A post card from tropical Sanya

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4 October 08

Okay, so we travelled 1127 km on a train from Guangzhou, across the sea to Hainan to fly a 5mtr power kite on the beach at Sanya.

As our train drew further south we left behind the 36 degree heat of Guangzhou and woke to dull weather for the first time since Lijiang.

The train bumped on until it came to a standstill at the end of China and we wondered how we were going to get over the sea to Hainan. I thought that maybe it would be a bit like going over to Lindsfarne when the tide was out, Chris thought it would either be a tunnel or a bridge. Neither of us were right. It appears that the train carriages are unhooked and each carriage is pulled onto a large boat with tracks on and it travels across the sea to the other side some 40minutes later.

Whilst on the boat train track, Hainan came into view in thick misty cloud and lo and behold, on arriving, the tropical island was having an enormous torrential rain down pour which didn’t stop for the rest of the day. When we arrived in Sanya, it was raining cats and dogs and dragon flies. We caught a taxi (one of only 2) into Sanya to the hostel and started our few days here. I realised after getting out of the taxi, when he ripped us off with the price, that he had only wanted westerners and refused the Chinese because he wanted more money.

Today, as it was dull again with spitting rain. We walked along the beach and in the Sea edge. There was a little boy of about 3 years in the water, he was overjoyed and squealing and laughing at it all and his pleasure was so overwhelming that it passed on to all who saw him. As it began to rain again, we decided to go to the Hot Springs. I can tell you 4 things about the springs:

1 The Chinese still spit, they don’t do it in the pool, they turn to the grass by the side.

2 There is an ‘exiting of people’ system going on here whereby if the pools have Chinese people in, as soon as we enter, they all leave and when we are in, as soon as the Russians enter (of which there are many large Russians) we leave.

3 The fish therapy pool is the weirdest thing I’ve ever done in my life. When you enter the pool, the tiny fish all swim away but when you are still, they return and (in my words) jab and jab at you suckbiting bits of skin or scabs from anything in the water. They all lined up and totally cleaned my scab running up my chin bone from shaving my legs (literally, whilst in Kunming) I couldn’t bear it initially, much to the amusement of everyone around. I doubled up in the water trying to protect bits and bear it - it was like being stung but not hurt by nettles on my feet and then anything else submerged. Chris meditated to accept the little jabs, which he likened to rain? I just flicked about a bit to waft them away until after about 20minutes, I could bear it - but only on my feet, legs and hands. Many tiny fishes jabbing you in the genitals is not relaxing.

4 The natural hot springs are very very hot in places - not for the faint hearted.

Chris didn’t mind the fish at all, he let them swim in his ears and hair but he stopped when they started ripping tiny bits of skin off his lips - not rain kisses then?

5 October 08

I’m sitting here under a rain soaked straw parasol on a deserted beach that yesterday held thousands of people (mostly in Hawaiian). The empty space is perfect for flying the 5mtr kite that we have carried for over 20,000 miles but, two things.
Firstly, Chris is not here, he’s taking his first scuba diving lesson.
And, secondly, we’re two hours into a typhoon.

I’ve never experienced a typhoon before and it’s ironic that we left bright sunny days and 36degrees in Guangzhou for this tropical paradise that has existed in typhoon land for the last 2 days. Never before have I seen so much torrential rain or waded through shin deep water on the streets to get to a beach and it’s still so warm. The sea is warm too. Because of the rain on this barron beach I have space to myself, for the first time in China. All the thousands of people that were here are now steaming up their windows indoors.

Streaks of lightening keep flaring as if someone is using a large flash camera, which are followed by deep booming thunder cracks. These accompany the seasless rain which alternates from torrential (understatement) to light (our normal style rain) - usually a half hour or so of each and then back again. As I sit under the umbrella, the storm seems to subside and the thunder moves to my left and slowly, slowly the people return to the beach.

I want to swim in the sea but it is obviously quite rough and I wonder if I’ll get dragged out in the current and there would be no one to see me. I wonder how Chris is going on with his scuba diving lesson . Apparently, they get 10minutes to learn the apparatus then they’re kicked over board. Still, there is no typhoon under the sea’s surface, right?

I love the rain drenched emptiness and the sound of the rain and distant thunder. As I look out to sea, I can see at least 20 boats of varying sizes and wonder if they came towards the land for cover. I look through the zoom to of the camera to see if I can see Chris and the other 2 from the hostel on the diving course because - they will be safe, right?

It is dawning on me that actually, the sea is not calm at all and they are out there with huge thunder and cracks of lightening. I again study every boat. There is a jet ski that left from the beach about 10 minutes ago. It is going from one to the other of the boats on the sea but I can’t see why and I can’t see Chris. In my total ignorance of sea conditions in typhoons, I return to the hostel to ask Peter, the manager, if they will all be okay. On asking Peter if it is safe to do scuba diving in a typhoon, he says, ‘it’s not a typhoon, just a small cute storm.’ Then he carries on serving food to the bunch in the reception but I’m not entirely convinced by his ‘Chinese’ reassurance because I have met with this kind of truth bending before.

As I wait for Chris in our room, there is a huge crack of thunder which shakes the ground and sets all the car alarms going, I think I must have jumped at least a foot on the bed and he texts me to say he's on his way back.

Chris returned to say very little about the storm but he has sea legs and I don't. He thinks it's okay when a boat bounces on the surface of the sea like a tennis ball. Apparently, he had 2 minutes emergency training with hand signals for any distress or danger and then they were thrown overboard with all the gear and they learned 'on the job' so to speak. When re telling the story of the scuba diving, very little was mentioned about the boat bouncing around in lashing rain and electic storm, he only mentioned how his ear had hurt with the pressure because it's been blocked for 2 weeks and how he kept turning left and losing his mouth piece and swallowed water. I think I got the best deal. 2 hours on a empty beach with concern building.


As we walked along the sea edge later in the day, we noticed that the sand and earth support under the wooden pathways and concrete areas had been washed away as the gushing rain water ran in rivers from the town to its nearest exit - the sea. Because of this natural disaster, the water had flushed all sorts from under the surrounding area and it came to rest at the sea's edge where a waves of cock roaches in the grit and gravel had met their end. I couldn't believe my eyes and went hopping around trying to get away from the odd live cock roaches that scrambled around the deep ribbon of dead ones but the Chinese were all still in the water and either didn't notice or didn't care.



6 October 08

At last, after over 48 hours of typhoon rain, we wake to a hint of sunshine. After breakfast and hanging out the clothes in the back yard of the hostel (which is filthy and dank and situated next to a large dump containing food waste, toilet basket waste and general rubbish - it stinks and I hate it) we went to the beach because I wanted to play in the waves with real sunshine. Chris wasn't that bothered so we set up camp at a beach side cafe. I went swimming in the warm ocean and Chris reviewed his Chinese homework and looked after the bags like a dad until he wanted to get in too.

To cut a longish story short, Chris swam for about 2 hours and I quit after about 1. The bright South China sun left its mark and he got very sun burnt all over. It did catch me too but as I've already been in the sun this summer, it wasn't so bad but Chris is really burning up.

So, we go from typhoon to sunstroke in a day.

I must say that Sanya is a dirty town. Every city that we have stayed in has been really clean. Seemingly free from litter and rubbish. There are recycling points and all rubbish is cleaned away but in Sanya it is not the case. There is plastic and rubbish and old rotting food everywhere. The 'fast foot restaraunt' (sic) tips their bins into the alley leading to the hostel every day including animal carcasses and old food. When the rain came, the whole lot floated around in the lane area in 8 inch deep water along with other water outlets and the only way to get past was to wade through it. The hostel that we have stayed in is clean but has very damp rooms and the yard has rats which I saw and mentioned to the staff. They all came out and had a look around the damk dirty back yard. When I pointed to the12 foot rubbish dump which is next to the back yard and which the hostel also use to dump food, bathroom waste bin bags and anything else, they said that all tropical areas have this???
How long can a hostel dump rubbish into pile by the back yard before something seriously bad happens?




Today, 7 Oct, we catch the night train and arrive back in Guangzhou tomorrow morning and have to figure out how to catch the train the Hong Kong to extend the visas. The day is perfect for flying the kite. 90% of the people have left Sanya because the national holiday week is over. The beach is empty, the sun is up, there is a great wind for the kite but Chris has a really bad sun burn and his arms won't work. So, after all the travel and the weather, we got the opportunity but couldn't take it - this time.


Next hostel that we're staying in is Chungking Mansions - Hong Kong - the Lonely Planet Guide says, 'Say budget accommodation and Hong Kong in one breath and everyone thinks of Chungking Mansions, a place like no other in the world. This huge, ramshackled, high rise dump in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui caters to virtually all needs - from finding a bed and a curry lunch to changing your Burmese Kyat and getting your hair cut - you may be put off by the undercurrent of sleaze and the peculiar odour of cooking fat, incense and sewage.' hmm, can't wait - at least we've been broken in.

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Comments

[Erica]

Hi
Sounds amazing - sitting here in Esher watching rubbish on TV and LONGING to be there!!!! Love your stories ; living the dream vicariously....... Miss you Erica xxxxxxxxxxxx

[Billy]

buried my dream
The sea, the beach, the sky, the people, they all look well, I ever thought that I would have a good trip for Sanya, but I dislike the rubbish everywhere, your article buried my dream.