My Story, Your Story: Our World

My ticket was for a bottom bunk. I was taking an overnight bus from Lijiang to Kunming, where I would catch a plane to my next destination: Chongqing. There, I would begin a boat excursion along the Three Gorges River. A Chinese family I befriended said I made a big mistake. I should have asked for the top bunk. Apparently, bottom bunks are smelly because there is not enough air circulation. So I went back to the bus station and had my ticket changed. Relatively speaking, one of my biggest fears is not being able to relieve myself if I need to. When I saw that most of the passengers were male, I wondered if the driver would stop at public restrooms along the way, or just pull over to the side of the road at someone’s request. I was used to hiding in the bush to urinate on camping trips, but I was not prepared to expose myself in front of strangers by crouching behind the bus. I simply could not take this chance. Therefore, my plan of action was to stop drinking any liquids before and during the trip. I was dehydrated, but secure knowing I could survive the long drive. As it turned out, the top bunk is really just the lesser of two evils. Truly, you cannot imagine how cramped and smelly this bus was! It was impossible for me to sleep. My friends warned me about thieves; so I slept on my side, facing the window and spooned with my backpack. After each stop, it took me 10 minutes to climb back into my bed and find a position other than slammed against the ceiling. As the night progressed, I found it increasingly funny how absurd it was for me, a 5-foot-11-inch woman, to fit into this tiny space. Sleep-deprived and borderline hysterical, I burst out laughing every time I clambered up to the top bunk. I was nervous about stepping or kicking the bodies around me in my attempts to get comfortable. Meanwhile, the bus was silent. I could not tell if others were sleeping or counting the minutes left to this abominable drive. As for the stench, I applied Tiger Balm under my nose to keep away all other smells. Thankfully, I also had a window, which I kept open the whole night. Strong winds and rain whipped my face, but I was grateful for the fresh air. I had planned on reading a book to pass time, but the driver turned off the lights right at the beginning of the trip. So I decided to do the only thing I could: remain in a horizontal position. Seeing as I felt like a contestant on The Amazing race, I accepted my fate and embraced this opportunity to rest.