WORLD Liana: 9/7 Sanya Mark, Get Set, Go! (Hainan Island, China)

From Indonesia, it's on to China! Destination Hainan Island, to do a bit of work. First is the south, most touristic part of the island - Sanya!

Once again, probably more than ever before, I find myself in a place foreign to me and I cannot rely on verbal language to communicate. And there is no ATM around... no language, money, wifi, or phone. How to get from A to B - Airport to Backpackers? After dodging a dodgy cab driver who wanted to charge me ¥200 for the trip to ATM & hostel ("broken meter") I safely made it to the hostel with a serenading, broken-Cantonese-speaking awesome cabbie ¥60 later :)

First a nap on the rooftop of the hostel, Captain's House. Then, a promenade on the promenade at Sanya's famous Dadonghai Bay, to see if Hainan Island is really the "Hawaii of China!"

Massage on the beach!

I see you

Come yum cha with me

Awesome but no, not going diving in China

Local village behind my hostel with great food!

I have to say, I feel like I am still in Indonesia!!

But with less garbage around

Massages by the blind!

A Spanish-born Chinese and an American-born Chinese hitting the road via scooter in our "homelands!"

Meet Haijing!

1 of 2 car crashes we witnessed that day

which way...

i don't know but these are kinda cool

do you need a new outfit?

Mooncakes!

Time for refreshment!

want some?

famous Yalong Bay "White Dragon" (formerly Yalang Bay "White Jade"), known as "the world's best bay"

Yee haw

Chinese holiday not complete without a banana boat!

hey you're blocking my sun

Big totem

The totem column is 26.8 m (87.9 feet) high, on which are carved the four Gods of Wind, Rain, Thunder and Lightning and four auspicious animals: a dragon, a phoenix, a sunbird and a fish. The sculptures around the totem column consist of three circles. In the first circle are sculptures of the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird and the Black Tortoise representing four seasons, and sculptures of the 24 Solar Terms. The second circle is mainly about eight ancient Chinese myths, such as Pangu Makes the World, Chang'e the Lady in Moon, and Hou Yi the Sun-shooter. The third circle is about natural creatures such as human beings, animals and plants, and eight Chinese gods. [Wikipedia]

My turn!!

trust me

Yee Haw!

Dinner time!

oy, we did it...

don't fall on our scooter

dont throw things at animals :(

throw things at kids

Unique dining experience !

i hope he gets a tip

i like to imagine this is what my dad used to do

we trespassed here, oops

oh jeez city driving, it's like Mario Kart

see

Wandering around we found a port where vegetables get shipped in and sold wholesale.

Import in action, important action!

Yum, bitter melon!

more bitter melon!

This was COOL! Literally...

Ice blocks come out of the building, get slid over to a little elevator... go up and across a bridge thing. then gets crushed...

... goes out a tube (series of plastic buckets stuck together) and into the boat. presumably to keep catch of the day fresh!

The next day, we booked a trip to the hot springs.

breakfast

had to take it to-go!

i like #8, i can't say that it was true on the day I went

soaking in coffee!

cleaning my snots

it actually hurts!

nom nom nom

back on dry land

the photo i was taking

Luhuitou, literally, “A Deer Turning its Head”, is a hill-top park 4 kilometers south of Sanya city, and is the origin of Sanya’s nickname, “The City of Deer”. A legend tells the story of a young Li nationality hunter chasing a deer. When the deer had nowhere left to run, it turned its head to look at the hunter and transformed into a beautiful girl, and the hunter immediately fell in love with her. Now, the park is a place for lovers. At the top of the hill you can enjoy a marvelous view of Sanya city. [www.chinatouronline.com]