If you associate bus travel with uncomfortable seats
and sleepless nights,
Think again.
THIS bus
has beds.
Though you’re not getting on board until you go through an X-ray machine
and take off your shoes.
There’s even a special cubbyhole to put them in.
That’s not the only rule.
You have to listen to a safety briefing.
Seat belts are mandatory.
And the driver doesn’t leave
until everyone’s belted in.
If you’re having trouble sleeping,
there’s an endless kung fu movies,
at high volume.
Best of all,
you’re going to you wake up to the most spectacular view.
There are a few things you should know about sleeper buses
before you buy a ticket.
It’s crucial to get the right birth.
Avoid the holidays at all costs,
and the start and end of the school term.
And stay away from the back of the bus
or you’ll get sardined in with half a dozen other passengers.
Smoking is absolutely forbidden.
A rule that’s generally ignored.
There are no bathrooms on the bus
but it pulls in at a rest stop every few hours
so you can use the toilet
and stretch your legs.
The longer trips stop for meals as well.
The food stalls are incredibly efficient.
They can feed forty people in less than fifteen minutes.
Though today, there’s no need to hurry.
Breakdowns are very common.
This one took 52 hours to fix.
The Chinese are a supremely patient people.
It’s a chance to get to know your fellow passengers
and make some new friends.
A late arrival may be inconvenient
but THIS is a much bigger concern.
Driving in China is downright dangerous
and buses are no exception.
But the driver’s not always to blame.
China’s rural roads are narrow and windy
and difficult to negotiate.
Once you’re in the mountains
there’s no room for mistakes.
Landslides are common.
So are potholes
especially in the rainy season.
And construction can add days to even the shortest trip.
But better roads are not necessarily safer roads.
There’s only one real rule to driving in China.
Pass whenever possible, no matter what the risk.
In case it isn’t obvious, this is a two-way street.
They have over a quarter million road fatalities a year.
It’s okay to pass slower cars into oncoming traffic
as long as you honk first.
You can also pass on blind turns
and even inside tunnels.
Three wheelers don’t really count as vehicles
and to ride a motorbike
you have to be a little bit insane.
It feels a lot like a video game.
A traffic jam can actually come as a relief.