I used the restroom at the bus station where my bags were stored and used their restroom. The clerk yelled at me for having turned on all the lights just to use the restroom and wasting resources. It was pitch dark in there. I couldn’t even figure out where the squatting toilets were. There was a light for the sink, a light for the hall, a light for the toilet all at about 30 watts each, so I turned each one on, one by one as I finally found the toilet. How am I suppose know my way around the place when it is only my first time. I thanked her for letting me use the restroom and headed out to wait for a local bus to the central station where there are long distance buses to Chengdu.
It was pouring. The bus curb was definitely full of big puddles, the big ones you see in the movies where someone gets fully drenched when he stands right next to it and a cab drives by. The catch is, when the bus driver does not see riders waving at him to pull over, he won’t stop unless there happens to be someone getting off. So,… I wondered what I should do about staying just a bit more dry. I’m not going against a calm flat puddle that looks harmless but can turn into a tsunami, I still have hours before I get to Chengdu. I decided to ask around to see if others are getting on the same bus and no one answered me. They just all ignored me. I was on my own. I decided to gamble it. I stood by the curb on my toes, ready to jump back when a vehicle approaches. I am aware of the risk of getting wet, but at least this way it will only be partial and I can still flag my bus down.
When my bus arrived, I jumped onto the bus, other ran like mad to catch the bus because they were hiding from the rain in the distance. The ticket lady for the bus was young in her twenties who wore a pair of tight jeans, a jumper top and a pair of two inch bright white high heels. She sat cross legged over the bus engine leaning side ways towards the bus driver. She looked as if she was posing for a hot rod poster. This lady took great pride in making it known to everyone on the bus that she has a sharp tongue that can argue and spit anyone down as if they were bullets coming out of a gun.
I wondered what is it with these women that I have been coming across lately who seem to have to show a lot of fangs at everyone and made it be known they can’t be messed with. I wondered what kind of experiences they have had that drives them to hang on to this habit in these ways. This kind of distressed pride, the struggle of always being on the defensive run or offensive attack in my opinion does not lead to clarity, truth, justice, or happiness. It was sad for me to see.
At the Lushan long distance bus station I came across a couple I met earlier at the Big Buddha who was also catching a bus to Chengdu to catch a evening plane. The lady was a vegetarian and we had her boyfriend watch our bags while we went to search for lunch across the street. I ordered food for them and had eggplant rice myself. The whole place was interested in the fact I spoke English. One of the very young male chef full of enthusiasm came out especially to converse with me only to ask me about gold currency in British pounds as if I would know what the exchange rate into RMB was just because I spoke English. He must have assumed all people who spoke English must have come from England. I didn’t know and replied that way. He was mad and offended, he expressed it by walking off as if I was a snob to not take him seriously.
The whole time while I was eating my food, I had a déjà vu about it all. That in a dream I dreamed about this place and having taken too much time in picking out a place to eat, that I ended up running out of time and missed my bus. Not only that, afterwards had trouble with my luggage because it was abandoned. Remembering this, I inhaled my food quickly and hoped I would not get indigestion or barf it all out on the bus. I ran back to the station through puddles of wet cement hoping I would not fall and break something. When I got back to the station, the boarding had begun and the couple were ready to leave without me because the last boarding call had sounded. I made it just in time to not let the dream become a reality and boarded the bus with my luggage..
On the bus, I did not get the last row on the right over the exhaust pipe like I seem to have the affinity to. I sat in the front. The bus was one of the newer ones and it was clean and comfortable with good stable suspension. Even the DVD was working and the bus played Jackie Chan’s recent movie called Baby Project.
I arrived in Chengdu bus terminal at 3:30pm, with the overcast it felt like dinner time, late and tiring. At the station I headed straight for 3 young male guards in uniform to inquire directions to my hostel on public bus and ways to get to Jiuzhaigo the next day. They were a funny bunch who took great care of me in making sure I was going to experience the safest route and accommodation. They were honest, kind people with simplicity in their hearts, no slightest dust of poison in their pores. They recommended I go and buy a ticket to Jiuzhaigo now instead of in the morning this way I am ensured of a seat for the time I want.
