D4: 光村 → 海花岛 - I'm freeee - CycleBlaze

January 9, 2025

D4: 光村 → 海花岛

Well...
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In the seven months that I've been taking a GLP agonist, the majority of gastrointestinal side effects that I've experienced have been of the "slowed down" variety. There was one potluck where I overly enjoyed the many delicious offerings to the point of needing to vomit and feeling miserable for the next day and a half, but that's it. 

Part of this may be because—despite "pretty privilege" being at the core of my decision to go on Ozempic—my blood work showed actual medical reasons for me to be on this medication. Or, it could be that I've always rejected Diet Culture, orthorexia, and the associated forms of body dysmorphia that often go hand in hand with the oh so popular starve/binge cycle. There's also the possibility that I'm just lucky. 

Club Sandwich at the Hilton
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Caesar Salad at the Hilton
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Oatmeal of the Day
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In any case, something I ate yesterday did not agree with my stomach in ways that are producing a prodigious amount of foul smelling gas¹ and I eventually feel so bad that, around 7am, I risk the possibility of constipation and pop a Pepto tablet.

Being as it's not usually the mechanism of action when taking bismuth subsalicylate, I'm quite surprised about 15 minutes later to find myself sitting on the toilet violently emptying myself out of what I presume must be everything I ate yesterday.

Two hours, another Pepto, and who knows how many more visits to the bathroom later, I'm definitely empty. And hungry enough to make breakfast. 

Primary School Gate
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Look towards the world but always cherish the motherland
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A modified version of the Deng Xiaoping quote on the goals of education being the ability to face the world and the future
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Today's oatmeal is banana, peanut butter, and dried blueberry. Going 50/50 on the peanut protein powder and peanut butter seems to fix the flavor issues but I'm still never buying this particular protein powder again.

Coffee, video editing (including making a video about making coffee), a few more visits to the toilet, and I'm on the X510 heading towards Zhonghe Town because an older county-level scenic road is a million times better than being on the Coastal Tourism Highway².  

The government's Two Sessions are currently ongoing, so I'll take a good two hour long break in Zhonghe in order to participate in a video interview about my hopes for Hainan's development in 2025.

A wild pagoda appears!
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Totally modern construction but there's evidence of a previous pagoda once existing
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According to staff at this Car Wash, the original pagoda was "too old"
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Nice farm roads from Zhonghe to the S3-something that used to be the main road between Yangpu and Danzhou, then roadworks, and then I'm in Baimajing where the tower blocks of winter homes cluster like Sanya and everyone I see is clearly a transplant from the mainland. 

I am unimpressed by Ocean Flower Island. I always have been. In fact, unless you count the ones where the stop work orders came early enough that they've been dismantled and the developers had to pay environmental remediation costs, I don't think there's a single artificial island off the coast of Hainan that impresses me.

Which is a real shame cause there are plenty of nice places (like the Ocean Flower Hilton) that I have good relationships with, that happen to be located on these artificial islands, and that means I have to go to these places more often than the ones I like. 

The only light pole on this stretch to be turned into a flagpole
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It's also got an interesting looking talisman against evil spirits set up at the base
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Farm road
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It's my first time coming on to the island by bike. Of course, the security guards try to stop me. Can't have riffraff that aren't even driving a car entering their exclusive domain.

I expected this. I did not expect, when I said, "I'm staying at the Hilton" for them to continue to try to keep me off the island. 

"Show me your reservation."

Which, if I'd had one, on account of this not being necessary three weeks ago in a Didi³, I still wouldn't have been willing to show it to him. 

"They invited me as a travel vlogger. I don't have a reservation."

"You need to show me your reservation."

Road works as I hit the original main road between Danzhou and Yangpu
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Lots of road works
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Occasionally, the roadworks are interspersed with total perfection
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"I'm a travel vlogger. I was invited. I don't have a reservation."

"I can't let you enter."

"That sounds like your problem, not mine," I say as I put my feet back on the pedals and start down the bridge, only to have a second round of security guards, this time with a gate that needs to be opened, try pulling the same thing. 

So, I get off my bike, walk around the gate, and get back on.

Especially since Guard Post #1 didn't bother to take the 17 seconds that would have been necessary to tell Guard Post #2 that I'm coming, I feel zero obligation whatsoever to acknowledge that they have any authority to tell me I need to provide additional proof that a car driver wanting on to the island doesn't need to provide. 

Crossing a tributary of the Bay of Danzhou that I'm having a surprisingly difficult time finding the name of
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Mature mangroves that are probably natural rather than the product of rewilding
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Boat at sunset
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Similar to that not military, not signposted closed, but claims to not be open county in Shanxi with Dr. M in October⁴, it's either a case of these guys aren't allowed to let people in without showing a reservation, in which case they aren't doing their job; or they are allowed to let anyone in who says "I'm staying on the island" and they're just harassing me because someone who can't afford my bike thinks people on bicycles "don't belong."

The Hilton, on the other hand, is lovely. 

But, that's to be expected. It's a Hilton.

I originally guessed 1998, then I changed my mind to 2003
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It's in really good condition for 1995
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I'd be more surprised if the service wasn't lovely or my room wasn't gorgeous.

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¹ To the point that the sound of my own farts woke me up

² There's nothing inherently wrong with the Coastal Tourism Highway. It's just that, there's only so much generic pretty one can tolerate for a whole day of riding. There needs to be texture and difference and a mix of old and new or the road becomes a tool of the journey instead of the purpose of the journey.

³ Think "Chinese Uber" so, looks exactly like a private car.

⁴ The one that I still haven't followed up on making a formal complaint about but which I still very much intend to make complaints about at both the provincial- and national-level.

The road name is "Planned Road"
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Approaching the Hilton
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Today's ride: 51 km (32 miles)
Total: 210 km (130 miles)

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