Typhoon Alert

I am staying at a B&B in Boao, Hainan run by an expat and her chinese journalist husband. (my students are in military training) He wants to publish a story about my quest to find my lineage here and it would be helpful to have any old photographs. Uncle Bernard doesn't seem to know where any of Grandpa's old letters are and thinks that perhaps a cousin from Brunei may have more information but he doesn't have her contact # either.

Dad's relatives live in a village not too far from Wenchang city. It is called Yei Duin- a shrimp town. Rechard Li, the journalist and I are going to visit there tomorrow.

Boao is clean; the cleanest town I have been in on Hainan. There is a picturesque main street lined by palm trees on either side. The highways are smooth and have working lamps. The beach is not crowded; in fact there are few swimmers, fishing nets outnumber them. I saw the biggest shrimp I ever saw in my life. They were the size of small lobsters.

Taoist temples are prevalent throughout Boao. Just across the street from the Inn is a temple centered on male energy and around the corner by the river is a temple for women. Inside that temple is a tall dark statue of Kuan Yin facing the four directions. There is also a room dedicated to Mardu, the fishermen’s guardian and on the other side of the front entrance is a Taoist alter for ancestor worship. Three religions sharing a temple is not common in China, but for the people of Boao it is convenient, according to the caretaker pictured here.

Eating breakfast in the morning with pancakes and coffee refills at the kitchen counter, feels like being back home at an American diner. You can check out Liz and Rechard's inn at www. hainan-letsgo.com