Well, you can’t say we don’t try. Our last abortive trip to the moribund wildlife park recommended by the young Hungarians was at the weekend. So, thinking maybe the ‘nice man’ they’d told us about had just been taking some time out, we decided to have another go, in the hopes that he’d have returned, and that we might also get a personal guided tour. No such luck. Still silent as the grave. Oh well, plan B it is.
Back to our favourite spot under the trees, where we’ve wiled away the rest of the morning, and a far chunk of the afternoon for that matter, doing our usual: swimming, reading, listening to music, and people watching.
In Vietnam last year, we were struck by how snap-happy they all seemed to be. Chinese tourists hereabouts are just the same. It’s really quite odd. As far as I can see, they have pretty much zero interest in taking photos of anything around them, but boy do they love taking photos of each other.
The young are clearly social media mad – it’s all selfies, star jumps and LA rapper poses with outstretched fingers. Older couples tend to adopt formal poses – the men, in particular, never smile. They all look like they’re posing for their passport photos – just while standing in front of some approved photo opportunity ‘sight’.
But young or old, it’s the same deal: the boat turns up, a dozen Chinese people disembark, spend 20 minutes on the beach, taking pictures of each other, then climb back aboard and away they go.
The couple above were taking it to a new level, with dune buggy and full on get up. Taking themselves very seriously. For ten minutes or so. Then vroom, and away, doubtless to rinse and repeat somewhere else. Leaving us slightly goggle-eyed, happy to get back to our books.