Sleeper Buses

So apparently this is a common form of travel in China but it was an experience unlike any I've ever had before. About five days ago we embarked on a journey to Guilin. We took a sleeper bus there and back for a total of about 27 hours and here are a couple of the things I learned for future reference. 

1. Don't get on a sleeper bus if you are claustrophobic in any way shape or form. I didn't know how they could possible fit that many beds in one normal sized bus until I got in the bed. (the picture doesn't capture it, but the bus is three by two by about six beds)

2. Never get on a sleeper bus without making sure your ipod is fully charged. Mine was almost dead when I left our apartment in Zhong shan. Bad call. They will blare insane techno-DDR music with a man shouting in chinese as loud as he can and if you get lucky enough to fall asleep during this you will wake up wondering where in Hades' name you are and how you can get off. Sometimes they will turn on a movie and it will come out of the speakers at a volume no human ear desires to listen to, while at the same time still blaring chinese music out of other speakers. Don't ask. 

3. Don't allow yourself to ever get too comfortable on a sleeper bus. As soon as you fall asleep they will shout at you to get off to "have a rest" where they expect you to eat dinner in the middle of the night out of what they call "hot pots" (not appetizing) and go to the bathroom in troughs. (Normal squatters look really appealing after having to go in one of these.. I'll spare the details) When I first walked into one of these so called bathrooms I thought I must be in the middle of a nightmare. Some of these bathrooms may also be next to pig sties where they keep the food. 

4. Before getting on a sleeper bus make sure you use the bathroom and completely drain your bladder. On the way back I had to hold my pee for about three hours. I was sooo tempted to pee in a bag.