Dino Beach



On Wednesday morning Jameson and I attend my friend Jodie’s mum’s group. Jodie is my gorgeous New Zealand friend who has a huge heart for expats (especially the newbies) and has been said to “collect” us in heaps!

My Sri Lankan friend Nilushi, who also attends our mum’s group, was quite keen on doing a final summer outing before her daughters returned to school. Nilushi suggested that we all go to a water park called Dino Beach, in Puxi.

So all 16 of us (including our friend Jennifer, her two children with her mother-in-law who all just moved back to the states, Nilushi with her two daughters, Jodie with her three daughters, Melissa with Abby and Alex, Jameson and I) piled into Nilushi and Jennifer’s two vans and headed out to Puxi.

The weather seemed promising and held out for most of the day. We were not shocked to see that Dino beach was more crowded than Waikiki beach, but hardly prepared for the struggle we had just getting through line to purchase our tickets.

But, once we were in, we were pleasantly surprised to find a fabulously outfitted water park, not too unlike Water World in Concord, California near our home in Pleasant Hill.

Nilushi and Jodie enjoying a day at the "beach"

 
Jennifer relishing her last major outing
before moving back home to Oklahoma
We miss you already, Jennifer!

 
Melissa, Abby and Alex playing in the sand
If it has sand, then it must be a beach!



Having sand was such a novelty that our kids spent
a large majority of our time just playing in it



Both Jameson and I were happily covered in sand



 
You are probably thinking “enough about the sand”, but most likely you who are thinking that have been able to visit the ocean this summer. Am I right? I can truly say that I have never appreciated the beauty of the Pacific Ocean until we moved to Shanghai. Although we are relatively close to the Huangpu River, it is a heavily polluted river that resembles a brightly decorated slough more than a national treasure.

Although visiting Dino Beach was an awesome experience, I look forward to seeing the sapphire sparkle of the Pacific Ocean on our trip home in just a few weeks.

Friend, the next time you see a beautiful, clear, blue body of water please consider what a blessing natural beauty truly is. Remember to be in awe of the awesome!
 

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