Korazy Times in Seoul: Qingdao Days 5-6

This morning, a cold front moved into the coast, forcing us away from the beaches and towards the inland parks. We started off at a park that offers a bird's-eye view of the city from a pagoda on top of one of the larger hills in the city called Xiaoyushan Park. We scaled the hill, checked out some of the sights, then quickly went off to what appeared to be a larger, livelier park. The city of Qingdao has invested quite a bit of money into its parks,which is apparent by the number of new amenities and amusement park rides you see when you enter Zhongshan Park. Several parts of the park are still under renovation, but as you walk deeper into the park, you see several old rusty rides that seem to have been neglected and forgotten.

I guess this park has switched on a light bulb in my head. China has so many resources that it just seems to build new, nicer things where there is space, often right next to the area it is meant to replace. The country continues to progress, but it is obvious that certain parts of the country are left behind. The Eastern area of Qindao is a bustling metropolis where everything is modern, clean, and appears to be wealthy. It looks like someone placed Barrington Heights a half mile away from the loop. There are huge condos and mansions next to skyscrapers, while a few miles away in the old part of town, people are living in demolished buildings and in relative filth. The Western part of Qindao is left as it was years ago. It's cool to see from a tourist's perspective as the Bavarian architecture is kept intact, but it can also be sad as you see the poverty that results from a population left behind.

Back to the rest of our day. We finished up at Zhongshan Park then went to the seaside for a stroll through Luxun Park. Luxun Park is small, but full of red rocks in the sea with fishermen perched on top waiting and drinking. A sudden downpour forced us to head back home.

After the rain, we went to the Tsingtao brewery. The brewery was more of a museum celebrating the history of the city and the beer, but it was still interesting. At the end of the tour we were rewarded with beer and peanuts similar to most brewery tours.

We took a taxi back to the old downtown area to find some food. After a failed attempt to order mutton soup resulted in egg drop soup mixed with syrup, we decided to head back to “Big Mama's Place” and try some new dishes. The first dish we tried was a white fish soup that was swimming in szechuan peppers and pepper corns. It was delicious. The heat from the food was a new spice for me and actually caused my mouth to tingle and go a little numb, but not in a bad way. Next, we got some chicken skewers and Chinese broccoli. Finally we finished off with some Halal bread roasted on a pair of skewers. It was another delicious meal and the perfect way to end our night.

For those of you brave enough, there are a couple HUNDRED pictures in a slideshow here.