Travel Notes | Xiamen (2)

I went to Xiamen two days before the National Day holiday. In order to avoid hitting the tourist peak, I had to catch a boat to Gulangyu Island in September.

The view from the pier

The pier is for tourists. While waiting for the boat to arrive, the auxiliary police checked the passengers' documents. They asked me:

"Are you coming to Gulangyu alone?"

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. Not many people come to Gulangyu alone."

The view from the pier (2)

I don’t know if anyone likes to travel alone as much as I do. A bus without people is a good place to empty your mind. What’s fascinating is the sense of freedom of wanton control, as if the whole world belongs to me. That sense of freedom is that I can wait, waste, and not worry about hurting others.

on board

The last time I took a boat ride was a long time ago. Children who grew up by the sea always like the sea, so they always think of their hometown on the rocking boat. The feeling of longing is very vast and distant. It is like a seven or eight-year-old child standing on tiptoes and looking at the sea until his vision becomes gray and there is no end in sight. The world is really big, but the people I miss are very small.

The first flower I encountered on the island

There are two piers on Gulangyu Island, Sanqiutian and Neicuo'ao. The guide and friends recommended the former, but I boarded the boat to Neicuo'ao by mistake. In fact, I went to the wrong pier that day, and I also remembered the wrong time. I had booked a flight a day before, but I accidentally walked to the pier where citizens boarded, and it was too late to rush there.

I thought I would be very anxious, but in fact it was okay. After that, I booked the earliest bus in the afternoon, so I walked back and forth two or three times on the most common streets in Xiamen, passing the same brown sugar milk tea shop three times, on the same green Crossed the road four times at the intersection. The scenery I saw at that time was a bonus of traveling, and I didn’t miss anything.

The white house we saw when we landed

sky scenery

When people recommend Sanqiutian, they say that the scenic spots are all gathered there. I guess most tourists want to see those, so not many people go to Neicuo'ao. When I landed on the island, there were only sporadic tourists on this side of the island. As I walked towards the other pier, the crowds became more dense, and in the end I was packed with people. In fact, I didn’t want to enjoy it later. The so-called scenery seemed to be nothing, that is, there were long lines of photo spots and food streets. Maybe it was just like the places where you must check in every place, and you don’t necessarily have to go there. Therefore, if a tourist like me recommends it, I would recommend going to the island in Neicuoao.

red poinciana

For me, the fascinating thing about Gulangyu is the plants and animals that grow here and the happiness of the people. This is an island for tourists, full of flowers and stories. The plants here are also more concentrated than outside. The fiery red poinciana, pink frangipani, lingering red dragonflies and white houses, the scenery alone is very beautiful. Speaking of scenic spots, they all say that Gulangyu Island is Piano Island. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by people and listen to a piano music there. It was the most enjoyable scenic spot.

In addition, maybe as the auxiliary police officer said, not many people come to Gulangyu alone. What I see are basically couples or families. Although I am not envious, I also like to see people clinging to each other. The children's laughter looked like ribbons on the fruit basket.

Red dragonfly staying briefly

As I walked, I kept asking myself what it was like to live on an island like this, and whether I found humans cute or noisy. I met a cat on the street corner and they seemed used to it.

Light sign in souvenir shop

Stray cat in store

When I got on the return boat, just as the sun was about to fall into the sea, all the battery on my phone was discharged. As a result, I lost contact with the friends I was going to meet in the evening. I found a recharger in embarrassment at an unopened convenience store. line and get on the bus leading to the other side of the city at night. The boat was originally scheduled for ten o'clock, but I missed it and saw the beautiful scenery. In fact, it was not that desperate. Life is always like this to me, and I was thinking the same thing when I typed this line. Thank you for giving me the tenderness I lost and found.

Jin Jin

2019.12.30