Right in front of the Christ the Redeemer statue on Corcovado Mountain, a line of Chinese from Shanghai caught the reporter’s attention when Cai Fang spoke in Mandarin. “Why did you come to Brazil? To watch the World Cup?” Cai Fang answered bluntly, “I only bought one match ticket. I’m mainly here to travel around Brazil.” Beside her, wearing sunglasses, was Zhai [surname blurred], a graduate of a university in Singapore. After completing her degree, she stayed in Singapore for a year working as an au pair. She returns to Singapore once or twice a year, and this was her first time visiting a place outside Asia. “This is my first time traveling outside of Asia, so I’m really excited!”
They met on a well-known travel website and decided to travel together because they felt “the other person was reliable.” Zhai [surname blurred] could have traveled around Southeast Asia alone, but she chose to meet up with Cai Fang in Shanghai.
What brought two total strangers together? “Nowadays, a lot of people follow travel websites. I’ve been to over 40 countries and posted many photos and travel stories online, which quickly boosted my profile level. That made many travel-loving friends trust me more. Before coming to Brazil, I specifically posted to find travel companions,” said Cai Fang.
Of course, Cai Fang’s status as a seasoned traveler stems from her background. She studied in the UK and speaks fluent English. When she graduated from university, she told friends from all over the world, “I’ll come visit you in your countries.” And she wasn’t just making a nice promise — she has now been to 19 European countries. “Once I attended the wedding of a Korean classmate in a very remote area. We hugged, and she was so moved she almost cried.”