Day 6 (March 13, 2018):

Beep! Beep! Beep!  4:30am comes way too soon, when you need some extra zzzzs.  We were downstairs for our taxi to Kaohsiung Airport at 5:30 and by 6pm, we were checked in for our flight.  Oh the things one takes for granted in Canada:  none of my credit cards – Visa, Mastercard or Amex – worked in the taxi.  We always plan our currency down to the wire.  So with no cash and no way to pay via plastic, much to the driver's chagrin, I ran inside the terminal and found a bank to change some Canadian dollars. 

After the customs and security zoo, we found a business lounge and went in.  But wow, it was pretty slim pickings in terms of anything 'western' to eat for breakfast.  Our China Airlines flight to Hong Kong was on time and, as a wide-body Airbus A-330 that was only half full, we had lots of room to spread out.  Even on a 90-minute flight, they provided a hot breakfast, and the service was impeccable.  The descent into Hong Kong provided wonderful views of the outlying islands and downtown Hong Kong and adjacent Kowloon.  The way the high-rise construction has developed around the mountainous topography of Hong Hong always impresses me.

Our stop in Hong Kong was just under two hours, providing time for a stop at the Premium Plaza Lounge for some scrambled eggs.  Then it was off to our gate for our packed Hong Kong Airlines flight to Sanya, China.

This is our third time in China, and everytime I arrive, I get a shiver up my spine when I step onto the tarmac, knowing I am on the turf of arguably the most powerful country in the world with a who-really-knows-what modus operandi when it comes to potential world domination.  My fears quickly turned from world domination to the stress of how am I going to get any Chinese Yen to pay for a taxi?!:  the one and only ATM in the international airport was out of cash.  The taxi drivers were complete piranha, trying to gouge us for literally double the going rate for a ride to the hotel.  We finally found a guy to take us for a decent price, and he agreed to let me withdraw cash at the hotel’s ATM.  All worked out in the end.

Our Marriott hotel has turned out to be nothing short of amazing.  Snuggled into a prized spot at the end of the Dadonghai Bay beach, which is a large resort-intense cove next to the city of Sanya, the architecture and no-expense-spared styling impressed us from the moment we entered the lobby.  And our 11^th floor room has a sweeping view of the entire bay.

Once we got settled, we set out to walk the boardwalk adjacent to the beach.  India is a total assault on one’s senses in a very nasty sort of way.  China is also an attack on the senses, but in a softer way – the sheer size of things and the masses of people are very hard to take in.  It quickly became apparent that all tourists in Hainan are: (1) from other parts of China; (2) from Russia; or (3) from Korea.  (1) and (2) probably make up 95% of the trade.  The beach is packed with palapas for rent, and kids and adults alike fill the waters with big inflatable rings. 

After walking half the beach, we stopped at a Russian-themed beach restaurant called, “CCCP Restaurant” for an early dinner.  The early rise this morning led to an early night.  Tomorrow’s weather is looking iffy, so we may exercise our “Plan B”. 

Just off the plane from Hong Kong, in Sanya.

On the airport transfer bus: Some things certainly get lost in translation in China!

A few sights from our Airport > Hotel drive:  A Big Ben knockoff in China!

These are apartment buildings!  Such a unique design.

Cock-a-doodle-do -- with a Cantonese accent, of course!

The view of Dadonghai Bay from our hotel room.

Space is at a premium on Dadonghai Beach.

The Communists do NOT want you to forget that you're in CHINA!

Nor do they want you to forget that, despite all the western-style capitalism that abounds in Sanya, this is still SOCIALIST CHINA!  Even the Marriott is obligated to share the propaganda.

Buddhist prayer tags, on the Dadonghai boardwalk.