Harbin Hot Springs, A Rebirth

I came at night. It reminded me of a poor man’s luau.

The landscape silhouetted it by the forms of skeletal trees and an uneven ridge.

I could sense it was desert-like, quiet, empty, a kind of dark planet life form.

The lights along the perimeter were like Tiki lights leading you around a Hawaiian amusement park.

The greeting shack with it’s marble-ledged window, the all-white plastic walls on the inside, the new computer interfaces, and air-conditioning.

There’s a newness but also a sterility.

The entrances to the pools are long slopes of winding orange concrete.

The vending machine asked in futuristic voice: “Please choose the desired product…goodbye.”

The pools are new, flawless, and sterile.The sound in the hot plunge is digital versus the former analog.

The sound of the crickets is huge, almost overwhelming, surprisingly strong for what appears as emptiness.

I saw one deer. What do they think of this cacophony? Where does a deer lie in the dark knowing so many insects are present? Where does one hide? How can one be alone, feel safe?

I swam back-and-forth in the lap pool.

Sat in the hot pool, back-and-forth.

Then, I sat before the vending machine for light to describe this.

There was no library from what I could tell, and returned to read my book.

The structures are cement as I recommended after it burned.

But, the decks are harbored by wooden beams, atriums, and pergolas.

I agreed with Oliver, an English ex-patriot, that Harbin will be a world-class resort.

I added that the holiness of the patrons make it a dream come true.

I miss the meals in the cafe, the camaraderie, how the deck was cluttered with conversations.

But, it feels like sooner rather than later it will be back.

It’s still as beautiful as it ever was.

I miss the people.