I am returning to my Australian abode on Deepavali, taking me away from a land where I don’t understand the culture or language and where I don’t fit in. There are so many like me and even less fortunate than me, who cannot afford being with their loved ones when they would want to be. I write this with them in my mind.
I have been traveling for the last two months. It is great fun, but my physical and social battery runs out pretty quickly. So by the end of the first rather intense month, I knew I needed a small vacation. Although work had different plans, I did manage to sneak in a few days in China. Allow me to give you a glimpse of my lazy vacation.
My partner and I began our pre vacation routine (finding a viable location) a week before our intended departure date. We procrastinated successfully for 5 days, and finally narrowed it down to Qinhuangdao, a small coastal town 2 hours away from Beijing. In a bid to save an inconsequential amount of money, we opted for the non bullet train option which took almost double the time. We were now left with the more arduous task of reserving a hotel.
The last time I traveled to Tianjin in China, I was denied entry in a BnB I had booked online. This is because landlords are meant to conduct a police check for foreigners, which makes them reluctant to keep foreigners as guests. As a result, one needs to be very careful while booking online, and it is safer to stick with the more expensive bigger hotels. Our friend and guide Ctrip (an app) has an option which lets you know if the hotel accepts foreign guests. We found many that looked lovely on paper, but the real test lies in the comments section, where you find non-AI generated pictures and honest reviews. We also found some hotels selling rooms with “fake windows”, aka a poster of the sea. After sieving through many options, we finally chose one which looked pretty promising, almost too good to be true for its price. Nevertheless, we decided to take a chance. And so our journey began!
We reached Beijing Railway Station a little earlier than required. One cannot enter the station without an ID check. While standing in line, a visibly and olfactorily drunk man stood a little too close for comfort, even when I was passing through the body scan machine. I almost opened my mouth to tell him off, but thought again and contained myself. It would be very tedious to use Google Translate to explain my point of view to him, so I let it be. More importantly, I wanted to use the washroom urgently. I ran to the public toilet, but remembered that they generally don’t have paper or water there. So I ran to a shop and purchased the first tissue pouch I could see. Only later did I realize how soft the cherry blossoms perfumed tissues were. It instantly brightened my mood!
Our train, a regal green, looked like it was ready to take us to Hogwarts. The insides, however, were less flattering. There was a lingering stale smell in the air. We had chosen hard seats, which were wooden benches with no boundaries between seats. Three different officers came to check our passports and tickets, making us a bit nervous, but we knew that they were simply doing their job. The passengers were very kind, and offered to exchange seats so I could sit with my partner. As soon as the clock struck 11, the train began moving, and I heaved a sigh of relief.
In all that chaos at the station, my partner had managed to purchase a bag of Wasabi flavored potato chips and some lemon tea, which I now happily devoured. The chips had the right kick complemented perfectly by the lemon tea. The train was quite slow, offering us a peek into Chinese rural life. As the air outside got clearer, we passed through a vast expanse of fields. I admired the lines of tall trees, looking like they were standing in attention. Shaan was playing in my ears, and I could picture myself swaying in the middle of the green pastures. Autumn had just begun, and I enjoyed the non homogeneity in the colors of the leaves. Soon, ranges of mountains became visible in the distance. As we sat there admiring the picturesque landscape, I began getting hunger pangs. I noticed a lady staring at me. I smiled politely. She came to talk to us. With the help of the translator, we understood that she wanted a photo with us. I suppose it is uncommon to see Indians there. We obliged. She thanked us, and gave us a package. It had 3 round fat pancakes in them. I wanted to take one and return the rest, because I thought this might be part of her lunch. However I did not wish to be rude, so I thanked her and took a bite. It was delicious, providing me with a warmth only obtained from home cooked food. I wish I could have expressed my gratitude better than an impersonal translation.
We finally reached Qinhuangdao railway station. I was amused by a child whose luggage looked like a scooter which he could ride! It was windy and raining, and there was a chill in the air. I suppose this is how Harry Potter felt as well when he disembarked at Hogsmeade. Akin to Hogwarts, our hotel was a 1 hour ride from the station, but we were starving. When my partner used the washroom, I asked the caretaker in my broken Chinese if he knew of any places to eat nearby. He couldn’t understand a word I was saying, chuckling at my childlike language. Another passersby kindly stopped and took us to a street filled with restaurants. Given that my partner is vegetarian, it took us a while to find an ideal eatery. Interestingly, all their plates, bowls and cutlery were packed in plastic, perhaps for hygiene purposes. We ordered Mapo Tofu and a dish called 5 Treasures. The servings were massive, and the food delectable. Their preparation of lotus stem was unique, with a certain fluffiness to it. The Mapo Tofu calmed my insides as a storm raged outside.
By the time we stepped out, the sky had turned a menacing black, threatening us with a downpour. The cost of a taxi was about 15 times the cost of a bus, so we decided to check out the public transport system. Unfortunately, there were no timings written at the bus station. After waiting in the freezing cold for about 20 minutes, we almost gave up, when the bus finally showed up. It was nice to be warm again. The bus ride was a pleasant 1 hour journey, taking us through the city center, with views of several spas, the Olympic Stadium, the zoo, a curious windmill structure, and the sea! If this would have been day time, we would have seen most of what this huge city had to offer in this 1 bus ride. When we got off, it had become even more windy. With freezing hands, we ordered a taxi and jogged around to keep ourselves warm. After a quick 10 minute ride, we finally made it to the hotel!
The hotel looked grandiose, towering over us, decked up in bright orange lights. Even if it were not, I would have been glad for this long journey to conclude. We quickly checked in, and reached the room on the 4th floor. The room was even better than the description! The first thing I saw was the sea in all its opulence, looking like it was going to lap up the room. I was a bit startled and went a little closer. I was relieved to see some sand (and height of course) between me and the dark water. There was a bath tub right next to the window, with no apparent plumbing. Next to that was a small coffee table and chair. The bedroom also had a bed, a sofa which could be converted into a bed, a huge TV and home theater system, a mini fridge, as well as a Japanese toilet and a private bath area. All of these (including the curtains) were controlled by a push of a button. I couldn’t believe our luck! We had certainly paid much less than the room’s worth. I could see how spoilt I could get in such lavish surroundings. Perhaps there are some perks to traveling in the wrong season after all.
We were famished. I went to the hotel’s Russian themed restaurant hoping for some vegetarian options. The only available option at that late hour was thick cut chips. I ordered that, as well as some other snacks from the only grocery store ready to deliver. The chips were perfectly crunchy and really yummy. They filled me up completely, alongside some peanuts and some really tasty chocolate chip cookies. I finally gave in to my weariness and dozed off.
After a restful sleep, I awoke in darkness. I reached out to the screen and pushed a button. The curtains opened to show me a dark gray sea. I wondered why the Yellow Sea was gray. According to Google, I seemed to be confusing the Yellow Sea with the Black Sea. I finally found some articles which said that this is due to large-scale industrialization over the last decade which has also led to the extinction of several sea animals. It was unfortunate, but failed to dampen my mood one bit. I enjoyed the last of my pancakes from the previous day, watching many ships in the ocean, trying to discern Japan in the distance, and concoct wild stories of pirates and trade wars. There were supposed to be many parks nearby. We decided to walk to the right of the hotel, and see where we land up.
The first thing we crossed was an amusement park. It seemed like there was barely anybody, so we didn’t understand the purpose, until we saw a big projector outside, which showed several beach parties and concerts taking place over there in the summer. Once again, I was happy to have missed peak season, when there would probably be a lot of noise. As we walked ahead on the beach, I also realized that the sea was called yellow because of the wheatish complexion of the sand, and that height changed its color to a more pleasant bluish gray. The view reminded us of photos of Tokyo – tons of buildings beyond the sea with the backdrop of a large mountain. It was certainly a sight to take in. We walked around a bit, in the hope of catching a dolphin or seal living their best lives. I found a man selling wares like sea shell bracelets. He charged me only 10 yuan, without a bias as to how I looked. I appreciated not having to haggle with him, and thanked him silently. We then sat on the rocks looking at the sea, marveling at the similarity between waves and thoughts – they form, rise, crash and disappear. Once I bored my partner enough with my philosophical discourse, we proceeded to move forward.
We saw what looked like a large park from the outside. Surprisingly, many of the sign boards had Russian instructions. As we entered, a man interrupted us, saying something seriously in Chinese. The translation of what he said was, do you want to have fun in the sea? I shot him an alarmed look. He showed us a video of girls dancing on a cruise with champagne. He was asking if we wanted to go on a cruise! We politely declined and moved away, giggling at how non verbal human communication sometimes won over advanced technology.
The entrance ticket to the park was 35 yuan, a bit pricey as compared to the attractions I had seen in Beijing. We were also a little apprehensive about being able to see everything before closing time but decided to give it a shot. The first thing we did after entering was buy a packet of “soft French bread”. I cannot judge how French it was, but it was so soft and nice that in order to pace ourselves, we decided to eat one every time we saw a bin..and in the next 10 minutes it vanished into thin air! The attractions were very creative, and also based on being able to take cute pictures. There were heart shaped arches, a huge sculpture of a designer bag, pink sand etc. There were boats shaped like globes, with a table in between, on which one could enjoy a freshly baked pizza with friends. The scenery was idyllic, with a stream flowing towards a mountain in a desert landscape. The windmill structure which I had seen from the bus last night was also there; it reminded me a lot of the pictures of Holland I had seen on Google. The park was connected to a beach, where many people were fishing and playing in the sand. On the beach were built some bench swings with eagles on top. When the swing moved, the eagle’s wings flapped, and it sounded as if an eagle was screeching. We climbed on top of a hillock and soaked in the view of sea, buildings, ships and mountain all at once from a height. We were joined by an enthusiastic elderly lady. She came and said photo, I thought she wanted us to click a photo of her. She wanted to click a photo of us for us! She took a few pictures and looked unhappy, signaling us to go down while she tried many different angles. Suddenly, she said bye and sprung away! I admired her athleticism. After taking in the view to our hearts’ content, we descended. There was a lovely smell wafting in the air. Our hungry stomachs led us to a shop selling barbecued sausages. They also had fresh milk bubble tea, which gave comfort to my cold hands and soothed my stomach. This was the end of the beautiful park, I can only imagine how much more prettier it would be in the summer.
We got back to the room right in time for a glorious sunset. It was truly a magical experience. We played some music on the audio system, and basked in the remnants of fragmented sunlight for an hour, watching as the sun, swallowed by the sea, succumbed to the reign of dusk, leaving its presence in a multitude of colors. Dusk slowly cast its spell upon us as well, merging with night before we knew it. When night came, the spell grew stronger, and we saw a big glorious shining sphere rising out of the sea. Our first guess was that it could be a missile as part of some training exercise. But then we saw it going up rapidly, which led us to believe that it could be a hot air balloon. Slowly, it began changing color from bright red to mellow orange. By the time it reached a 60 degree angle, it had turned white. It was the moon! I had never seen anything like this before, and was very curious as to what caused this phenomenon. I read that the blood red moon is only visible during eclipses, and this was not one. I have no memory of the music stopping, or of us sitting bewitched in complete silence, just of the calm and emptiness filling my being. I suppose it was a small gift for those who had the patience to take it slow.
On Sunday morning, I decided to enjoy the wonder that is the remote controlled Japanese toilet. I could adjust the temperature, pressure, angle and speed of the automatic jet spray. There was also a drying function, as well as one to heat up the seat. It also flushes automatically when you get up!
Once I was done gushing about the toilet, we headed downstairs to the hotel’s private beach. There were beautiful straw umbrellas that looked like mushroom tops. The day was not as sunny as the one before, but it was still quite pleasant. We watched a few ducks bobble in the water, and also caught a stork hunting. After a while, we decided to walk to the left of the hotel. The vicinity seemed private, with soldiers on guard. The parts that were publicly visible showed a spotlessly clean beach with glittering sand and blue waters. It was a bit of a walk before we could access it ourselves. The sea here was a lot calmer. This is called the Golden Beach. Much like the park, this beach also had a section dedicated to photography enthusiasts and potential destination wedding seekers, replete with white open houses and fake palm trees. The aesthetic was quite pleasing to the eye. As the tide ebbed, I spotted a lot of empty shells and wondered if there were pearls in the non empty ones. My curiosity got the better of me, and I made my partner forcefully crack open one of these. To my disappointment, some gooey substance was inside. I felt immediate regret at probably having killed an innocent creature. I resolved to be more mindful of my behavior towards nature, as well as my eating habits. Walking ahead, we spotted what looked like fireworks in the sea, which left me with a tinge of sadness, knowing that I wouldn’t be there for Deepavali.
After a long walk, we wanted to have pizza, but the available vegetarian options (a plethora of fruit pizzas, such as banana and Oreo pizza) didn’t appeal to our taste buds. Instead, we ordered vegetarian skewers, with exotic mushrooms, massive chillis, and tangy and sweet eggplants. The taste was refreshingly different. Exhaustion hit soon after, finally transitioning into a dreamless void.
The day had now arrived when we had to get back to reality. Begrudgingly, we packed our things. The Great Wall of China ends in Qinhuangdao, and would have been a spectacular ending to this wonderful trip. However, it was a 1.5 hour journey from where we were, so in the true spirit of laziness, we decided not to go. We then took a scenic walk through the town to get to the closest bus stop. The neighborhood seemed sleepy, with Mahjong tables set out but nobody there to play. Everything was quiet save the occasional rustle of the leaves. I was looking forward to the bus ride that would show us everything we had missed on that first night. The driver informed us that we didn’t have the correct ticket. By the time we resolved the issue, we had almost reached our destination. Somewhat dissatisfied, we got off, hoping to eat the fluffy lotus stems again. However, the restaurant was closed. The time of departure was also drawing close, so we rushed into the first restaurant we could see. We ordered everything vegetarian on the menu, which included spicy cabbage noodles, potato and green pepper noodles, and Naan, which I was surprised to find. We realized that it was a Chinese Muslim restaurant, possibly with Central Asian roots. The portions were huge and the noodles came with a warm comforting soup. The cabbage noodles were love at first sight for both of us, with a slightly tangy taste that hit the right spot. We were immensely grateful for being able to find such a gem in an unknown city.
The train on the way back was different as compared to our Hogwarts Express. We were seated in a three tier sleeper section. The lowest tier was used for six seats, and there was a small table with two stools adjacent to the sleepers, where two additional seats were reserved. We were struck by how quiet, reserved and affluent the people seemed on the way back. In order to maintain decorum, we did not indulge in the rest of our takeaway noodles. As always, the journey home wasn’t too long.
It took us a while to make our peace with being back in Beijing. Perhaps it was good to leave when it hurt just a bit. After all, pain is a sign of having had a good time. At the same time, I felt gratitude that I was privileged enough to afford 4 days of doing nothing.
I have always been an enthusiastic and adventurous traveler, wanting to push my boundaries, to see and explore everything. Somewhere between making my parents hike with me to wanting to just lie on a bed in a hotel, I grew up. I intend to take this phase of life in my stride as well, giving my mind and body the rest it deserves, and the calm it desires. And I am glad I got the opportunity to exactly do this. I know we barely scratched the surface of all that we could see, but that just means we have more to see later. I hope to go for another lazy vacation soon!
Something didn’t seem quite right to me before leaving. I realized that I would be spending Deepavali alone on a flight. So a few days before, we had a candle lit feast of Mysore masala Adai with Sambar and Podi, accompanied by Samosas and Gulab Jamun. What a wonderful world it is to live in, where we could accomplish this in a place whose culinary customs are very different from ours. Without any diyas, my journey was now complete.
Deepavali is the occasion when Prince Ram is said to have come back home after a long and tedious journey, bringing back peace, joy and light to his kingdom. I always thought his travels were meant to symbolize exile and unrest, but perhaps it was not as uncomfortable as it sounded, perhaps it was what filled him with the peace, joy and light that he brought back.
As I am returning to my Australian abode on Deepavali, taking me away from a land where I don’t understand the culture or language and where I don’t fit in, I look at the bracelet of shells on my wrist and smile. It is said that the journey home is never too long. I can tell you now that the journey away from the fondness in your heart can never be short.
Happy Deepavali! Wherever you are, I hope your heart is filled with light and joy!
Makeba 