So the trip had a rocky start when we arrived at the pickup location and, guess what, there was no bus. The men at the alleged stop told our driver that there was a new spot where we needed to go, and our driver later explained that this was because technically, the bus we were taking was owned by a private company and not the government and therefore illegal. Nice. I love sketchy situations like that. So the stop moves every few days so that the police can't track them down. The new stop was under a bridge near mosquito-infested puddles and on an entrance to a highway and looked like the kind of place where drug deals occur on the regular. If not for the presence of our Indian driver, I would have feared for my life, especially when I began to fear the the bus was not coming after we waited for almost an hour. We were passed by cows showing us their less attractive ends as they ate papaya scraps, and lots of people walking around for God knows what purpose on a highway entrance.
By the time I boarded the bus, I was already cranky. At least it was a fancy Volvo with reclining seats and a blanket. Woo hoo, that's what I call ritzy... and even better, we were lucky enough to have a movie! The plot was a mix between a Marvel comic film and Contagion, that weird movie about a mysterious and deadly disease that started killing everyone. Oh, and then there were dance numbers and a completely unrelated love story. At one point we even thought they changed the movie but then the superhero came back. Later as we described the film to our Tibetan ride from the bus stop and he instantly perked up and said "yes, that is Krish!" so apparently it is a popular franchise here. Cultural differences...
Indians must have bladders of steel. After our first stop about an hour into the journey at a creepy rest stop area in the middle of nowhere with urinals outside along a wall, we did not have a single bathroom break. Thank God the first stop had Western toilets. Comically enough, any time we have encountered lines in the ladies' room they are for the squat toilets and the Western ones are open. Basically, I had to pee like a racehorse by the time we reached Dharamsala. Too much info? Probably.
Don't worry, it gets better. I finally fell into a fitful sleep for a few hours and then heard an ominous noise come from the bus that sounded like the driver couldn't get it into gear. I instantly feared the worst- we were stuck and the bus broke down and we would be waiting on the side of the road in a sketchy village in India with no way to get to our destination. Really optimistic, I know. Jim told me to take a positivity pill. It was not that bad in reality- the bus just got stuck in the mud. Of course, none of the cars stopped to help- instead they created a makeshift path by off-roading around us pathetic stranded passengers. Eventually, after pushing and trying to dig the bus out proved useless, he driver tied the front of our bus to another bus which pulled it out of the muck and set us on our way. My first comment to the others was "well, maybe one day I will find this funny." I am still waiting for that day, even though you are all probably laughing hysterically at my misfortune.
We finally arrived, and I was not exactly in good humor. I am thrilled to be flying back.
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