Dalian, China

           On 6 Oct 2013, we wasted no time after our clock alarm came on at 6:00 AM.  According to previous instructions, we were supposed to meet at 7:45 AM for our excursion.  However, at 6:40 when we were eating breakfast, the ship was still in open seas, with no land in sight.  We were running very late.  After we had proceeded to the meeting point, there we were told to stay where we could hear announcements but that it might be 8:45 before we would meet.  We were also told that our excursion would be shortened by skipping a museum visit, and 35 percent of the excursion cost would be refunded to us – or we could opt to cancel out of the excursion entirely.  Soon the Captain announced that unfavorable winds last night had caused our arrival to be even later than originally thought. 

So, we sat waiting for our excursion group to be called and also talking with a couple from northwestern Indiana until we hurried off in the line of people heading toward the ship exit.  However, Jesse soon told Sally that he had left his jacket at the meeting place.  Sally hurried on and boarded the assigned bus, while Jesse, handicapped by the lines of people clogging the hallways both directions, took several extra minutes to arrive.  Meanwhile, after our guide assumed everyone was on the bus, our bus started moving forward.  Sally quickly told her that one more person was coming; then the bus stopped and, almost immediately, Jesse got on.  (If Jesse hadn’t made it to the bus, Sally was planning to get off; we would have spent the day relaxing instead of taking the excursion.  But all is well that ends well!)

First, the bus took us through the city of Dalian, a very large city with wide, tree-lined avenues and attractive buildings.  Here, even the many sky-scraper apartment buildings are attractive.  We drove down the People’s Road, their big business street.  Our guide told us that motorbikes are forbidden in the downtown area.  Historically, the city was occupied by the Japanese and Russians.  Our guide’s nickname is Wei Wei; she is a university student, living with her parents.  Having been tutored by a person from New York, her English is quite good.  She said the average wage in China is about $500 per month, not really enough to live, especially since the sale price for apartments starts at $2500 per square meter.  She said she needs to marry someone who already has a house!

After a one-hour drive, we ended up in the small city of Lushun, which came to be known as Port Arthur to westerners.  This city was also attractive, with potted plants and decorations on light posts along the streets.  In Lushun, we visited the old Russian-Japanese Prison established by the Tsarist Russians and later expanded by the Japanese to have a final capacity of 2,000.  Although the prison had been a horrible place, today it is used as a memorial exhibition against war crimes.  If there had been time, we would have also visited the Port Arthur Museum, but this part of our tour was cancelled.

Afterwards, we enjoyed a traditional lunch in a Chinese restaurant, complete with Tsingtao beer (or soft drinks).  Seven of us sat around a large round table in a private room, with the food placed in the middle on a “lazy Susan.”  The food was excellent; and although we all stuffed ourselves, there was still a lot of food left over.  (Since about one-third of the people originally signed up for the excursion had cancelled because of not being able to visit the museum, there were empty seats at the tables and more food left over than there would have been otherwise.)  Just off of each of the many individual private rooms, there was also a private, western style bathroom.
  


Lunch

Outside Chinese Restaurant



           On the way back to the ship, the bus stopped for just a few minutes so that photos could be taken of the Victory Monument, which symbolizes the friendship between China and the former USSR during World War II.  At 3:30 PM, our ship pushed off.  As we were leaving the harbor, we could hear classical [western] music nearby and could see water fountains “playing” in time to the music.  Now we were on our way to Beijing.

After dinner, we danced to a few songs before the band stopped at 8:00 PM; then we returned to our cabin to prepare for tomorrow’s early excursion, which meets at 6:00 AM.