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What's News In SanyaSanya Travel Blog by Mr. Leonard Dickstein from USA
May 13, 2007
Sanya city on Hainan Island is not like any other city in China I've ever seen. Like the USA has Hawaii, China has Hainan. Sanya is Kaanapali. It reminds me a bit of Hawaii, but more like Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. The tropical vegetation and palm trees are similar.
The ocean water is warmer than Hawaii, but colder than Thailand.
This is Yalong bay. The beach is very nice, long and with fine tan-colored sand.
The big resort hotels are here (Marriott, Sheraton, Crowne Plaza, etc.).
Down the road is Sanya Bay, with many smaller hotels.
I was awake at 7 am. (Getting over jet lag quickly). Had breakfast which included a banana and mango slices (good). Then went for a swim in the ocean, followed by more swimming in the pool. Kept this up until just before noon, when I discovered a large colorful moth. It was in the flowers/vegetation next to the pool, hiding under a large leaf. Different from any "bug" I'd ever seen before, even in pictures. I've never seen moths with this much color before.
Lacking better judgment, I grabbed it and carried it carefully back to my room. (Yes, dripping wet from the pool). Moths are nocturnal, and this guy just let me carry him, still "sleeping".
I started taking pictures, which I guess he didn't like posing for, so he took off. After a few laps around the room, he settled down on the chair. I got a few more pictures, put him in a paper bag (leftover from the souvenir shop).
I carried him back to where I found him and said goodby.
Lunch was Laksa Soup (spicy noodle soup) and beef satay with a really good peanut sauce.
In contrast, the Chinese people sitting in the next table at the restaurant were eating hamburgers and french fries. No way I'm coming to China for a burger and fries. (Even if it did look good).
May 14, 2007
A bit more travelog from Sanya China . Yesterday I missed a great photo opportunity.
Taking the taxi back from the Crowne Plaza to the Marriott, the road was blocked by a water buffalo. The large "cow" was looking very lost and I was surprised how gingerly the taxi drivers were driving around her, without honking. The old Chinese law requiring all taxi drivers to sound their horn every minute or two was put aside, I assume as not to
stampede the beast. I would also assume a panicky water buffalo could make a good sized dent in a taxi if it wanted to.
Here's some "good news, bad news".
First, the background. There are few if any other Americans around. There are a couple folks from Australia and a few from New Zealand , The rest of all the caucasians here are Russian.
There is a large number of Russian tourists in Sanya, So here's the good news: the Russian woman sunbath topless. (To the great amusement or amazement of the Chinese) Here's the bad news: Not a one is under 40 years old. I would guess 50's and 60's. It's not a pretty sight.
I've discovered a new shower feature I really like. I'm surprised I've seen this before. It's an overhead shower head, about 12" in diameter, in the middle of the shower ceiling. It's like showering in warm rain. Have you ever seen a "rain shower" before? I know, I'm easily amused by bathroom wonders (like the butt-washer toilets in Japan ).
I met up with three other Anritsu folks for dinner last night. We ate in one of the fancier (in size and decor) local Chinese restaurants, which was strangely empty. We soon found out why. The food was poor. I've seen this phenomena in China before. A big fancy restaurant opens and gets a good reputation. Then the head chef leaves (typically for another restaurant), the food goes from good to bad, and the local customers stop going there.
So if you're in China, and the restaurant looks strangely empty, don't eat there. Stick to the crowded places. Decor and size means nothing. (Yeah, I know you already know that. I was told as a kid also: "Never eat in a Chinatown restaurant that isn't full of Chinese people". But you forget when you're traveling).
I swam in the ocean again this morning. The water is quite clear. Gentle waves. There is something very therapeutic about saltwater, sunshine and the smell of Jasmine and Hibiscus in the breeze. Not a care in the world. Hold that thought.
May 19, 2007
Just another day in Paradise...
Went to an interesting restaurant for dinner last night. Brazilian Barbeque "all-you-can-eat-in-two-hours" The restaurant is open from 5 pm to 7 pm or 7 pm to 9 pm or 9 pm to 11
pm. During that time, you sit at your table, while a steady stream of chefs (servers) come by with choices of food. Sort of like the carts in a Dim Sum restaurant, but more frequent.
There was some seafood (clams, scallops and shrimp), but mostly MEAT. Beef Prime-rib, Beef Tenderloin Steak, Pork Loin, Lamb, Chicken and sausages. The Prime-rib and Tenderloin steak were tender and delicious! Great flavor from the barbeque. (Side dishes were rice, mashed potatoes, vegetables, soups and salads) Awesome!
A few factoids:
Gas is about $1 per liter. (About $4 per gallon). The most common car (and taxi) is still the VW Santana. A taxi ride from one hotel to another is about $1. A taxi ride to the airport is about $10.
There are palm trees everywhere. They are the tallest trees around. Then there are a lot of smaller leafy green trees and vegetation. A lot of Plumaria, Hibiscus and other colorful flowers. I noticed one tall fir tree, that looked out of place. Yes, it's a fake tree, cell phone tower. I guess they don't make a fake palm tree cell tower yet.
Do you know why the Russians are called "Red Russians"? That's because they sunburn easily! There are many very "red" Russians here.
