Annie's Life: China Number Two

To continue with the saga on China.

I arrived on time to the train station in QingDao. The taxi dropped me off at the backside of the bus station. There was a million taxis. As soon as I got out of my taxi, an old woman instantly came to me trying to sell me some gum or something. I was a little frustrated and confused....since I couldn't see the train station. I finally found my way to the train station and sat down beside this nice really nice man who helped me find my seat and what not.

These are a few pics of the train....it was pretty nicer....nicer than I was expecting....though I didn't really know what to expect.

This is the famous beer factory in Qingdao.....sorry dad I didn't have enough time to take a tour....maybe next time eh? The beer was okay....a little weak for Canadian standards but nice and cold on a warm day.

I arrived in Beijing. I managed to catch a taxi with the help of the lady who had been sitting next to me on the train. I seem to meet people that are willing to help me all the time. Next time someone needs my help I will remember this and help them because maybe they are in a similar situation. I was taking the taxi and I'm pretty sure he took the long way around because it was twice the price of taking a taxi back from the place the taxi dropped me off at.

Don't you find it amusing when the taxi driver asks you how to get to an area that you've never been to? I get it alot in Korea and apparently it is a common thing cause it happened in China, even though I had a card with directions. Well as the taxi driver was driving, I looked out the window and saw a sign pointing to the hostel (as we drove by). I got the taxi driver to turn in that direction, but about a block later. He got to the end of the road and proceeded to ask which way he was supposed to turn. I tried to explain I didn't know and that HE was the taxi driver. Finally I just said let me out here. Then I had the fun of explaining that I needed the card back that had the directions on it. I was getting a little frustrated at this time and I think he was too. Finally he gave me my card and I set out on a search for this hostel. I never found it. Instead, I came upon a nicer hostel. I didn't take any pics cause I'm dumb. But it was really nice, quiet, and had plants and flowers everywhere. I ended up getting a private room this time but ran into a girl who was having some troubles finding a place to stay. I told her she could stay with me. I will update about this later.

I had time to waste and invited myself on a biking adventure with another man I met at the hostel.

That is him. THough don't ask me his name. After about an hour of riding around, we FINALLY found the shopping market that we had been searching for. It was a 5 story building filled with knock-off items (ipods, clothes, watches etc.) it also had a bit of art and what not. I bought a few things but not a lot since it was my first day in Beijing. I biked back to the hostel by myself in the dark....I wasn't too nervous, they have biking paths and everything. I only got a LITTLE bit lost. As I was riding past the place where I was supposed to turn, I was thinking, that turn looks really familiar. Finally, I got to Ti'ananmen Square and figured I had gone too far. I turned around and made it back in one piece......take that DAD!