Sanyahhhhhhhhh - The Vacation from the Vacation

Shelley and I flew from Xian to Sanya on Friday.  This was to be the place for the big reunion with Abbey and the vacation from the vacation.  We had no plans other than to meet up with Abbey and enjoy some R&R prior to the whirlwind that will be the next two weeks.

Our plans hit a snag with a 4 hour flight delay.  It was especially challenging because we don't speak the language and the airline wasn't good at updating the flight boards.

Fortunately we were able to spend a good chunk of the wait time in the first class lounge.  Poor Shelley was on edge the whole time, as she was concerned our flight would end up being cancelled and Abbey would be stranded in Sanya waiting for us.

But all's well that ends well, and we arrived in Sanya shortly before midnight.  The mother and child reunion was made and we grabbed a taxi for the ride to the resort.

Taxis in China are relatively small, and now that we were a party of three, it took a special effort to fit our bags in the vehicle.

Fortunately, the straps held and we (and our bags) made it safely to the hotel.  It wasn't until Saturday morning that we were able to appreciate the room and the view.

After a leisurely breakfast, we hit the beach for some fun in the shade (it was HOT!).  Sanya reminded me very much of Maui.

Now that Abbey has joined us, I'm trying to be a little more daring on my food choices.  Baby steps at first, so I started with squid on a stick for lunch.  The flavor was good, but it was a little chewy for my liking.  

Upon returning to our room, we noticed that the hotel staff had decorated one of the beds with flower petals to wish Abbey a happy birthday.  They followed up that surprise with a special delivery of cake, also in celebration of Abbeys's birthday.  We aren't exactly sure how they knew it was her birthday, as neither Shelley nor I could recall mentioning it.

Later that evening, we went out to dinner and the wait staff surprised Abbey yet again with more cake and a delighful glass of limoncello.

Speaking of staff, everyone we interacted with seemed to be a Nepalese student on an internship.  They were helpful and pleasant, but perhaps just a bit too attentive.  I think this stemmed from 1) the fact that we were the only people on the beach between noon and 3 pm; 2) we were the only people dining in the restaurant at 9 pm; and 3) they wanted to practice their English.

After two days of doing nothing, we checked out of the Ritz and our adventure picks up in Kuala Lumpur.  More on that city in the next post.  Good night!