I’d like to preface this entry with a simple fact: I have some how angered the travel gods.
For Christmas a few friends and I decided to leave the mainland and head for a sunnier destination. In comes Sanya, Hainan, a small island off the coast of China. Joan and I left Youxian on Wednesday evening after class. In comes obstacle #1. Finding a bus. You see, getting into Youxian is as easy as finding a Starbucks in New York. Getting out of Youxian, however is a much different story. If you leave early in the day you can go to the bus station and buy a ticket. If you leave late (like we usually do), you must stand on the side of the road leaving Youxian and wait for a bus going to the town you want to go to. This is somewhat difficult because you have to match up the characters in time to flag the bus down. After 1 hour of waiting….we found the bus to Zhuzhou.
For Christmas a few friends and I decided to leave the mainland and head for a sunnier destination. In comes Sanya, Hainan, a small island off the coast of China. Joan and I left Youxian on Wednesday evening after class. In comes obstacle #1. Finding a bus. You see, getting into Youxian is as easy as finding a Starbucks in New York. Getting out of Youxian, however is a much different story. If you leave early in the day you can go to the bus station and buy a ticket. If you leave late (like we usually do), you must stand on the side of the road leaving Youxian and wait for a bus going to the town you want to go to. This is somewhat difficult because you have to match up the characters in time to flag the bus down. After 1 hour of waiting….we found the bus to Zhuzhou.
Travel gods: 0 Karli: 1
The trip to Zhuzhou was flawless for the most part - a couple of snags but all and all a success. On Thursday morning we headed to the airport. After we checked in we waited for our friends, Derek and Heather. Our flight was leaving in 1.5 hours at 11:50. Sanya here we come!!!!! Oh, wait…I forgot about the searing hatred the travel gods have for me. 11:50….12:50….12:55….1:00….2:00…nap… chocolate…2:30….3:30…3:35…fog…fog…fog…3:40…4:00….4:15…more fog…rice, cabbage and chicken balls provided by the airline….nap…fog…5:00….fog…fog…5:30…6:00…6:30…oh NEWS!!! THANK GOD! “um, sorry no flights today because of fog. Please get on this bus and we will take you to a hotel for the night…maybe you will fly out tomorrow…”
Travel gods: 1 Karli: 1
So, we were bused to a hotel, fed and put up for the night. 3:30 am: Wake up call. A woman who doesn’t speak English telling us the plane is leaving so we need to get back on the bus. Thank god Joan knows “when” and “plane” in Chinese. So, off we went! Everything went smoothly…we got on the plane and made it to beautiful Sanya! Sanya is known as China’s Hawaii. The weather was perfect and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. After got to the hotel we headed straight to the beach. Sanya is huge tourist destination, specifically for Russians. Thus, we figure we wouldn’t be a hot commodity here. Boy ,were we wrong. Every 5 minutes someone would A) ask us if they would take a picture or B) pose for a picture with us in the background. You know when you go to the zoo and you take a picture in front of an exotic animal – like an elephant or giraffe? Yeah…we were the animals in the background. Friday was great – we swam, played volleyball (very badly), relaxed and enjoyed the beachy atmosphere. Only one really strange thing happened. That night we went to a bar and Joan and I ordered eggnog with rum. So exciting since it was Christmas Eve. We cheers-ed and took a big sip. Definitely NOT eggnog. It was egg, a bit of mil and rum. Extremely bad..Then Joan and I spent 20 minutes trying to explain in Chinese that it wasn’t what we thought it was and we wanted new drinks.
Saturday was a great day. Simple. Beach. Beer. Full body massage on the beach. Volleyball. Beer. Buried Derek in the sand and made him a mermaid with huge boobs. Then of course, I hurt myself. Someone I stepped on the one sharp rock in the water and cut my foot. For the rest of the trip and still today, I cannot walk very well. I’m basically a gimp.
So, we were bused to a hotel, fed and put up for the night. 3:30 am: Wake up call. A woman who doesn’t speak English telling us the plane is leaving so we need to get back on the bus. Thank god Joan knows “when” and “plane” in Chinese. So, off we went! Everything went smoothly…we got on the plane and made it to beautiful Sanya! Sanya is known as China’s Hawaii. The weather was perfect and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. After got to the hotel we headed straight to the beach. Sanya is huge tourist destination, specifically for Russians. Thus, we figure we wouldn’t be a hot commodity here. Boy ,were we wrong. Every 5 minutes someone would A) ask us if they would take a picture or B) pose for a picture with us in the background. You know when you go to the zoo and you take a picture in front of an exotic animal – like an elephant or giraffe? Yeah…we were the animals in the background. Friday was great – we swam, played volleyball (very badly), relaxed and enjoyed the beachy atmosphere. Only one really strange thing happened. That night we went to a bar and Joan and I ordered eggnog with rum. So exciting since it was Christmas Eve. We cheers-ed and took a big sip. Definitely NOT eggnog. It was egg, a bit of mil and rum. Extremely bad..Then Joan and I spent 20 minutes trying to explain in Chinese that it wasn’t what we thought it was and we wanted new drinks.
Saturday was a great day. Simple. Beach. Beer. Full body massage on the beach. Volleyball. Beer. Buried Derek in the sand and made him a mermaid with huge boobs. Then of course, I hurt myself. Someone I stepped on the one sharp rock in the water and cut my foot. For the rest of the trip and still today, I cannot walk very well. I’m basically a gimp.
Travel gods: 2 Karli: 1
Saturday night: drinks, Russian meat pie, 2 hours of Asshole and rock, paper scissor with the locals.
Sunday: Sunday morning we went kayaking and snorkeling. I’ve never done either so I was pretty excited. For your information – kayaks don’t have motors. You have to paddle. When we finished, I was so sore I literally couldn’t walk straight and because of my foot I was limping.
Sunday: Sunday morning we went kayaking and snorkeling. I’ve never done either so I was pretty excited. For your information – kayaks don’t have motors. You have to paddle. When we finished, I was so sore I literally couldn’t walk straight and because of my foot I was limping.
Travel gods : 3 Karli: 1
After that we wanted to relax. Back to the beach for another massage and a nap! So enjoyable..until…oh what, Karli is sick. Wtf! I guess I ate something not so good because at around 4 o’clcok I got really sick. No details needed - let’s just say:
After that we wanted to relax. Back to the beach for another massage and a nap! So enjoyable..until…oh what, Karli is sick. Wtf! I guess I ate something not so good because at around 4 o’clcok I got really sick. No details needed - let’s just say:
Travel gods: 100 Karli: 1
And thus the trip ended…the travel gods kicked my ass (again).
Now, I get to look forward to my 5 week vacation in February…I wonder what will happen then? We could probably start a betting pool. Break a leg? Swine Flu? Trampled by elephants? Eaten by monkeys?? Robbed by a girlie boy in Thailand? Who knows…
And thus the trip ended…the travel gods kicked my ass (again).
Now, I get to look forward to my 5 week vacation in February…I wonder what will happen then? We could probably start a betting pool. Break a leg? Swine Flu? Trampled by elephants? Eaten by monkeys?? Robbed by a girlie boy in Thailand? Who knows…
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