Article by: Gabriela Reymont
Okdeal Moli Mountain Hiking & Hot Spring in 3 November 2019
"a hike during the fall followed by a soak in a hot spring sounded like the perfect way to unwind"
As a student studying abroad in Shanghai, my schedule is extremely busy. I truly cherish the moments where I am able to relax and wind down. This trip immediately caught my eye because a hike during the fall followed by a soak in a hot spring sounded like the perfect way to unwind. The trip began with a scenic hike up Moli Mountain. The first spot we reached on our hike was a beautiful temple.
I walked inside of the temple and came face to face with a large statue. After walking around other parts of the temple, I encountered another statue. These figures looked very majestic. It was my first time being in a Chinese temple, so I thought it was very interesting to see how this place of worship compared to the ones I was used to seeing back home in the United States.
Outside of the temple, there were some beautiful red ribbons tied around trees. These ribbons had gold Chinese characters on them. There were also red candles burning outside of the temple, and these had gold characters on them as well. I thought both of these were very pretty!
"Seeing all the leaves changing color due to the fall season also reminded me of being back home in New England"
After visiting the temple, we continued our hike up the mountain. The weather was very comfortable, and it was nice being able to chat with other trip attendees while hiking. I met people from Canada, Italy, and even the UK! Seeing all the leaves changing color due to the fall season also reminded me of being back home in New England.
Once we reached the peak, we were able to see a small gazebo and look out at the view of lush green trees and nature. We didn’t spend too long up at the top, but we took a great group photo!
We quickly made our way down the mountain as we were hungry and excited to eat. After a short drive, we arrived at our lunch place. Lunch was a traditional Chinese lunch in a typical guesthouse. Since we were so hungry, I was unable to take pictures of the food, however I highly enjoyed it. My favorite dish was beef and potatoes, in some type of yellow curry-type sauce. It was delicious!
This lunch was not a typical Western lunch, and that made it such a unique experience for me.
"We were also able to handpick some oranges after lunch, and that was a fun addition to the itinerary"
After lunch, it was time for relaxation and I absolutely could not wait! Our final destination was the hot springs, where we were able to soak, relax, and unwind after a great hike and tasty lunch. I thought the hot springs were especially incredible because the scents of the water ranged from original to pu’er tea to coconut milk. I really liked being able to sit in the hot water and let my worries of schoolwork fade away for some time.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed myself on this trip! It was a fantastic way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city for the day. My favorite part had to be the hot springs. I would love to go again, and definitely will!