Escape from Shenzhen

Last weekend I escaped the suffocating summer heat of Shenzhen to the southern island of Da Jia. After a rather hairy boat ride (see video below) we were greeted by beautiful beaches and warm waters. For China it was pretty clean and not too crowded.

I’m pretty sure the boat driver had a death wish but for 10 RMB we were hardly expecting a gentle cruise!

Hiking to the top of the island presented beautiful views out over the Pacific Ocean and some mysterious military installations which hinted at the islands former use. Being on the coast the area is popular for its seafood…

Not being much of a seafood lover myself I wasn’t too thrilled by the lunch options but it was nevertheless interesting to see the variety of underwater life on offer. Instead of ordering from the restaurant you were able to pick exactly what you wanted from the local market who would then cook it for you directly.

For those wanting their seafood even fresher, a few brave souls were even snorkelling off the coast and eating what they found directly! Sometimes I think it’s nice to see people getting back in closer contact with the origins of their food and sometimes it’s just a bit yuk.

In the evening we returned to the mainland and had a BBQ on the beach which was followed by a pleasant night swim in the still-warm sea. Unfortunately, bereaved of GPS, we got a bit lost on the way home and didn’t get to bed till the early hours of the morning. Still, a nice day was had by all and this time I managed to avoid getting burnt!