Chawaii

To celebrate our completion teaching two terms at Wujin Dian Da, Tom and I had a holiday in Hainan from January 1-8. Hainan is an island even further south than Hong Kong. It is like China's Hawaii - Chawaii. I found an awesome hotel in the Dadonghai area for 200 yuan a night that was a ten minute walk from the beach. The hotel was called Venus Garden and it felt more like staying at a bed and breakfast. The room was clean and bright with two balconies. If we opened the curtains and doors it felt like we were outside. The sunshine was warm and there was a breeze that would come through the room. We had a great view of the garden and swimming pool. Sunshine, blue sky, clean air - it certainly did not feel like mainland China.
The flowers and plants are gorgeous and Chawaii is full of crazy tropical fruits, many of which I don't know the name. Because the area we were in was uuber touristy and therefore expensive, Tom and I would take the bus ten minutes into Sanya to have a cheap meal and pick up fruit for the day. In Sanya we could buy a *huge* coconut for 3 yuan out of a drinks cooler. They'd chop a hole in it and stick in a straw. We tried some strange fruits and most of them were good, except for one that was pickled in a giant jar. Just the thought of it still makes my taste buds tingle. At least one meal a day consisted only of fruit and sweet-and-salty rice cakes.
We spent 4 days just hanging out at the beach. The sand was fine and fairly white, while the water was crystal clear turquoise and a little chilly (especially for me since I've been spoiled by Florida's Gulf Coast beaches and water). Besides the natural scenery there was also people scenery.
Chawaii is a huge attraction for Russians. The signs were in Chinese and Russian, the hawkers along the street would call to us in Russian, the bars were owned by Russians. Russians do not have the same body issues that Americans do. There were Russian men with gigantic bellies wearing tiny speedos that would stand on the beach with their hands on their hips for hours at a time staring at nothing. They often accessorized with a captain's hat. Then there were fat Russian women wearing teeny-weeny bikinis that they would hike up their butts. Even the plump grandma's would do it! I didn't think they sold bikinis that big. For the Russian boys mullets are stylish, and for the girls...well, they looked "normal". They would stay at the beach all day long until their skin looked red as a roasted pig or tough as shoe leather.
In contrast to the let-it-all-hang-out-Russians, the Chinese would come to the beach fully clothed. The Chinese are modest in co-ed company and also despise the sun because, as they say, they turn black. Due to the different melanin in their skin, the sun does make them change to more of a black than brown. It was a strange, strange contrast.
Chinese sunscreen is not as hardy as American sunscreen and Tom and I got sunburnt the first day. So the second day we went and wandered around in Sanya. The next day we went to Nanshan Tourism Zone where there is a 353 foot tall buddist statue built out in the sea. It sits blindingly white in the middle of the blue sea and is beautiful. While we were there we rang a few of the 42 bells that represented the 42 promises that the bodhisattva had made. Since it is a "tourism zone" there were some hiliariously touristy things there. (I will post a few pictures when I get my own computer on the internet.) There was a Longevity Tunnel that was plastered with 3 foot tall pictures of the oldest people in China - a little creepy. It was enjoyable, and most of all entertaining.
Another day we didn't feel like going to the beach, Tom and I went to Dongtian Park (Da Xiao Dong Tian). It is where the Dragon God of the South Sea is worshipped. Many Chinese tour groups littered the lower parts of the park, but Tom and I climbed further up the mountain where it was quiet. While we sat and had our snack of fruit and sweet-salty rice cakes, tropical birds flitted around the trees. The birds were bright orange with dark blue heads, yellow and black, bright yellow and grey, and we even saw a few large humming birds. We climbed all the way to the top of Sword Testing Peak, then back down to the beach that was covered with enormous boulders.
On the way down to the beach we passed a tree that is over 6,000 years old! Then I scared myself and Tom half to death when I almost stepped on a long, skinny, brown snake on the path. We also passed a place called "Beautiful view of the moutain and sea" not because there is a beautiful view of the moutain and sea from there, in fact all we could see were trees and a huge boulder, but because a long, long time ago a famous Chinese government official or poet carved the words "Beautiful view of the mountain and sea" into a rock there. Very Chinese.
Tom and I climbed across the boulders along the beach until we were sitting on one in the water and had another snack. When Tom tried to wash his hands in the sea he slipped and cut his finger. Luckily I had bandaids. It was a very exciting day of hiking, wildlife, near-death experiences, and bloodshed. I really enjoyed our day at Dong Tian. It was relaxing and not as touristy as Nanshan.
It was a sad day when we had to leave Hainan. We spent the morning at the beach, showered (for the last time until we got to the US, ew), got a massage, had dinner, and went to the airport. Tom was not ready to go, and in protest he wore his t-shirt, shorts, and sandals on the plane. It was cold in Shanghai when we landed, as we knew it would be, so Tom put on his overcoat. His outfit drew looks and laughs from even the Chinese and Koreans.
We spent a horrible night of sleep at a hostel in Shanghai then took the train to Changzhou to finish packing and say goodbye.
(To Be Continued...)