Back from Qingdao, my spending habits are shattered

🌊 Trip Highlights 🚇 Metro covers 90% attractions | 🏡 Seaview B&B from $28/person | 📸 Studio Ghibli-inspired photo spots 🍺 Unlimited craft beer | 🦐 Seafood feast during fishing season Thought my Qingdao summer would mean beach strolls 🏖️, beer in hand 🍻 with ocean breeze—reality hit hard 👋. Stepping off the train, humid heat slapped my face 🥵. This wasn't a cool coastal retreat but a steamy sauna 😤. Imagined idyllic wave-chasing 🌊 and shell-collecting 🐚, only to find beaches packed like sardines. Even finding empty photo spots became a mission. --- 🚗 Transport Guide ❶ Metro: Download "Qingdao Metro App"—Lines 1/2/3 cover key attractions ($0.3-$0.9/ride) ❷ Bus: From $0.15, take "Laoshan Scenic Line" to Taiqing Palace ❸ Taxi: $1.5 base fare. Old town? Better walk/bike (warning: hilly—shared bikes risky!) Must-shoot spots 📷 ⭐️ Rooftop views at Manxin Hotel or Luneng Apartments over old town ⭐️ Longjiang Road—Studio Ghibli alley with Totoro & Ponyo murals ⭐️ St. Michael's Cathedral—Gothic beauty open for visits ⭐️ Xiaoyushan Park—5-min hike to summit with epic viewpoints ⭐️ Little Qingdao Park—walk to the end for dreamy church-over-water shots . 🦪 Food Hall of Fame/Shame ✅ Must-eats ▫️ Chuange Fish Dumplings (cuttlefish/yellow croaker) ▫️ Lao Xie Midnight Wontons + BBQ ▫️ Qianhaiyan (clam chicken + mackerel pie) ▫️ Sister Wang BBQ (Zhongshan Rd flagship) ▫️ Tuandao Market (pick-your-own seafood processing) ⚠️ Tourist traps ▫️ Pichaiyuan (over-commercialized) ▫️ Yunxiao Road stalls (rip-off central) ▫️ Scenic-area bagged beer (watered down!) --- 🏠 Stay Smart ❶ Budget: Shibei/Taidong or May 4th Square—"Seaview Homestay" ($22/person, metro-adjacent) ❷ Luxury: Badaguan's "Muse Berg" heritage villa—ocean views + breakfast ❸ Backpackers: Hostels near Qingdao Station ($7/night, meet travel buddies)