It's not only where you go but who you go with that matters when traveling. On this trip I was surrounded by such a shamelessly fun crowd; we shared much laughter and many surprises. A wonderful experience was enjoyed by all at Ok Deal on this May Holiday.
Day1
Heading off to Suichang County, Lishui City in Zhejiang Province, we were 70 people from 15 different countries all around the world! Shanghai and OK, Deal! Travel club brought us together to an absolutely stunning landscape in the middle of nowhere.
The long bus ride didn't dampen anyone's enthusiasm. After the ride we revived with a refreshing walk through a tea garden.
We had six very helpful tour leaders in our group. They had totally different personalities but together they made a perfect team.
Tour leader Tiffany - enjoying a moment of sunshine, instead of having to yell at us all the time, in Suichang tea garden. We all loved you, Tiffany. XD
Tour leader William - teaching people how to tie their shoes properly in Suichang tea garden. You got us, William!
Tour leader King Kong - waiting for the team on top of Nanjianyan scenic spot in Suichang. High five, King Kong!
Tour leader/Founder of Ok, Deal! Travel Josie - doing yoga with me at the entrance of Nanjianyan terrace in Suichang. We nailed it, Josie!
And then we found the best two cyclers in the tea garden! You guys rock, Keith and Pedro!
Two hours in the tea garden went by really fast. Soon we warmly welcomed a breathtaking sunset.
However, we continued hiking at dinner time! Great idea, Daniel!
After dinner Ok Deal set up a crazy bonfire party!
The best I've ever been to so far! We got the best gang of Indian dancers who knew every beat of every song. Everyone couldn't help but follow their example and start dancing.
We had some karaoke singers who warmed up the whole party and ended up in a local KTV; we had some lovely salsa couples who turned circle by circle around the flame of love; and of course, we had some beer killers! 6 boxes of beer plus whiskey, vodka, wine and Champaign for one night!
It was really fascinating to see how different cultures merged with one another so well in just one short day, and how people tried to share the best of theirs while embrace a variety of others. Thank you all for making this night memorable!
Day2
Waking up in a traditional Chinese resort in Suichang,I finally got the feeling of not living a hectic city life anymore.
The first thing we visited on the second day was a place of pilgrimage in China - Thousand Buddha Mountain or Qianfo Mountain in Chinese.
The Thousand Buddha Mountain is a hill located in Suichang County. It is renowned for its numerous Buddha images and a massive Budda Maitreya which was carved out of the hill's rock face a long time ago.
Part from the buddha rocks, all the details of this place are incredibly eye-catching too.
In the afternoon we drove all the way up to a mountain besides Wuxi River. We began our thrilling raft-ride on a huge manmade spillway at the top of that mountain.
I almost shit my pants when the guide let go of our boat. Wearing a waterproof camera on my head, my purpose was to record our rafting. But when I came home, I couldn't find anything interesting other than my screaming.
The second part of the rafting was not as scary as the first one, but we figured out how to entertain ourselves by having a team fight! Some used water guns or their paddles to shoot water at others; some jumped into the river to attack other boats; some swimming noobs like me were also busy doing something - learning how to drink as much river water as possible! XD
Two hours later, we were wet from head to toe but we enjoyed ourselves to the fullest. I forgot to bring a dry pair of shoes, but our tour leader kindly let me wear his own. So stylish on me!
After changing into dry clothes, we started to wander around a local town where a lot of communist slogans hung on the wall, and people dressed like Peking Opera performers playing "Majiang"(a Chinese gambling game).
Although the temperature got pretty high during the day time, at night it was kind of chilly outside. Half of us decided to have a hot spring night party. We bathed like royalty and fish were our skincare slaves. The other half decided to stay dry and played beer pong in the lobby.
At this point I couldn't tell who made the better choice because everyone seemed to have the same smile on their faces.
Day3
The last day, we went to the famous Nanjianyan terrace for a real hiking. I heard that sometimes there is a sea of clouds around this area. Unfortunately we didn't see one, but I'd have to say that it was still a "wow" moment when we first arrived.
When looking down from the top of Nanjianyan, there were no words to describe its beauty.
I used to only like traveling alone or with people I knew. However, the more often I travel with people that I've never met before, the more fun I get from it. We all live in a world where human beings are becoming more and more independent, but in this circumstance we learned to cooperate; we learned to communicate; we learned to appreciate sharing an experience once again. We stepped outside of the norm and realized just how enjoyable group travel can be.
I hope to see you again soon on the next adventure!
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