Thursday, October 06, 2005
SIFTING THE SAND ON HAINAN ISLAND CHINA
While luxuriating on the beaches of Da Dong Hai and Yalong on Hainan Island,
I saw workers fron the hotels come to the beach daily with a screen the size
of a medium window frame, and a shovel. They would shovel the first thin
layer of beach sand and toss it into the screen sifting the debris. Meter by
meter, they sifted the whole length of the beach.
Their beaches are immaculate; uncomparable even to Hawaii.
posted by Anne at 9:25 PM
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Typhoon Season in Hainan China
July through October is typhoon season in Hainan China. In Sept of this year
the worst typhoon in 32 years struck Hainan like a flash. It was not
pleasant, although not as severe as hurrican Hugo, Sept. 17, 1989.
I have suffered through both. Still, the first choice is to get out, and as
a tourist coming to Hainan, my advice is to avoid this season.
posted by Anne at 9:20 PM
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Factoids fron Hainan China
My Chinese friend in Hainan tells me the Chinese thought they were the only
people in the world, until the opium wars.
10,000 years ago the Mongolians migrated across the Bering Straits to what
is now America. We called this base race Indians when America was
"discovered."
During the Cultural Revolution, 80% of the population had no food
whatsoever.
posted by Anne at 4:04 AM
Friday, September 23, 2005
Hainan NON
Within 10 minutes of landing, it felt NON, non spiritual. NON existent.
It bothered me at first, wanting instead the essence of the rituals of, say
perhaps, the Balinese. Then I remembered, fron earlier travel throughout
China and Indo-China. I remembered the Blue car burned with the Monk who set
himself on fire in Vietnam, the Cultural Revolution's loss of identity and
culture, Pot Poh in Cambodia, Su Kri under house arrest, theocracies of
idealism, separation of church and state and then I remembered to suspend it
all (after all, I had just been in India three months earlier, what was I
expecting anyway?) so I suspended---just to see what is within this culture
on this island, like any other island, man-made or otherwise.
I've been here a month. The people are the most kind and hospitable ever.
About the third week, it hit me. It's usually the third week where ever I
go. In India, when I was greeted for the thousandth time with the red on the
forehead to "energize me" I broke down in tears fron emotional overload. Ten
minutes later, I was fine. So within the third week, here in Hainan China,
it happened again. I was sitting in a Russian restaurant, and all of a
sudden, motivated by nothing specific at all, I missed my deceased dog so
much, I could barely get the napkin off my lap, pay the bill (no tip
necessary in China) and say goodbye in a controlled manner. Ten minutes
later, a wave of spiritual energy bathed my body. I had been lifted up
somehow, my mind clear as a bell, in that cafe, drinking a cup of coffee and
talking stories to the waiter.
Whatever stories we make up, create, recreate, recite, or omit, to give
reason to our existence, is OK and NON OK, because its source comes fron
within the culture anyway, with or without doctrine. Democratic India
(Kerals excluded) or Communist China--same source. Now every day, miracles
are happening here. I can travel anywhere.
posted by Anne at 6:13 AM
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Quick Post fron Hainan Island China
Moon Cakes
When China was conquered and controlled by the Monglolians, one night, on
that full moon, when all were exchanging moon cakes, another message was
also being exchanged. Notes were slipped under the moon cakes, passed fron
person to person, saying, "Tonight is the night to fight the Mongolians,"
and the battle began under the full moon.
posted by Anne at 6:29 AM
Monday, September 12, 2005
Chinese in Plain English - Hainan Island China
Here we are in Hainan Provence, China! The "Oriental Hawaii" more or less.
More beach, less bodies.
Yalong Bay is gorgeous. It's an uncrowded white expansive beach, quiet,
clean air and water. This is a very affordable 5 star paradise. Guest house
options in Da Dong Hai are available for a long term stay of a month or
more.
Currently, Sanya, the capital, has many Russian visitors, coming here to
relieve themselves of the cold. Other seasons, Europeans and Australians
find this place to their liking.
Menus are in Russian or Chinese. You have to ask for one in English.
Very few Chinese here speak English so bring a book of translations, it is
very helpful and indeed necessary. It took me 30 minutes to order a fresh
coconut juice in Chinese and 3 seconds to understand the overflow of
emotions fron the Russians. These Russians put Marcel Marceau to shame. We
totally understood one another without a common word and ended up sharing a
taxi.
So now let's speak in plain English. Let's start with Chevrolet. That good
ol' American car we revered in the 50's. It has begun a joint venture with
China, producing a very cute, small SUV for a mere $10,000 usd. Not
available in the USA. The Chinese are buying them like moon cakes.
Then remember Snyder's pretzels, 1909, the big, hard, chunky kind? All the
broken pieces get sent to China for marketing. You can just lick the package
and the crumbs and taste a paste of either cheese, honey mustard, apple
cinnamon, cream caramel, or onion. Bursting with flavor and profit for Mr.
Snyder.
Feel like brushing your teeth after that? Rembrandt tooth shine, for $8-10
usd in USA, $1.50 usd here. Need a calculator or tranlator hand-held? I went
to the Business shop, not just an ordinary shop, tried 10 calculators, 4
didn't work right off--Chinese made goods at their worst.
TV: 36 channels, non cable, with Dynasty period soap operas with costumes
and hairdos and hats abound, flying daggers style. Game shows, singing
contests and war documentaries, every hour, every day. Then there are the
extravaganza celebrations, featuring a video collage of all the above,
interwoven, so somehow it all relates to nature and reality today, complete
with little smiling children singing and marching, while the audience waves
little red flags.
Miss World 2005 in Hainan. Chinese in plain English.
As I said, this time of year all menus are in Russian or Chinese. DA! I went
to the hot springs spa, pointed to the Russian menu, a program of massage
called "Imperial," thinking Chinese Imperial or Russian Imperial, I cannot
go astray. There must be some common element here. The Imperial massage
package is a bag of rocks, about the size and shape of sugar cubes, rolled,
kneaded, and scrubbed across your entire body for one hour. Oh, did I
mention that they are hot scalding rocks wrapped in cloth? I didn't give up
or give in.
I went on to the foot reflexology test. Mind you, I am an expert on every
kind of body therapy existent, and this is the very best in the world.
Vietnam comes close. It hurts, it's effective, and afterwards one feels like
they had a complete body and head renewal. Two days later, I went back for
more. It hurts, it's effective, and, well, you get the feeling.
I'm off for the day, in the Chevy SUV, teeth brushed, body scrubbed,
reflexed, Snyder's packed, translation book in hand, going to attempt, fron
the Russian menu, to eat without selecting fish chin, duck feet, or fish
eyes.
More on food tomorrow!
posted by Anne at 3:46 PM
Thursday, July 07, 2005
SET tour vs. CUSTOM tour
SET tours depart and return on a SET date, fron a SET city of origin, with a
SET itinerary, SET meals, SET transports, SET groups, SET everything. There
is very little flexibility.
CUSTOM tours are not as expensive as you may think and most often, private
guiding, group guiding, and independant exploration can be combined for an
affordable and satisfying journey.
GUIDE your GUIDE
Tired this AM? Call your guide on his mobile and ask him to come back after
your third cup of coffee, then ride the elephant. Want to dine with your
sweatheart at the restaurant you just saw a block back with the duck hanging
fron a hook? Ask your guide to turn around, take you back and meet up again
in 2 hours. Then, proceed to the Silk district.
Overload on the 34th temple in 3 days. Ask your guide to take you for a swim
in the nearest lake or to your guide's favorite hang out for "people
watching." Want to purchase that request fron aunt Sarah, age 90, who likes
clay pipes? Ask your guide where to find them without hunting or digging.
Is your guide a little too eager to show you the history of their entire
civilization in one week? Ask for some private time, a quiet place to
sketch, or a place of live music.
Just driven 3 hours over hand crushed gravel in a Russain jeep, over the
mountains of China to see the hill tribes people? Ask them not only for open
air relief but a brief stretch before continuing onward up the mountain
where billy goats tread carefully.
Can't take another day of guiding at all? Call your guide, and go to the
beach for the day.
Guide your guide and you both will be fulfilled.
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