Guangzhou, You Had Me Hooked! ...And Now You'll Never See Me Again.

[Wayne Marvin]

Hello everyone! I truly adore Guangzhou because the local food suits my taste buds perfectly—I, a proud Hunanese cuisine enthusiast (Hunan cuisine is renowned for its spicy and fragrant flavor!), feel like I've found paradise in Guangzhou!

However, this is not my first visit to Guangzhou; in fact, this marks my third trip here (yes, I'm a "repeat visitor" to Guangzhou!) and my experience, well, it's rather hard to put into words. So, here are some heartfelt lessons learned that I'd like to share with you:

• Warning: Finding Travel Companions:

  • Avoid pairing up with strangers who you don't know well whether they're found online or at the last minute.
    • To begin with, I was initially matched with a female companion who planned to bring her friend along as well. Later on, I got paired up with a male companion who, frankly speaking, was not someone who particularly had a great personality.
  • Important Reminder: Many males who choose female companions as travel partners may have other intentions. Moreover, if you're female and find yourself alone with unfamiliar men, it may feel somewhat awkward, often leading to unspoken discomfort.
  • Safety First: Thankfully, my male companion was not too bad. Nonetheless, dear friends, stay alert whenever traveling! For instance, you might consider indirectly checking their ID cards or informing your loved ones about their information and your itinerary to ensure your safety.

• Warning: Regarding Group Size:

  • A group with too many people can make managing a trip challenging unless you have someone who is responsible for planning and deciding the itinerary.
    • With a large group, it's often difficult for everyone to agree on one direction. One moment, you'll want to explore the east side; another moment, it's the west side. This can lead to chaotic schedules and even make it hard to find time to return to the hotel for some rest halfway through.

• Warning: Traveling with Couples:

  • Try not to travel with couples as it can become a third-wheel situation (which means feeling superfluous and ignored). You're traveling to enjoy yourself, not to watch them display affection or endure the envy sparked by seeing others flaunting their love.
    • Furthermore, when there are people in couples within your group, your opinions may not always be valued. Even if you put immense effort into making plans, they could still get thrown out of the window because certain places might already be familiar to someone else, making it inconvenient for them to go again. Sometimes, you just don't want to visit a particular place (like somewhere I've been three times before and found utterly boring!). But, ultimately, you'll have to follow the group consensus, so it's exhausting!

• Warning: Nightlife Invitations:

  • There was a male companion who invited us to go to a bar, a proposal that I declined without hesitation with a polite "thanks but no thanks." My male companion did join him at the bar, but I chose not to go along.

To summarize, things didn't turn out quite happily in Guangzhou for the rest of my trip except for one beautiful consolation, the perfect hotel I stayed at.

As a matter of fact, I would rather have spent more time lying on my hotel bed instead of braving through those moments in Guangzhou.