Sanya--Hainan

The fast train to Sanya was just that—a modern comfortable train complete with hostesses and it traveled close to 200km and hour. We were there in 21/2 hours and arrived with our obligatory Chinese instructions.

The taxi driver was not interested in taking us for the price we offered so we caught the bus. The bus was packed and kept packing passengers on until it was almost bursting. Several people who spoke English—here there were more—asked us where we were going and made sure the driver would let us off at the correct stop. The route went through the main part of the city and the traffic was horrendous—we wouldn’t be biking here either!!We got there without incident but realized that it was quite a long distance and we should have offered more to the taxi driver.

Sanya, as advertised was warm—about 28C and sunny. It was also, as advertised, China’s Hawaii—actually it reminded us more of Miami, Patong or Cabo St Lucas with many modern high rise hotels all around and busy shopping malls and lots of people.

We went looking for food and came across a Pizza Hut. We realized that the language of tourists here was Russian and we once again were a minority. Menus and signs were in Russian and Chinese. Pizza Hut was busy but luckily we had gone early as soon a long line up formed and we would not have waited.

The beach had lovely white sand but was very busy with both Chinese and Russians all swimming and holidaying. Along the boardwalk there were dozens of restaurants all with huge tables—it appears than when Chinese go on holiday all of their friends and relations come too. One time when we asked for a table we were directed to a small one at the back near the kitchen, we decided not to try that again.

Shortly after we arrived we both started coughing which we blamed on the man coughing on our night bus from Guilin. Luckily our room was bright and warm with comfortable beds so we decided to stay until we were better.

We discovered a western style pub with good food and it became both our breakfast and dinner refuge.

A Starbucks was newly opening but when we went there to treat ourselves I felt as though I was in MacDonalds—it was a large open coffee shop with the customary noise level of the Chinese—they all shout all of the time. Won’t be trying that again—especially as Starbucks prices are the same all over the world—they seem high at home but in third world countries it seems even more outrageous. I understand coffee prices are the same but staff would be paid almost nothing so it is hard to accept.

One day I caught yet one more crowded bus to another beach which turned out to be the best in the area—Ken was not feeling well so opted to stay at the hostel. The 22km long beach was obviously used by locals and not tourists. There is a vast area of lovely white sand and a treed boardwalk at the top of the beach. There were no big hotels and I had a wonderful day wandering along the beach. On the boardwalk everyone was relaxing and visiting. Many were in groups playing various card games—the favourite past time of Chinese. As I walked along I heard music and upon investigation would find the loveliest music. Sometimes it was one person and sometimes groups. I stopped and listened to three operatic singers who would take turns to sing a song. No money was expected and you could just sit a while and enjoy—what a treat. I sat drinking a drink from a fresh coconut needing to pinch myself to believe where I was.

We had read of yet another beach nearby but when we went there we were disappointed to find dozens of tourist buses full of Chinese who would stop near the beach. They would all file down to the beach but did not seem to be sure what they should do there, most just milled around until it was time to go.

They did have some diving advertised where you would go down using a breathing tube and also there were several submarines in which you could be submerged. This was unappealing as they were close to the beach and I assume they put some fish food around to attract something for the tourists to see and be excited by.

After sitting a little further down the beach—most people did not venture far—we braved the crowded bus to get back to the hotel and thankfully escaped the crowds.

After having traveled the world’s most wonderful beaches this was not one of them and as soon as we were feeling healthier we left to find some of the smaller towns of the island and hopefully some of “real Chinese rural life”.