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Hey all! China is really strange. I cannot even use this blog (or the whole internet) properly. I can't upload photos, facebook is banned and the W-LAN is very unreliable wherever I go. Furthermore, nobody understands any english (not ANY word, even if we try our best to support the spoken words - like "TAXI?" - with creative sign-language - I should have improved my pantomime-skills when I return ;-) ), we are going to leave our appartment and the food-situation is questionable (although the fingerfood after the opening ceremony was really good so that I am rather full now). Okay, yesterday afternoon I arrived in Sanya and soon I found myself in serious trouble. Fortunatly my luggage was there as well and I had planned to get some money and look how to reach our appartment. Of course I had the adress (in chinese language) written down and everything. But I didn't have any chinese money. Which turned out to be difficult as there was no possibility to change some and no machine to withdraw cash. There should have been one in the international terminal some minutes away, but when I went there I only found a completly empty hall with an out of order machine. I began to feel kind of desperate and went back to the domestic terminal, where luckily I ran into Tomis parents, who had just arrived and wanted to go to the same place. They had the same money-problem, but at least I was not alone anymore. In the end we just convinced a taxi driver that being paid in euro would be a great advantage for him and we were driven to the hotel. Which looked all right at the first sight. They didn't understand anything we said and looked at each other giggling the whole time, but we got our rooms. But we still didn't have any money. So we asked at the reception where we could get some. A young woman offered to show us, so we were driven by the hotel's car (like a shuttle) to the "city center" of Yalong Bay. Where she showed us two banks where one could have changed money if they hadn't been closed. Somehow my credit card didn't work of the machines were empty, just withdraw some cash wasn't possible as well. Our "guide" was not very helpfull, she always pretended to have a plan but unfortunatly every plan of hers failed. When she took us to an hotel where a friend worked it wasn't possible to change money because we were no guests of this hotel. She made us wait for a long time and always promised that someone would help etc. (luckily this hotel turned out to be our playing area, so we had found this at least). I don't think you need all the details, but it went on like this for some time and in the end we did manage to change a little money but it had taken about 4 hours and we didn't find it that funny anymore. Tomi arrived later at night, but unfortunatly without his luggage. And the problems continued today: It is always an adventure to get from here to somewhere and even from somewhere back again by taxi, because nobody seems to know where this place is. The breakfast was over when it shouldn't have been and they only smile and do nothing when we ask them something or complain. So we decided to move to a hotel closer to the playing area which looked much nicer and is not too expensive. This will hopefully happen tomorrow. Tomi and I spend the afternoon at the beach (which is really really nice with palms and everything), later there was the opening ceremony (I am not a big fan of these but the food afterwards was nice) and now I am back in the appartment. Tomorrow the tournament starts at 10 am, we play rounds of 7 boards. And we "found" a third pair, some indian guys I don't now but who are supposed to be good or at least all right, I have no idea. Bye bye and a nice evening for you! (good night for me :) )
- comments
Pajc What a disastrous beginning for your stay in Sanya! We hope you changed your hotel by now - and actually did improve your situation. Did you get more Yuan? We read that lots of people on Hainan speak English, did you meet some them? Smiling and giggling is not meant to be rude, in China it is a common way of dealing with uncomfortable/embarassing situations or conflicts. People try to create a relaxed atmosphere by doing that. Many "Westerners" misunderstand that and feel laughed at. - That's what we read, anyway. We will be watching your results on the WBF website - so you better play well! :)