Halfway Diary: Day 5 – Yantai to Penglai

Time weather: 8/7 Cloudy with clear intervals, still hot

Main route: Yantai Mountain – Zifu Island – Yantai Jiahe – Penglai Pavilion. Total distance 124km

Yantai – Penglai Cycling Route

Today is the 5th day of my Shandong Peninsula ride, and I'm camping at my alma mater – it's such a relaxed experience! I slept until noon, only waking up when the sounds outside started. There were already quite a few people exercising in the Gongchang Park, with the 16-17 year olds particularly eye-catching as they ran in circles, coached by their instructor. I took a photo to preserve the memory of my youth

After packing my bags, I began a nostalgic tour of my alma mater, searching for traces of the past and taking pictures of familiar places. Following the road guarded by two rows of towering white poplars, I arrived at my old apartment, the year I lived there for the first time – it was the most stressful year of my university life. I was thin and out of shape, and my weight dropped to 130kg. The past came back to haunt me. Next to the old apartment was the old restaurant, where I ate during my first year. The school's food was good, using pork that was raised by the school's own pig farm. At the time, it was considered the best food among neighboring universities, and some dishes and flavors still evoke nostalgia

The main road of my alma mater's south district

My university cafeteria

My old apartment

I washed my face in the restaurant, which just happened to be the time for breakfast to start. I was surprised to find that the restaurant chef agreed to let me pay for the meals with cash. Having graduated 16 years ago, I could still sit here and mingle with the 90s students, enjoying a delicious breakfast and savoring a dream come true. After breakfast, I didn't rush to leave and instead bought all the food for the next day, then continued to relax and recharge in the restaurant, experiencing the feeling of being back in my university days. A local fisherman from Haiyang came to chat with me, and we talked and joked for a while. Later, we discussed our careers and salaries – he was a temporary worker in a restaurant with a monthly salary of over 4,000, while I...well, let's not talk about it too much, lest people laugh at my noble profession

The restaurant is much warmer than it was when I was studying

Buying food for the next day

My academy

Our Lakeside Mirror

Finally, I ended up at the apartment I lived in later

My later restaurant

My alma mater's new gate

After leaving my alma mater, I didn't want to leave Yantai, so I went to Yantai Mountain again. There, I finally encountered a small beer stall, so I couldn't resist having a glass. I also bought a bowl of cold skin from a nearby stall – it was the taste of the past. It's really wonderful! Sometimes traveling is just to fulfill a wish. Now I've finally accomplished it, and it's really satisfying

Yantai Mountain seaside

One of the ancient buildings near Yantai Mountain

Yantai Small Fishery Port

The nostalgic taste

Unforgettable taste Yantai to Penglai is not far, along the way, I passed through Zifu Island, and I went for a stroll around the island. When I left, I encountered a beer stall, so I bought a large glass of beer. Now I really feel satisfied

The original dock was like this

Jiahe is a major river on Penglai Road, with a river surface of over 300 meters wide, stretching north and south. When the wind blows, the ripples are beautiful. This is the widest river I've seen on the peninsula, and it's the best

Resting under the shade of the big tree on Jiahe

The noisy night

Finally arrived at Penglai Pavilion at 7 pm, after a tour, I quickly set up camp on the beach. Swimming has become a regular part of my trip, but because I don't have much experience, I was caught in a strong wind while I was first in the sea. Soon my tent was blown over, and the heavy rain quickly soaked my belongings. I hurriedly packed up my belongings, and when I clumsily tied them to the car, the waves were already approaching. I didn't even have time to curse the heavens, so I quickly drove away from the beach

A corner of Penglai Pavilion Scenic Area

The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea

Due to being soaked, I was cleaning up my messy belongings in the dark, and I discovered that two of the tent poles were broken. I criticized this 'Shifeng Brand' tent again. I had to sleep in the nude tonight. What a pity. At night, I lay on the long bench by the sea and was bitten by mosquitoes. I kept moving and kept getting bitten by mosquitoes. Finally, I got through the night

The base of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea Film and Television Base

The exquisite fairy palace archway

A pity night finally passed, leaving Penglai and leaving the Fairy Realm, I honestly commented that here the historical and cultural landscapes are beautiful, and the pavilions and towers in the scenic area are so exquisite and detailed. The natural landscape is slightly weaker, and some coastal walking paths are obscured by shrubs, making it difficult to comfortably see the sea on the seaside road. What's most unacceptable is the security here - the uniformed officers are riding small motorcycles and speeding on the seaside road. At night, various yellow-haired bandits drove large motorcycles with coquettish beauties and drove around. On the beach, barbecues are in full swing, and there are screams in the bathhouse. The night is noisy and chaotic, and the fairy realm charm is gone. Travel is really disappointing