In addition to the 'Caribbean beach' in the south, Hainan also offers a 'jungle' in the middle of the island. After the relaxing days at the beach, we didn't want to miss out on this little adventure. We drove about 2 hours from Sanya to a city called Baoting. In the middle of the mountainous greenery, there are beautiful resorts with small cottages, a pool, hot springs, and all sorts of creatures.
Our modest accommodation was within sight of the 七仙女 (Qīxiānnǚ), which means 'Seven Fairy Mountain'. The next day, I decided to go up there! So I took a golf cart to the associated national park. The facility was well developed and clearly signposted. It's about 2km to the platform below the summit, no problem, right? It's only 8km to Mount Everest, right 😉. The ascent was made via an endless staircase that I climbed for 1.5 hours, and the next 7 days! I regretted it due to the highest level of muscle soreness. But when I reached the top, I was rewarded with the view. Now I was only at the 'Mist Mountain Heaven Step'. So the 'Misty Step to Heaven'? Watch out, slippery 🤣. To reach the summit, I had to climb properly now! But don't worry, your safety is guaranteed! There are two steel chains to hold onto!👍At the top, I met a group of 5 Chinese people. They were chewing betel, the mildly stimulating drug made from the betel nut that we have often seen in Myanmar. Was that a good idea up there? After all, you also have to get back down, and even without betel, it was almost too dangerous for me. But what can you do. After a few group photos and a few minutes of enjoying the surroundings, it was time to go back down. There was a thunderstorm on the horizon. I made it back to the resort just in time and enjoyed a bath in the hot spring behind our house.
