moments on the road

Here's a bit about our memorable moments in Dalian during our winter travels...

We landed after dark in the northern, coastal city of Dalian, the last stop of our holiday travel in January. We jumped on the metro and headed into the city. It was early evening and the recently opened subway line was empty, clean and warm.

We got off the train at a station near the center of town and found ourselves in the middle of a giant traffic circle lit up like Christmas with bright lights and decorations for the upcoming Spring Festival. The walkways were slick with crusted snow and icy flurries whirled in the wind. It was a far cry from the mild climes we’d left behind in Chongqing just hours before.

We knew our hotel was in the general vicinity, but with busy streets spiking off in every direction the idea of just finding our way, which seemed fine when were warm, now seemed horrific. Plus, we were dressed for the comfort of air travel and poorly outfitted for the bitter north and extra freezing weather that had just blown in.

Just as the adventure started sliding into the “really cranky” mode, we looked up and saw our hotel’s sign beaming from the top of a not-too-distant high rise. Walking distance. PTL, a sign from above!

The hotel lobby was bright and welcoming and a spirited rendition of a traditional Spring Festival song was playing loudly (as it was every time we came through). We negotiated for a room with a better view and moved the next morning, forgetting Krista’s jewelry in the process. Thankfully we were able to reclaim it without too much trouble. Our new room featured a view from the 10th floor overlooking the city and the frozen streets.

Dalian is a popular destination best known for its waterfront and outdoor summer activities. Winter, well? We didn’t let the cold temperatures – single digits and teens – slow us down. We took the subway to a noted water front park and were quite startled to hear someone calling, “teacher, teacher!” outside the station. Incredibly one of our college students, Cici, was in town visiting family and had recognized us in our face-masks, sunglasses and winter gear. Lol! Even as we stood chatting and taking pictures in the cutting wind, neither of us could place her in one of our classes until we checked our social media feeds later on. A blessing it was to see her.

The waterfront and surrounding area was nearly deserted and bitterly cold. Crews were busy plowing and shoveling the area as we wandered around the grounds of an amusement park and tourist area. The wind and cold were just plain uncomfortable so we retired to a nearby shopping mall for warmth, which quickly became the go-to option.

breakfast at the hotel

The next day we headed to the beach, where we discovered that the sandy shore and the beautiful, glistening waters of the Yellow Sea of water didn’t depend on summer temperatures. We climbed around on the icy rocks jutting into the water and joined a group of kids skipping rocks. Hatless and unzipped, they seemed happy enough while we were just frozen, but smiling.

Conceding that it was just too cold to wander aimlessly around outside, we took in the art at a small museum near our hotel and toured the Shell Museum across town. There were tens of thousands of shells from all over the world in every conceivable color, shape and size. The displays lined a dimly lit, ascending spiral walkway. We were practically alone in the hush of the cavernous building, which made us feel like we were inside a giant seashell.

Dalian is very modern compared to where we live and has many shopping malls packed with stores, restaurants and displays. We bought cake, sampled the fare at a couple of restaurants and drank coffee and read. Being accessible by subway and warmth easily quashed our guilt about giving our adventure over to the mall. And we are looking forward to a return trip in the future, as the tickets to Dalian are affordable. Our Father is good.

Despite the cold, it was a great way to wrap up our travels and celebrate our wedding anniversary. We were thankful for the quiet time and the chance to see the city without the throngs of people who are in town when the weather is nice. And, we got to see one of our students! We are grateful for everything our Father provides!