It's rare that I've had a bit of free time, and I realized there are already several travel notes I haven't written. Since I love the sea, I'll start with Hainan.
"Escaping" Beijing
At the beginning of the year, around late January, I "escaped" Beijing—escaped the biting cold wind and the dry air. The moment I stepped out of the plane, what greeted me was humid, hot tropical air, and even the wind blowing over was a slow, warm breeze. I was still wearing a hoodie, but the coconut trees by the road clearly told me: this was Hainan.
Itinerary
Although I'm absolutely a J-type person and would never travel without making plans, I also like to leave some room for flexibility. Unexpected encounters outside the itinerary are often part of the travel experience. For example, on my second trip to Kyoto, I happened to come across a local event being held in a park one evening. I had popcorn and shaved ice just like in anime, as if I were attending a festival with the anime protagonists. Experiencing that relaxed atmosphere has always been one of my favorite things. But since one of my companions was a "special-forces-style traveler", I defaulted to follow-along mode.
The rough route was from north to south, visiting places like West Island, Houhai Village, and Luhuitou, and we spent about seven days there. But I didn't have many demands for this trip to Hainan. My only goal was to find a beach, a sunny day, and a coconut tree, buy a coconut, and lie down (just like in the cover). Of course, feasting on seafood was also part of the plan.
Stay
We actually changed hotels several times, but my favorite was this guesthouse. The decor was very simple, and all the balconies faced the swimming pool, with quite a few lounge chairs placed around it. Although Hainan in late January still wasn't hot enough and the pool water was a little cold, it was really hard to resist such a clear pool with its captivating color. The blue of the pool, like the blue of the sky and the blue of the sea, is one of my favorite colors.
Sea & Trees
The weather was excellent on the day we went to West Island: the sea I had imagined, the trees I had imagined, the colors I had imagined—but not the cheap coconuts I had imagined. Hainan coconut water is slightly sour, different from Thai coconuts, and even has a bit of a fizzy feel. The first time we tried it, all of us agreed that the taste seemed off.
Goal Achieved
Goal achieved! Doesn't it have such a vibe? Basking in the sunlight partly filtered by coconut trees, enjoying the refreshing sea breeze, with a half-finished coconut beside me, lying there watching the leaves sway—I really fell asleep on the beach for a little while.
