Greetings from Yangshou
It’s been an eventful couple of days. Since crossing into mainland China we’ve decided that Hong Kong is like China with training wheels. Sure, it’s different and exotic, but many people speak English and being in Hong Kong is a lot like being in any other, large, Western metropolitan city. After crossing to the mainland we’ve found ourselves in the real China. English speakers are rare, signs and instructions are only in Chinese and getting around is a bit more of a struggle. However, so far any obstacles we’ve had to overcome have been well worth the effort.
It’s only been two days since our last post but trying to summarize everything here would not begin to do it justice. (For us it feels more like a week… or maybe time/days is not the best way to put it… Hong Kong seems almost like another trip.)
Katy and I are sitting in front of a computer at the Yagshou Culture House Hostel and looking at each other wondering what we should say. Should we talk about trying to find our bus after crossing the border into mainland China.
The 11 hour night bus ride from the border to Yangshou in a bus that has bunk beds instead of seats. Yesterday’s bike ride through the rice fields and villages full of friendly people (like the old lady on a bicycle who shouted ‘hello!’ as we passed). Today’s river cruise on a bamboo raft down the Li River, through some of the most striking karst mountain landscape we’ve seen. Or maybe I should spend the whole post telling you about cooking dinner for 20 people with the family that runs the hostel where we’re staying (they actually did the cooking but welcomed me into the kitchen to watch and ask all sorts of stupid questions).
Looking back at the last paragraph, we’re really not trying to tease. We could go on for pages on each of those topics, but we have to get up early tomorrow to see yet another beautiful spot (Moon Hill) before we travel to our next destination, Xian. (Not to mention the fact that our internet connection is a bit spotty.)
So, you’ll have to wait for more details (and photos).
- peebo
September 19th, 2007 at 10:45 am
Jeff and Katy, this sounds like a wonderful trip!
Your mention of the “sleeping bus” in China reminded me of the 36-hour trip we took from Kashi to Urumchi in western China over the Taklamakan Desert in the summer 1995. (The name of the desert roughly means, “Water flows in but does not flow out.”) The bus had no seats in it, except for the driver, and everyone was assigned a hammock for the entire trip. Bathroom breaks consisted of the bus stopping in the middle of the desert (there was no road), and the men migrated to one side of the bus and the women went to the other.
Ah, China… How I wish I could be there with you now, looking at the changes taking place…
September 19th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Haha, When did you visit Xinjiang. I stayed 7 years in Urumqi, but never have time to travel to Kashi. Is the “sleeping bus” special in China? My feeling is that it’s very common in China, especially in Xinjiang Province since it normally takes a couple of days to drive through Xinjiang
September 19th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Not so many people speak English in mainland. Just remember the name you want go (it’s better you write down the PINYIN of place). In case of lost you can show the PINYIN of the place to people you enquire, I am sure they are willing to help. Take care
September 24th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Hey Jeff and Katy
this is more of a response to Dejiang –
In my travels (which are not as extensive as Truk’s or Jeff’s but more extensive than the average american)
the only time that I have seen anything like the “sleeping bus” is the Green Tortoise –
an american hippie busline that does adventure travel trips from east coast to the west coast and also has central american and alaska trips- (first learned about it from a dutch guy at a hostel in istanbul)
anyways — it is definately my preferred mode of travel when it comes to a bus –
so much better than having to sit up in a seat
do not know how many times I have had to twist up into contortionist positions — or just lie down in the aisle (bus drivers generally frown upon this)
too much babbling
Enjoy your trip
October 1st, 2007 at 2:14 pm
> Is the “sleeping bus” special in China?
I don’t know if it’s unique to China, but I’d never encountered one (in the US or eastern Europe). It wasn’t really too bad in terms of comfort (if you tried you could kinda-sorta get comfortable (I’m about 6 feet tall, so it would be even better if you were a little shorter). Like Dan said, it was probably more comfortable than spending 12 hours in a seat.
I do wonder about safety, though. Although here were seat belts (or bed belts) I think these were more to keep you from rolling off the top bunk rather that protecting you in an accident. (We used them, but most riders did not.) Given the layout of the bus and the stacked bunks, I would think it would be *very* dangerous in crash or rollover. (Luckily we didn’t have to test this theory. . .)