This weekend I went to Ningbo for a Chinese language study trip with GoEast Mandarin, and for the first time I took my bike with me on the highspeed train. It’s allowed when you can put it inside a bag, and it’s a total game-changer. I arrived in Ningbo and set out to the village of Fengpuao (凤浦岙村), and whereas group travel typically provides very little freedom, a bike totally changes that.

The road from Ningbo. And one of the best feelings is, when your destination is a small village and you arrive on a bicycle.

The bike allowed the freedom to go to places between the trip’s programs.

Jiao Lake (窖湖) in the morning.

Tianyangchen village (田央陈村).

The village of Fengpu’ao (凤浦岙村).

A local girl and her dog: “His name is ‘Lost bean’ (亏豆). I didn’t buy him, he just showed up and kept following me.”

Changsheng Village (长胜村). (Also the first time I’ve seen cows in China.)

 We travel up a mountain but it’s pretty far to walk back and we’re running late. But there are no taxi’s answering our request on the app, of course. A mini-van stops and we ask if they can take us back to the village: “Sure!” In the back there are also two kids and a hamster.

Some locals are filling their water cans with mountain water, saying it’s very sweet and better quality than what you buy in the supermarket.