My vacations somehow seem particularly arduous. Maybe I need to learn how to take relaxing ones. The ones people imagine when you tell them you're going to Hainan 海南, China's tropical tourist mecca, and they say, 'Sounds relaxing!'
Not being a beach devotee, the first thing I did after a day at the banks in Haikou 海口 was to head for the hills, or rather, the Five Fingered Mountain 五指山.
But the mountain was particularly treacherous, with a trail like a never-ending uneven set of stairs. Some sections even had ladders to scramble up. I can't remember the last time I was on a trail this hard. Gradual, even paths were few and far between. My knees suffered.
By noon, after a 3 hour climb, the clouds descended. Although I was just an hour shy of the summit - I could see it! - I decided to head back. Water was running short and hunger pangs were growing because I had nothing to eat for breakfast. With a whole lot of obstacles in the way, I'm unable to careen my way downhill on gravity like I usually do. My knees, my knees!
Did I mention it's an hour's walk just to get to the nature reserve? On the walk back, an SUV containing two guys offered me a ride. I'm about to expire, but no thanks.
Over the next couple of days, I hobble my way through the crowded beachside hotspot Sanya 三亚 to the laid back kampung-style coconut grove in DongJiao 东郊椰林, which is also by the sea.
I know, it's hard to be impressed after shimmery shiny Tasmania. But interestingly, one needs to cross a body of water on a ferry to get to the coconut plantation, even though it's shown to be connected to the mainland on the map. Missed a photo opportunity of fisher-folk and their catch of the day during the crossing. But hey, check out those ships!
