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race across the border!!
Entry 3 of 18 | show all | print this entry |
well we thought we were leaving the hostel in plenty of time to get the train to Shenzhen, where you cross the border to China. Just a short tube ride, then a 35 minute train journey and then stroll across to our bus waiting to take us on pre booked seats to Guilin. How wrong can you be???
We were slightly delayed leaving the hostel as Mechteld was calling her family in Amsterdam, but we were sure that we had more than enough time. I did have some a nagging feeling about clearing immigration but it didnt feel an issue and everything went smoothly up to departing off the train at the border. We found ourselves with about 30 minutes until bus the bus left, and the ticket stated to arrive at least half an hour before departure. Surely we can just skip through immigration though?!
Well firstly it doesnt help when you stand in a queue for Chinese Nationals for 5 mintues, then you stand in the right queue but pick the slowest one, and arrive finally at the desk at 7.25 to be asked for the completed white forms. What white forms?!
We rapidly filled them in and pushed to the front of the queue for what seemed like an agonising eternity before being allowed through to the bus station.
Its now just after 7.30 and not a single sign is in English except for 'Bus Station'. So we must surely be in the right place? wrong!
Plenty of locals were willing to help but after reading the ticket all they do is point in a general direction and shout a lot in Mandarin which doesnt help much. Running up and down stairs with a back pack, day sack and 2 bags, in stifling humidity knowing that your bus has probably already left but you want to know where from, really isnt fun. Trust me.
Soooo we finally find out where the bus left from, (yes it had indeed gone, 20 minutes before) and after laughing at us a lot ( am not surprised though, 2 very sweaty red faced westerners were probably worth a laugh or 2) one of the staff sorted us out a ride on another bus which would meet up with ours an hour down the road.
Oh how we laughed at the funny short narrow beds they had on the first bus, werent we lucky that our bus was a semi-sleeper (seats that recline to you).
Soon stopped laughing when we transferred ontco the new bus and it had the same beds fitted. I can honestly say that much as i wasnt looking forward to spending 11 hours overnight sat half reclined, it would have been a whole lot more comfortable for me and the guy in front whose head i kept kicking if i had had a seat! Added to the size of the beds or lack of) we had a maniacal driver who liked to drive right up to the slower vehicle in front, honk loudly and then only brake at the last second in driving rain. The awesome electric lightning took my mind off it for a while i suppose, inbetween bumping up and down because my bed lay over the wheels.
Actually it was really good fun and such an experience, though i really dont want to repeat the close shave with the bus times again!
Latest Comments (1)
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Some Trip (reply)
May 26, 2006 09:28 EST by 585532
Sounds like an adventure and a half. Glad you've got a travelling companion, thought about you last week while in Barcelona spotting the single travellers with all the stuff on their backs - heroic every one of them and you. - Take care - Eddie
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