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Published: January 30th 2009
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On our way to Jianfenling
Bean Whole sellers selling right on the highway. After the Kayak episode, we were ready to head away from Sanya and away from the tourist trap. So we headed off the next day to the Jianfengling Rainforest. It was an interesting journey that took us 4 hours with three different modes of transportation. Geoff and I hopped on a long distance bus to a small town, we thought this would be more relaxing than sitting at the beach. As we were thinking positive about our Hainan experience, the bus driver made us get off several towns early because there was no one else on the bus. So, the bus hostess in her bright pink suit and high-heels escorted us through hawkers and crowds of locals to a "mini bus" to the town we were trying to get to as directed in the Lonely Planet.
The "mini bus" was actually a narrow truck with 5 seats in the front and 10 seats in the box with some people hanging on the back bumper. And not to mention at one point there was also a propane tank hooked to the ledge above the back bumper. We careened down the highway slowing every few minutes as the women standing on the
Jianfengling
Trike ride up to the Rainforest bumper advertised rides to passers by. A little further down the road however, traffic ground to a halt. Still a little nervous and unsure where exactly we were headed we sweated it out in the back while we listened to honking not far up the road. We were stuck because the road was blocked by bean wholesalers on the highway. Crowds of people hawking beans and loading them on to trucks and Trike-motorbikes were in the way of our destination. Luckily our driver managed to maneuver through the madness in about half an hour.
After a couple of hours we arrived in a town called Jianling Village where we knew we had to catch a motorbike up to the Jianfengling Rainforest. As we were getting off the mini truck, a crowd of motorbike drivers rushed up to us wanting to give us a ride up the windy road to our hotel. In our past experience, drivers who run up to us are the ones who give us the most trouble, so we decided to walk away until the drivers backed off from us before we negotiated with a driver. A persistent driver, Mr Wong AKA Si Fu ('mentor' in
Chinese - a polite way to address a driver), followed us as we were trying to get some breathing room. With his persistence he offered us 80RMB to drive us but I (Mazi) counter offered 50RMB. Mr Wong agreed as he was saying something in Chinese but we didn't understand him, however I think we all know he was saying we were CHE CHE CHEAP.
The motorbike ride to the top was well worth the money, the scenery was amazing and it was relaxing with the fresh breeze. After a little while I (mazi) found out he spoke Cantonese as well; "YES, no language barrier!" Jianfenling Rainforest was a nice change from Sanya but all the main sites were not walk able in one day so we decided to hire Si Fu again for the next day. We negotiated 200 RMB to take both of us around to all the sites as well as drive us back to the highway to hitch a ride back to Sanya. He also helped us negotiate a rate for our hotel. That night we ate fresh fish farmed from the lake that the restaurant tables sat over top of on a dock. We
were the only ones there so it was definitely peaceful up in the mountains and forest.
The next morning we awoke bright and early at our hotel which was built with a wide open concept without closing windows or doors around the restaurant. A little chilly, we ordered soup, which of course only comes in a huge bowl and some rice. Si fu picked us up and we were off taking pictures and checking out the sights. Si fu was really good at knowing where to stop to take pictures. In fact he had told us earlier that he had taken people up to the Rainforest from twenty different countries.
The trailheads were not very close together so we were glad to cruise around on a motorbike between sites. Si fu took us on several short rainforest walks. The first to see the rock shaped like a frog, the second a couple of waterfalls and the third was a walkway through the rainforest that took us to examples of unique and very old trees and vines that grow there. After our last hike we stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. We ran in to two Brits who
Jianfengling
Farming valley below the Rainforest. were on vacation from teaching English on the mainland and we all sat down to lunch. This is a common ploy of ours because 1) its nice to meet new people 2) It helps to share the cost of meals. haha
After a day of trekking, Si Fu drove us back out to the highway which might not have been totally smart considering how fast we were going. Anyways, I (Mazi) kindly asked Si Fu to wave down a bus for us.
A mini bus came shortly after but it was jam packed including people sitting in the aisle. We waited a while longer almost wishing we had climbed aboard the crammed bus when our ride arrived. Well, the journey was also an interesting one, it only cost us 10RBM to get back to Sanya. How did we do it?! We hitched a ride with a highway patrol man and he drove us more than half the way for free and helped us wave down a mini bus. 10 RMB, however, only gets you a seat in the aisle on a wooden bench, ouch.
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Jane
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aww how cute!
haha you guys are matching!!!! how cute! and those beans are yummy!!!