We get to our bikes and it is now dark outside. Now we have about two hours to get the bikes back to the shop along roads we have never ridden on before without flashlights and while slightly under the influence of rice wine. Fortunately with my excellent sense of direction we made it back safely and without incident. What a great way to burn off those calories from dinner!

This story shows how the best and most memorable experiences aren't planned, aren't shown on the map with a star, and don't require tickets. This experience is one that I will remember and I am sure I will recount countless times over the course of my life. I had the opportunity to see and experience a culture off the beaten path, and I was floored both by the unexpected nature of the day's events and the unbelievable kindness and openness showed by the residents of that small village outside of Yangshuo. Apart from me and my friend having a fantastic story and life experience, I am sure the dinner guests also got a good story of their own of the day two random foreigners stumbled across their wedding dinner party. All of this happened because we decided to take the longer road home.

Greg Saylor is a Ph D student studying Environmental Engineering at the University of Cincinnati in the USA. He studied Chinese language for one year at Wuhan University under a Confucius Institute Scholarship. He is currently back in the USA working to finish his degree but hope to come back to China again soon for study or travel.