Although I was extremely tired from the lack of proper rest last night, I was also excited about hiking Huang Shan and decided to dash out to hit the trails without anymore delays. I got on a bus for Huang Shan National Park it took 1-2 hours on the public bus. I had missed the youth hostel bus shuttle to Huang Shan by 20 minutes.
Upon approaching the park area, a couple and a man had gotten off at an intersection for Huang Shan where the main gate was, they both looked at me as if I should be getting off too. I looked at the bus driver and he said he would take me closer to the gate and not to follow the couple who is entering at a different spot.
The bus rolled a few yards forward and stopped in front of a hotel. The door opened and a lady from the hotel greeted me as if she knew I was coming. The bus driver told me to get off here. I said, “this is not the Huang Shan front gate entrance.” Mean while,the hotel lady told me it was too late to enter the park that I should stay at her hotel and take shorter sight seeing spots instead. It was like 8:30 am, I'd call that morning, not early, not late, but plan old morning. The bus driver then said this bus does not go to the Huang Shan gate entrance and I would have to get off here to catch a cab to the entrance. This was totally not what he just said to me earlier a few yards away when the couple got off. The bus driver kicked me off the bus.
I reluctantly got off the bus knowing clearly at that moment I was tricked by the bus driver who had business with this particular hotel. That I should have gotten off at the other spot where the three got off. As the bus zoomed off, the hotel lady continued to try to convince me to enter her hotel. Well, I didn’t buy her sales pitch and I was quite irritated at this point. The hotel lady refused to help me since I refused her business. I don’t have a problem considering staying at her place later but I just don’t like it when other’s try to confuse me by lying to me all to benefit them in total disregard to my plans.
I was stuck on the road again, all alone middle of nowhere, after getting dumped off by the driver. It’s been my karma of getting dropped off somewhere else other than my destination after paying for my fare, after the driver promised he was going where I was going. I stood there on the street trying to clear my head of all that just happened within 5 minutes of verbal exchange wondering how I keep finding myself in this kind of situation.
I stood there wondering whether or not I have been a crook for many lifetimes and dealt this kind of business without integrity. What can I do but have a sense of humor and adventure about it. It’s my karma and it’s my harvest to reap.
I started to walk just because I needed to do something else other than stand and be a sitting duck. I should at least look like I know what I am doing and I am heading somewhere. Then I saw a cab pulled up and three people were quickly trying to get in. I ran towards them and asked if they too are going to the gate. They acknowledged and agreed to let me squeeze with them. The driver didn’t mind at all because he was getting more money with me as the additional rider. I agreed to paying 10 yuan for my ride. There was a free shuttle that ran from the main gate to the other gates. But I missed that didn't I.
This group I carpooled with turned out to be the people I needed to be with because through them and their tour guide, I was able to get the special tour group rate for a dorm bed at 40 yuan a bed on Huang Shan. Everything else was 120 yuan to 400 plus yuan and at these prices it did not necessarily include heater for your room.
So maybe the driver was really my guide who was in the process of helping me connect the right people. I have found this to be true throughout my trip. Whatever seems like an interruption, whatever that seemed like things are not going according to plan, it seemed to always work out for the better, the other better plan.
