The Inmate, Episode Seven.

April 29^th Today we had a plan! Even better, today our plan worked, well mostly anyway. We had said that we would return to the Tin Hau Temple that we found recently, so we did.

So why did the plan only ‘almost work’? The answer is that I started taking far too many photos. It is a beautiful temple, with good craftsmanship evident everywhere. In the end I decided that I would have to make a video We will show a handful of photos though.

And here’s Huan having a little prayer session.

Some more from inside.

This one took my fancy as the thumbnail for the video. I’m not sure who the characters are, Google tells me that they are normally found in Tin Hau temples. I said it was Huan and I.

As for the video, you can find it here - https://youtu.be/MTi8du4iOwQ

Also included in our plan was a stop at this place. I’m not sure why the English name does not match with the Chinese one.

It’s cosy inside to use estate agent’s terms but the food was good. We had a beef sandwich, like a club sandwich, three slices of bread. We forgot to take a picture of it though.

We went ‘home’ via the back lane, you’d never think we were in a hospital.

After my daily zap and a rest, we had to go out again. We both needed to eat and I needed to replenish my wallet, it was looking very bare. Food was good, Huan had what we think was sweet and sour chicken and I spaghetti bolognaise. We both had a free soup too. Delicious!

April 30^th With the side effects becoming more pronounced shorter walks are now the daily plan. Consequently we set off a little later, Huan looking for lizards. I found a fish!

Huan then found a bird and I found two more, aren’t we doing well?

I had planned the route to come back via the street market. Remember Colonel Sam’s? Well outside there we found more fish. I wonder if the sculptor was aiming for two eyes and a nose beneath them, looks good though.

Going through the market this ‘presentation’ caught my eye. It looks very nice but you do have to beware the spiciness. 二姐四川卤味, Èr jiě sìchuān lǔwèi - Second Sister Sichuan Braised Food. At least here you can ask them to cook it to your taste.

Lunch was take-away, pork breads and tea eggs. Don’t we live well? After being zapped again, the last one for four days, it was time for Huan to buy her lottery tickets and for us both to go shopping. Coffee snacks were needed and I wanted some baby wipes for my nether regions. In the ticket shop we had a chat with a young boy, good English but too shy to use it.

On the way to the shopping centre, we found another new place to eat. We chose badly and ended up with something more like lunch time snacks really. It was not bad but could have been so much better. The spring rolls were no thicker than my middle finger and almost bereft of any filling. Still, we ate it all and then had ice cream on the way home after shopping!

May 1st Happy Mayday! Yes, I know the other reasons people celebrate may 1^st, but I prefer the old ways - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day How did we celebrate our day? Well with another bus‘n’walk of course. Huan planned for us to go to Sky Mountain, which is not a mountain. In fact there are no mountains on this little island of Haidian, nor in Haikou, you have to head to the centre of Hainan to find them. The bus dropped us a couple of hundred metres from here, it doesn’t look like much does it.

Things looked better around the corner.

Down on the beach someone was having their wedding photos taken.

Speaking of the beach, the May holiday is five days this year. Most people overseas believe that China is chock-a-block full of people, wall to wall even. Not so, just check this beach out.

Here’s a better view of Sky Mountain, I guess the name refers to the roof. I am here to pointing to “I missed you in the Mountain of the Sky”.

And here I am again wedged in!

Going out on the other side we found the tourist information which we will leave for you to translate, it’s too much for us!

There is some reference to how many people are allowed on the roof. It is a very pleasant walk by the looks of it, as long as the weather is not too hot and you are not a tired inpatient! You guessed it, I refused to walk up there today.

Across the centre there is a wonderful display of historical photos. There were too many for me to take every one so yet again I made some collages for you.

These two though, especially because we know where this is and because they are dated, deserve to be seen on their own.

And finally the last few.

It’s well worth coming to view this exhibition although I would suggest that the middle of the day is not the best time to enjoy it. My only disappointment is that they did not seem to have any small photo books on sale as tourist souvenirs.

Around the back, as we were leaving, I took another view for you. The walkway is to the left of the photo. There’s another to the right which I was sure I had taken a picture of. However, I was in the middle of arguing with Huan and I was refusing to go up there and have my photo taken so it appears that I forgot to take that picture. Sorry!

Suddenly we saw a ‘tiger buggy’, where on earth did that come from we wondered.

Looking ahead we could see more nice views and the HCC centre. We had not seen it from this perspective before, that was now our destination.

A little closer to HCC we saw that there were awnings on the beach, not a bad idea.

There was also something for children. Mind you, they would have burned their bums today!

Even closer to HCC we found the tiger buggy park. To borrow one you just use your phone. Here it is with an apprentice driver having a sit inside one.

Time for one last look at the beach.

Into HCC we went, to use the conveniences and to find some lunch. That was easy.

Outside preparations were underway for something.

Those preparation included something not really necessary, at least not in our eyes. Look at the lovely flowers on these trees. Unfortunately, they are fake ones, tie wrapped in place!

Look what we found as we were leaving HCC, a sign for Sky Mountain!

If you fancy going, I would suggest you take a bus to Peninsula Bay apartments and enter via HCC. You can then get a tiger buggy if you want. Once you have seen all you can eat in the ‘Foodie Hall’ and get a bus back again. Alternatively, just park your car in HCC.

These were my feet, absolutely worn out, in the bus stop.

We did take a few bird photos today but I decided not to include them here so as not to bore you and to make my life easier. However, Huan then found a lizard before we got ‘home’.

Back in the ward I did something I haven’t done since we arrived here and had an afternoon nap. I really needed it today and as there was no daily treatment I could do it. We were late having dinner so went locally again.

May 2^nd Another day of no lying down in the machine. Instead, I stayed in bed all morning writing up yesterday’s Blog post. After lunch from the hospital street stalls it was my turn to plan. I failed but we did still have a good walk. Recently we had spotted a lane by one of the little rivers and I had said that we should go down there one day. Unfortunately, neither of us could remember where we had seen it. Not to worry, we still found birds and a squirrel for you.

Fancy a drink to refresh you on your walk. Just check the %, these are quite fierce!

We may not have found the right river but we did find another one, with more birds!

Over the bridge we found a place that we may have visited before, but we are not sure. This place seems even emptier, only three or four villas were in use.

Here’s the entrance to one that was occupied, very nice it was too.

Going back over the bridge Huan spotted her favourite one armed crabs, I wonder if they are running away from the law. I liked the little creek up at the end.

What a nice walk we had, let’s finish with just one more bird shall we.

Yet again I had to have a nap, I was exhausted. Consequently, dinner was taken on market street, being near enough. I also forgot to take any photos of it. No worries, there will be more!

May 3^rd Today’s plan was another bus‘n’walk which I was fine with, at least to start with. In fact, Huan even found a lizard for us.

However, our plan turned into a long wait‘n’bus‘n’walk leading to quite a grumpy Bob. After nearly forty five minutes at the first bus stop Huan found on her phone that the number we were there for has been diverted for the duration of the road works. At the second bus stop, another ten minutes away, our number was not stopping for some reason. We eventually found another number that would take us to the same place. Over an hour had been wasted!

By the time we got to our destination the first objective was lunch.

And then we were there, at the Golden Bull Park.

And here is grumpy me, not really wanting my photo taken.

This park has quite a lot for children and oldies who want to have fun and exercise.

Here was a little bee helping us on our way.

And then a close-up view of the bull and its associated story.

Of course the director’s finger was busy pointing.

Nearby there was a lily pond with sounds of, but no sights of, noisy frogs.

Unlike our visit to Renmin Park this park was quite empty of people, at least in some areas.

Up ahead though there were more people. They were visiting the part of the park that gives it its other, unofficial name, “Pigeon Park”.

And here am I, feeding them, or trying to anyway. These birds are very wary of people and will not come and take food from your hand. Look carefully at the second photo, Huan tells me that my left bum is disappearing as a result of the radiotherapy!

This one is a crop from one that Huan took, I like it because it looks as though I have just released a dove for peace and love.

Finishing off the bird part of the park we have me taking photos and the resulting image.

Soon we were in another empty quarter.

And then we were in a part of the park that was not labelled on the map. It would appear that at some time there was an even older park here. Don’t be fooled by the photos, the mushroom was taller than me, the castle almost the same height.

How about a couple more collages, one of me attempting to practice my martial arts, and one of us both with another bull we found.

Now let’s have some of that wildlife again, squirrels and birds.

Towards the end we found the open gate for the PLA Martyr’s Cemetery.

The cemetery is at the top end of the area and is very well looked after.

There is a museum and art gallery but despite this monument being here since 2009 there is not a lot to see in there.

From the museum we went to take a closer look at the monument.

Up there we met a very happy and friendly Russian guy from Moscow. I really should have asked his name but I forgot. Blame my sunburnt head and fried brain!

Leaving the monument square we saw a bridge and through the trees some water.

If you look back at the map at the park entrance, you will see that there is a lake, quite a large one in fact. However, we had seen nothing of it on our journey around the inside. We did look for it, I promise you! Anyway, here it is in all its glory.

More ‘hearts’ here leading up to the Conifer Hotel. It looks like a good place to stay if you can get a room overlooking the lake and park.

There are elephants in a pond at the front of the hotel along with quite a few Koi carp. While I was taking their photograph it would seem that one of the carp had a fight with an elephant. That could explain why the elephant is trying to jump out of the water!

There were other sights to see too.

We left by another gate and walked back to the bus stop. At least this time we knew where it was. Back in the ward it was an immediate nap for me. I did wake up for dinner though.

After dinner, and more cold water, it was uploading, sorting and editing only.

May 4^th A long time ago, in a hospital far away - Happy Star Wars Day one and all! This morning was Chinese lessons and completing yesterday’s Blog post, with far too many photos. After lunch another bus‘n’walk was planned, this time with no waiting around we hoped. First though, walking to the bus stop, a bird, an elephant and a lizard.

We found a bus which took us a long way, to Yongwan Road which we had never heard of. Some exploring was required, and hopefully somewhere for a drink and a rest. First, for all you teachers out there, whatever your subject, we found a famous school. The second photo shows some of the international flags. They would not flutter to my command, sorry!

As for the cold drink and a rest I was forced to lower my standards and use a Starbucks. My iced latte was not too bad but I could do better myself at home. Huan’s mango juice on the other hand was probably the coldest thing I have ever tried. Talk about brain freeze, I had to sit with my fingers gripping the top of my nose for quite a few minutes after tasting it. Huan ended up carrying it down the street in the hope that it would warm up to normal ‘iced’ temperatures.

Too many photos were taken, as usual, so we will have to limit what goes in here. How about another bird, will that do for you?

Here’s a photo of my type of transport, not Huan’s. Maybe one day I’ll get her on a boat, perhaps this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbdozBB46_A&ab_channel=TheOldrecordclub

I loved this sign at the Haikou West Coast Resort Area, what do you think.

Soon we had done enough walking, here we are walking in the available shade looking for a bus stop. Any bus would do as long as it was in the right direction.

We found a bus to the clock tower where we would have to change to another one to get us back to the hospital. When we stopped at the tower, I stopped Huan from going straight on to another bus, she had taken to feeling quite ill. It could possibly have been the mango juice but it was more than likely travel sickness. Too many bumpy buses today! I left her sitting in the shade while I went to buy some travel sickness pills for the next bus. I had a long walk!

The pills did not do a great deal even though we allowed them a half hour to take effect. At least they will be in Huan’s handbag for the next time. When we did reach the ward, it was straight to bed for Huan, no food or drink. I didn’t go to bed but I skipped the victuals as well, a little bit of fasting will not harm me.

May 5th We have come to the end of the penultimate week, or at least we think we have. Tomorrow we will find out more. Hospitals are nice quiet places usually, I’m sure you would agree with that. This morning, before seven, we were woken by these guys, creating yet another new trench in the road. It looks as though it will be for data cables.

With Huan being not so well yesterday I didn’t suggest anything at all this morning and neither did Huan. That’s just as well because I would have argued if she had done so. I did let her out to collect our lunches though. After lunch, and a much needed shower, it was time to visit the machine again, only three more after this!

On the way to dinner later I began the ‘final’ video of our stay here and accidentally took a still photo instead so here is a bonus Bob for you.

On our way to the shopping centre for some much needed supplies, more crackers for Huan, more baby wipes for me, I spotted this scene. It didn’t turn out too badly.

Dinner was at another new place. Huan enjoyed hers, noodles. I enjoyed my cold vegetables but not my barbecued pork. It also looked nothing like the menu photo. The bread was a freebie from the owner, not bad for supermarket bought but Huan can do better.

And that was it, apart from getting caught in the ran on the way back to the hospital. Don’t forget to tune in next week, same channel, and see if we got home safely. TTFN!