Adventures in Guangzhou!

The answer would arrive in an unexpected way. We waited around at the bus station (which was crowded but not quite as bad as the train station last break) and at 8:45pm they announced that there was a delay. Apparently there was some sort of traffic accident and there would be a minor delay. No surprise there. I figured 45 minutes should do it, right? Not so much. At 11:45pm some random guy yells out in Chinese, "Anybody who wants to go to Changsha, follow me!"

With an invitation like that, who could resist? We grabbed our stuff and followed the guy. We moved to a different part of the station and proceeded to sit down and wait a while longer. Midnight rolls around and a bus arrives. In true unorganized-China fashion, tickets went out the window and it was a free for all. Everyone pushed and shoved to get on to the vehicle in order to secure a seat. We were supposed to be in the beds right up front but instead we ended up in the very last seats at the back of the bus. I guess I will have to wait for my first sleeper bus experience because this was just a regular coach bus.

We were slightly miffed, but whatever. We had to get to Changsha by 4pm the next day in order to catch our bus to Jishou so we'd take any mode of transportation that worked. I was exhausted by the time we set off so I tried to sleep immediately. This proved to be more difficult than I thought because of the lack of legroom. Sitting straight up, I had to put my knees off to the side and they cramped up pretty quickly. Eventually I drifted off with the hopes that I'd wake up in Changsha.

I woke up sporadically throughout the night but never enough to really see where we were or what was going on. When I finally opened my eyes and let in the clouded sunlight, I saw that we were at a standstill. What was happening? Bumper to bumper traffic was happening. For as far as the eye could see in both directions, there was bumper to bumper traffic of cars, vans, trucks, and buses. Oy. I knew the ride should have taken about 11 hours so I was trying to gauge what the delay would be.

My estimate kept getting thrown off by the fact that we moved along in stop and go traffic for the next *twelve* hours. I could not believe how many people were on the road. Incredible! Of course I was no only restless but I was also hungry and with a distinct need to empty bladder. At one point David turned to me and asked if I need to go to the bathroom. I answered in the affirmative but unsure of what we'd do (there was no toilet on the bus). He told me to get up and we walked up to the front and the driver opened the door for us.

I was unsure of where this was going but I figured I'd follow David's lead. We walked right around the the side of the bus and he proceeded to unzip his fly right then and there. I guess there's no place better! So went ahead and did our business right there and the bus driver even waited for us to get back on before proceeding ahead. This didn't solve the hunger issue but we found our savior a few hours later in the instant noodle lady walking down the highway.

What a brilliant businesswoman! She knew that there would be tons of hungry people stuck in the middle of nowhere so this woman bought cases and cases of instant noodles and had hot water as well. Sure they were overpriced but you determine the going rate when you're the only game in town. They sure tasted good too. Then again, I'm sure anything would have tasted good at that point.

Around 3pm it became clear that there was no chance that we'd make our connecting bus to Jishou. Hmmm. David got on the horn to his cousin and told him to switch the tickets if possible. Luckily he was able to do some finagling and we only had to pay a small fee to switch them to the next day. I was wondered that we were going to be in serious trouble but I guess this sort of thing is common for this time of year when there are literally billions of people traveling.

I was starting to get incredibly restless but we finally finally finally made it to the capital of the province at around 9pm, about 13 hours later than we should have and about 21 hours since we left Guangzhou. Wow. I was ready for food and a bed immediately if not sooner. We took a taxi to David's cousin (the first of many I'd meet) and we were greeted with a huge dinner. David told me in the cab about how he's such a good cook and I was not disappointed. Our first meal off the bus was a veritable feast and I ate it up like I had never seen food before.

After I had finished everything, I asked what we had just eaten. Sure enough, I just ate some dog meat. Huh. Was I mildly disturbed about this? You betcha. But having never had a snoopy or lassie of my own, I guess I took it in stride. David told me it wouldn't be the last time either as dog is a very common dish, in rural Hunan especially. And honestly, it tasted like a tougher version of lamb. If I hadn't known, I would have had it again in a second.

After I got over the shock of my dinner, I took in the scene that was the apartment around me. David's cousin ran a plastic works factory outside Changsha and was doing quite well for himself. Yet despite his success, there were still common western conveniences that were decidedly missing. Hot showers for one--apparently there is only hot water in the apartment for a couple hours at a time, something very common all around China. It made me realize how nice my bathroom is back in GZ. I almost never run out of hot water! And then there is the issue of heat. Nobody has heat south of the Yangtze River and this was no exception. In GZ that's not a big issue because it doesn't get too cold.

Changsha is a completely different story though. It was cold there and reminded me of Boston. It had even snowed a few days previous to our arrival! I discovered right away that everyone keeps their coats on at all times during the day--inside, outside, during meals, in the bathroom, in the kitchen... you name it. I kept mine on until the very second I slipped into my sleeping bag. I had considered leaving it behind but it became my saving grace. David and I shared the bed in the guestroom and we fell asleep quickly, knowing we had to get up early to catch our 8am make-up bus to Jishou.