Dalian.  I always keep the pages for the section I am using in a pocket on the back side of my shoulder bag I carry.  Sometimes I notice the pages working their way out of the pocket, but I have always caught it and pushed them back in.  I guess they worked their way all the way out today without anyone noticing (or they would have brought my attention to it).  At least I now have an orientation to the city in my mind.  I could have used the specific information about some of the places to see and go in town, however.  Guess I will do some research on the Internet now.