Hainan - Stop Two Asia 2024

After our visit to Taiwan we flew to Hainan, where John was speaking and he and Zoë were attending this year's IFTA conference. The Chinese technical society are new IFTA members and offered to host the event. Some of the the international friends we have made over the years didn't come because of travel logistics, but it was our first time to China since Covid and a good conference.

So why am I opening this post with a picture of a giant yellow rubber duckie? Because the sight of it provided John endless glee and became emblematic of our stay.

John and Zoë attended the conference during daylight hours and I had time to explore. Hainan is a resort Island mostly visited by the Chinese. Living at the beach, that was the first area I visited.

It was very hot, especially in the sun, and while it was interesting to explore the beach area, the water did not look inviting. John and I don't usually go to resorts so this was a different experience. The tropical setting was beautiful.

I was excited that Davide (from Italy) was accompanied by his wife Laura, who also liked to hike and investigate. The conference complex is huge, built to accommodate the annual Boao Forum for Asia, with multiple hotels to service the attendees.

The destination spot was a beach that is reached by boat.

And while we were exploring John was doing his thing at IFTA.

Laura did some research and found a temple a few kilometers away which made for a great hike destination. I love juxtaposing images. These bulls were on their way to pasture unattended, with modern apartments close by. It reminded me of India.

We meandered some back roads using Google Maps which worked remarkably well for not being permitted in China. There was lots to see and appreciate.

The temple was laid out in the traditional multi-courtyard Buddhist style with an imposing front gate.

There were stunning statues throughout.

I saw a row of Buddhas I really liked but only photographed a couple, and there eye-catching items everywhere. I especially liked the old incense burner.

The grounds were lush, and when it started to rain we didn't mind.

Here's Laura on our walk back through the jungle. This is the kind of terrain, that if foliage was left uncut 20 years later you wouldn't know people had ever been there. All traces would be covered.

I was glad of the opportunity to make a new friend and Laura's presence made Hainan much more enjoyable. These are some random photos I thought were fun. The truck is an ice cream machine in the hotel lobby, and of course you recognize the KFC colonel.