Changsha 长沙 - Freezing Cold!

Changsha 长沙

I took a morning long journey bus from Xiamen to Changsha, it was a sleeping bed bus and I watch movie on the bus from morning till night, whole day laying down, seating up was not very comfortable as I've nothing to support my back to keep me seat straight and I can only seat up for a while.

Changsha - Get to meet up my China friend again.

The total journey was about 18 hours from morning till next day early the morning. The worse thing was I'd to breath in second hand smoke throughout my journey, it was a non-smoking air-con bus, there was a sticker stick right in front the bus saying no smoking but the stupid driver himself break the rule and all others passengers follow.

I was sleeping in the front roll and the entire smokers went to the front whenever they want to smoke. Day and night they smoke non-stop, each one of them take turn to seat in front and puff as much as they want. There was no window for me to open; the whole bus has only one window, which was at the driver side. I've to lay down, controlling my temper, kept silent and breathed in unhealthy smoke. If I know I will end up this way, I rather take a train and change train to reach my destination.

Therefore, if you are a non smoker, try to take train if you can, it is rather comfortable to take train than to seat in a narrow seat or bed in the bus and breath in the second hand smoke. In China, majority of the men are smoker, you can't avoid it when you take public buses. At least train, those smokers can smoke outside the cabin but there are men that are rude and lazy don't border to go out to smoke, it still happen.

The worse thing was those smokers in the bus, they don't sleep, while everyone sleeping, they woke up went to seat in front to smoke, I was really mad by then, I'd breath in too much smoke and the smoke has cause me difficult in breathing and I can't sleep, I've to tell them off in their dialect language, the stupid driver don't seem to border, he don't even stop these people from smoking, I meet a hopeless driver I would say.

Straggle my breath throughout the night, I finally reached Changsha long-distance bus terminal, it was about 4am early in the morning and everyone were still sleeping. When I woke up and gather my bags and alight the bus, the bus terminal was close, no one in side the bus terminal hall, the sky was still dark and outside was really cold which I think may be it was 8C degrees, it was really freezing cold with strong wind too.

When I was in Xiamen, the weather there was around 12C to 18C degrees but when I reach Changsha the weather was between 6C to 12C degrees, it was a great different and I've to wear more clothing to keep myself warm.

Changsha is in Hunan province; you had heard me sharing a bit about Changsha when it was my first visit in year 2005. (http://realtravel.com/hunan-journals-j2154737.html)

This trip of mine, again I had not plan my trip to Changsha but I do have the intension to visit my friend in Changsha. My first time in Changsha the weather was 36C degrees and my second time here it was two different type of weather that I'd experiencing.

As it was early the morning, there was no other transport available, the only transport was the taxi, there were a few taxis waiting to pick customers but I don't know my friend's address and I can't tell the taxis driver where I want to go, without choice, I've to make phone call to my Hunan friend and woke her up from her sleep.

When I'd reached my friend's house area, the sky was still dark and I can't see which block she stayed. I've asked the taxi driver to leave my bags on the bench and I'll wait for my friend there, after paying the taxi driver, he left the place.

I was alone standing there waiting and thinking whether should I make the second call to my friend to let her know I've reach her house downstairs, as I was aware she was woke up by my first call earlier on and I felt sorry to disturb her sleep.

I was thinking she might went back to bed after answer my first call, if I would call her again I'll disturb her sleep twice, while I was thinking of waiting there till 7am or 8am then give her a second call, she came down and appear right in front of me. I was really glad to see her; otherwise, I'll be freezing to ice standing there for another few hours. Men, it was really c..o..l..d! I was glad that it was not snowing; otherwise, it would be worse.

When I reached her house it was about 5am and I had woke the whole family members up, I felt so sorry and sleepy as the whole night I didn't really sleep in the bus. I quickly wash up, change to clean clothe and went to bed immediately, everyone in the family members also went to bed continue sleeping. It was Saturday (13 Jan'2007) early the morning when I reached Changsha, my friend doesn't have to work and she can continue went to her bed to dream on.

When I reached Changsha, I was so excited, I get to meet my Hunan friend which I never even think of we will meet again so quickly and I've more time to explore other side of Hunan province. Changsha it was my first stop in Hunan province and you will hear me share more about it bit by bit.

Well after catching a few hours sleep, both my friend and I woke up, get ready dress up and we went out for lunch with her parents. We had a heavy and good lunch, they order “rice wine” for me to try, it taste very nice but I can't drink too much.

After lunch, my friend brought me around to those places I'd not been to, we visited the “Wall” in Changsha, the “Wall” was inside the small park and at the park there was a way up to the top to view the city but there was nothing much to offer. You have to pay the entrance fee ticket if you wish to go up.

Later walk around the street till we were hungry and we went for dinner, after dinner we went for a drink before went back home.

Next day, Sunday (14 Jan'2007), we woke up late as we slept late last night, we went out for lunch as usual, after lunch we went to visit Mao Zedong's school in Changsha, it is a primary and secondary school side by side in the same area. As we visited the school, I was so privileged to have my friend explains to me on some of the history. She was my personal tour guide and she has been very nice host to me.

We had our dinner outside before we went back home, we went back early because outside was too cold to go anywhere.

During my stayed in Changsha during the month of January, it was freezing cold even inside the room. My friend took out all kinds of electric warmer for me such as electric bed sheet, electric shoe when I was seating in the room using the computer, electric warm when I was seating outside the hall, the best part was warmer in the toilet when I went in to shower. It was my best place to stay overall in this trip of mine, I was really comfortable and feeling myself at home. I was so blessed to have her as my friend.

On Monday, my friend has to work, during the daytime, I went around to explore but I caught cold at the moment I step outside, the weather drop to 6C degrees and I was not aware and I didn't add on additional cloth on it, I'd been “Ha Chi” all the way when I was walking around, it was terrible, I knew I needed to go back to take a rest, I went back home, took the medication and stay home rest, checking and writing emails and online chat with friends until dinner time.

Wow…. dinner we had steamboat fish and other dishes at home, after dinner, my friend brought me out with her to meet her friends. We spent our night drinking with her friends and we went back late.

As I was staying in my friend's house for a few days, I was making myself so comfortable that I can easily stay there for a longer time but I didn't want to disturb their family members for long so I decided to leave the town the next day and move on to the next town to explore.

That night (15 Jan'2007), I packed my bag and get my things ready so I could catch the early train to the next town.

I was so glad that I could meet my Hunan friend again and I know after I left it will take some time for us to meet up again, may be a year or more. My friend was asking me to stay a bit longer but I didn't want to disturb her family for too long as they were in the mist of getting the house sold, they had a lot of things need to be done with deadline.

I had a good chat with my Hunan friend that night before I left Changsha and I had good memory for those times spend with her.

To read on my trip to Shaoshan, click next.

To read on other journal of mine, click on the link http://realtravel.com/member-m652835-afa.html