After Huang Long Dong I stood outside on the street to wait for a bus but the buses were all heading the other direction. Finally I had to split a minivan to get to a bus station to get back up to Wulingyuan entrance where my luggage was being stored. I was dropped off at a local town bus stop to get on to a bus. This bus was parked and was waiting for it’s time to roll off.
As I entered the bus I sensed a great deal of tension on the bus. A man had been smoking on the bus and refused to put out his light. A girl behind him was allergic and threw up behind him over the window continuously over and again even when she ran out of stuff to throw up on. On top of it all her eyes where swollen full of water and red. Still this man out of pride refused to put out his light.
After watching such a sight everyone on the bus felt for the girl and demanded the bus driver to take action to kick him off the bus. The bus driver did. This man did not go quietly or apologize. He cursed and cursed. He looked scary like a gangster.
I kept my eyes wide open and had hands on the packs just in case violence breaks out and I can get out of the vehicle by the door or jump out of the window. I had my escape plan all worked out. That I would chuck my things out the window first and then somehow get out myself and then run somewhere forward on the open road.
I was on the alert. Why, because this man was a local town person and this was his town. He got all the people in town that was standing by the bus stand to take his side some how. I think they were on his side out of solidarity more than anything else. Either way, it was risky and anything can happen when someone is in a rage and encourages others to rack up more rage.
I was praying, and reciting hoping the driver will just start the engine and get out of that jam before more tension escalated into physical action. Finally the driver rolled off after the passengers all encouraged him to do so.
I was dropped off at another spot to wait to transfer onto another bus to get into the gate of the park. At this time there was no bus. A minivan stopped to offer a ride for a price and I took it. On the way to the entrance I saw two buses stopped with all the passengers out on the road. Looks like another conflict to be dealt with. The road was blocked by this event. I watched and realized I would have to get pass this one on the way out since there was only one road. What a night, a night of conflicts and potential break out of violence.
Finally I was able to pick up my luggage at the park entrance and attempted to head for GuiLing train. But I missed my train because there was a bus strike on the road. The bus company or drivers decided to strike to object to the increase in toll fee, so all last 6 buses were stuck along with all of its passengers.
We waited for an hour and then a college group decided to flag down a car, negotiated price and it had 11 seats. I asked for one but when the car showed up. All the passengers tried to squeeze in like there's no tomorrow, like refugees fleeing a bomb infested site. Then the driver decided to stop the engine. All the extra people got off and even the ones crowding around left. I ended up with a seat and headed for the train station. I missed the trains and even the last one by 20 minutes and headed back to the town and attempted to locate the youth hostel.
Got onto a bus, whose bus driver told me he'd drop me off at the right place. Not! Got dropped off on the road somewhere pointed to a direction and said walk a little that way. It was all too familiar, this thing of getting dropped off somewhere and told to walk a little that way.
I flagged a cab because I did not know where I was and it was on the outskirts of the town. The driver attempted to be confused and drove me to the wrong place and pretended he didn't know the road. He also pretend he didn't know really how to drive by stopping and pulling up at the curb here and there all to stall and make more money off me when the drive only took 3 minutes, all to make a little more money off of me by lying. I was tired, hungry and upset. Finally made it to the hostel and got the whole room to myself.
