We hopped on an overnight sleeper train that took us straight there. What I didn't realize is that the train didn't take us all the way there. I had looked on google maps and saw that the train route went over the water so I assumed that they had built a bridge for the train. Wrong. During the night, I wake up to these huge "KACHUNK KACHUNK" noises.
It's like someone is unhooking the train cars. It's 2 or 3 in the morning, so all I can think is 'Keep it down man! I'm trying to sleep! Insensitive punks...'
The next morning I didn't really think about it, but when we got off the train, my friend Matt said,
"Did you hear them unhooking the train cars last night?"
"What? No way. Why would they do that?"
"I'm pretty sure they put the train cars on a ferry and hooked them back together on the other side."
"But that's crazy!"
"I'm pretty sure. I looked out the window and there were train cars NEXT to us. Like inches away."
"Whoa!..."
So I went on to google maps later and switched it to satellite images. Ya, there's no bridge. And I never got off the train until I was in Sanya. Talk about awesome. I was in a train ON A FERRY! (this was confirmed on the train ride back)
Now that I've exercised my bragging rights....
Sanya is a city in Hainan on the south east coast. It's a big tourist spot for Russians. Talk about weird. Everything was written in Chinese and Russian instead of Chinese and English. All I could think was, 'Where's Mark Caldwell when you need him...'
So, the pictures. Here's the Lowdown.
1st pic
Sanya is beautiful. Nice beaches. Good weather. It was awesome to walk around in Shorts after freezing my buns off at home in Lingling. The Fauna was AWESOME and beaches even more so. This picture is a building right outside the Hostel that was run down and hasn't been used for a while (That happens a lot in China) and had some really amazing plants and vines growing up it.
2nd pic
These ladies were EVERYWHERE. Just hoping you'll buy some fruit from them. Obviously they make enough money to subsist or they wouldn't be there. The wierd thing is that sometimes they would assume we were Russian tourists and try to use the small Russian they knew to get us to buy stuff. Ya, that's gonna work. Most of them were pretty well humored and really nice, but ya, lots of people selling things on the side of the street. It's pretty common everywhere in China except for the big cities.
3rd pic
So I have these jeans I love that tore on the knee a while ago, but It's hard to find good jeans here so I keep wearing them. Plus I hate shopping, and I don't have loads of money and these still work, even if they're a little run down. It's funny because I think most Chinese people think I am or am trying to be fashionable for wearing them. Almost like I bought them with the tears in them or added them there myself, but they're legitimately old. My favorite line from one of my students in Lingling goes like this.
"Oh! Mr. Sam! Your pants are very cool! They are so fashion!"
I don't know what I'll do when I go back to America and being white isn't enough to make me 'cool'. (I'm not being racist, that's actually how China works. Weird I know...)
Also, I've shaved my Goatee since then, but i like the look.
Pics 4 and 5.
Love the beach.
3 comments:
i'm jealous that you get to actually experience China rather than just see it.
Sam, how fun for you! I have been in Guangzhou three different times. I have also been on the South China Sea. However, they had sand fleas that were a bit irritating. I am thrilled to hear from you and know you are okay. Love you. Make tons of memories! Love Treena
Samwise!!! Oh, how I've missed you, and I'm so happy I came across your blog. China sounds like quite the experience! I hope you're doing well... I'll have to email you and really say hi, but I thought a quick hello would be good too :)
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