The first part of In China…Get on the Bus!
The second part of In China…Get on the Bus!

Continuing on our journey, if you recall from last time, we are currently stuffed into little bus cubbies, and I have been strategically placed next to the toilet so that people headed to the bathroom have to hurdle over me, as is their preference, instead of taking the time to go around me. At this point, we have been on the bus for several hours, and I have finally fallen asleep…

Around 12 am, I awoke to a man’s voice yelling, “Zou, zou! Zhan qi lai!” or “Go, go! Get up!” We were the only people on the bus at this point, and in a sloth-like manner, managed to collect our personal belongings and exit the bus, still unsure where we were. Busses surrounded us, literally like 20 of them, out in the middle of the Chinese nowhere! It was dark and eerie like a movie, and we were very clearly the only foreigners for miles. The busses were circled around a large tattered looking cement building with large dusty glass windows. Everyone was headed inside and we were given little tickets to line up for what looked like an army cafeteria line, with large square trays with unrecognizable food cooked en masse. I don’t remember what we ate but the only thing I could manage was the smushy broccoli and the sticky rice, I am not sure what kind of meat it was but it tasted suspicious and so I left it to the side. We elected for some instant noodles instead, which are not only cheap and convenient in China, but an essential traveler’s staple when you have nothing to eat. We were sitting there in a tired daze just wanting to sleep, not even caring that the whole cafeteria thought the pathetic site of two foreigners sharing a bucket of noodles was both intriguing and hilarious. There is a point, where you are too tired to be hungry anymore, so all we could do was sit and wait for the driver to get up, and herd us back to the bus like sheep into a pen.

Photo: jepoirrier

We were finally allowed back onto the bus, and back into our little cubbies, and fell into a nice sleep. What couldn’t have been more than 2 hours later, the bus jolted to an immediate halt, and again we were rudely awakened and thrown off the bus for a second time, in a tired and increasingly more delirious stupor. We were corralled around to what was a dock, with an absolutely astoundingly huge ferryboat with several busses driving onto it. There was a large flat docking area for the busses and cars, and we walked through them all the way to the end, before heading up some very steep metal stairs. The top level was open without windows, and it was quite loud and blustery. People were laying around sleeping all over the place, or huddled around the small concession stand, which was selling beer and piping hot instant noodles in unbelievable quantities. We grabbed hard seats for the next hour and a half or so. At this point we were so tired and completely defeated that we just lay down on the benches like the other Chinese people who seemed to be sleeping surprisingly comfortably. To us incidentally, the benches were about as soft and comfy as sleeping on a table, but we didn't care and attempted to rest until we were back on dry land, only to get back onto the bus and into our cubbies. At 8am the next day, we arrived drearily with squinty bloodshot eyes and painfully stiff backs and legs, really unhappy with life and quite bitter. We literally fell out of the bus into the morning sunshine, beaten and weary from the night voyage of discontent.

Photo: Brett Hammond

Since this trip, I realize that there is no price for sleeping well. I have come to realize that spending an extra 100 kuai can make all the difference in the world when it comes to night travel. This is equally applicable when one is deciding whether to pay for a bed or a hard seat when taking the train. When given the choice, instead of subjecting yourself to undeserved punishment, pay the extra money and have a decent night’s sleep. There is no price for sleep and you will arrive the next day feeling human and ready for the day, instead of as if someone has beaten you up in the middle of the night. If you do plan on taking a night train, I would advice against additional boat required transport as this adds unneeded annoyances. If you don’t mind discomfort, and are looking for the most exciting travel story possible, night bus travel is essential to making sure you have the most outlandish tale for which to compare stories with your fellow travelers. Night bus traveling - it’s not for sissies.

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China Explorer> Bazaar Experiences in China’s New Frontiers-Kashgar
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China Explorer> Adventures of Train Travel in China

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