LING SHUI COCONUT FIELD VILLAGE

I am not sure where we were other than the we were North bound on the freeway from Sanya to Haikou.

We turned right off the freeway and then circled back underneath the freeway.

I don't know what it cost to enter as our fee was include in our tour package.

When you enter, you must pass through a swarm of young girls. If you talk to the girls, or accept a gift from one of them, you can not leave the village until you marry her.

A GAUNTLET OF PRETTY MAIDENS	A STRAGGLER Perhaps he is looking for a bride.

The girls will rub your cheek, or your tummy, whichever is most prominent, to try to get you to talk. They will also try to put a string around your neck.

	PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS Each tourist is given a pair of sticks and encouraged to bang on everything in sight.

ENTRANCE TO A RESTAURANT

	FOR A PRICE you can put on a costume and have your picture taken.

STAGE SHOW	STAGE SHOW IN A TREE HOUSE Three boys will vie for the favours of these two girls.

FOR A PRICE you can have a ride on the (Chinese style) travois.	FOR A PRICE you can have your picture taken with a pretty lady. $5.00 for a young lady, $2.00 for this little girl.

From here you pass through a building, where there are some souvenir stands, and into another area where there is another stage show.

Unbeknownst to me, I believe, each group is followed by some of the costumed ladies.

I was sitting watching the stage show, assuming some of the others of my group were amongst the audience.

After I had been there for sometime I thought I should find the rest of my group as maybe they were wondering where I was.

When I got up to leave, I didn't recognize anyone in the audience.

Seeing that I was looking lost, a pretty, costumed, lady game to me and led me through the maze of passageways until we caught up with my group.

Before she left she offered me a gift on a string, from around her neck.

Thinking that this was maybe the same gimmick as at the entrance, I refused her gift.

Looking unhappy that I had rejected her gift she wished me farewell.

I have often wondered, since, if maybe she was just being polite and had offered me the gift out of kindness. Perhaps I was being rude to have refuted her generosity.

Sometimes being unable to understand languages is a great handy cap.

After that you make your way out through a long line of souvenir stands.