Beijing by bus

In general, public transport in China is pretty damn good.

Dalian has a comprehensive network of buses and trams, plentiful taxis, and even a few ferries. Prices are cheap and service adequate, if not luxurious. I greatly admire the national train system. Most of China is well-covered by trains, there is even a train to Tibet. Considering the huge distances travelled, prices are very reasonable and certainly compared to the UK, where a trip hour trip from Exeter to Reading can cost over one hundred pounds. Ordinary people can afford the train in China, indeed, it's usually their preferred form of travel. I was looking forward to a nice overnight train trip to Beijing tomorrow, safely perched on a top hard-sleeper bunk. But the trains are so popular, and the Chinese people so many, that tickets often sell out days in advance. There were no tickets left for Beijing this evening, so my three friends and I had to resort to another form of transport - sleeper bus.

I had never seen sleeper buses before coming to China. They're strange and somewhat dangerous, with their three-bunk high interior they're prone to tipping over when driven in strong winds or by careless, reckless drivers. I've ridden Chinese sleeper buses before though, and it's a tolerable if not desirable way to travel. I much prefer lying down to sitting upright for long periods, especially overnight as I can't sleep in an upright position. Fellow travellers on sleeper buses can be rowdy and raucous, drinking baijiu and smoking, taking their clothes off and walking around with beer bellies on display. Smelly feet and lack of on-board toilet also present problems for the hygiene sensitive western traveller. Luckily, many years living in China have hardened me to these situations.