I'm supposed to sleep by what?!

"There's no room on the train, you'll have to take the bus."

Bus?  Take the bus?...

They say you should trust your gut.  Always trust your gut! This was definitely one of those times when I should have listened to my freaking belly and said "no"!

Train! I should have taken the train!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nANtbPef8M8?wmode=transparent]

Ok so we didn't have the option to fly, but substitute bus for plane and you'll get how I felt!  But the point is, that could have been me!! I could have been Sheldon!  "We're taking the train!"  Excited and happy, looking forward to the journey, but I didn't take the train, I took the bus.  

Sure, on the train it would have been a hard seat.  Sure, the bus was a sleeper . . . but put train and bus in an arm wrestling contest and train always wins!  Except this time.  Ahhh my luck!!

In all honesty, I wasn't all that against taking the bus, but that quickly changed when we were dropped off in the middle of what looked like the roughest, poorest, dirtiest crack area of Beijing.  Walk fast.  Get inside.  It will be better.

If better looks like an abandoned building with dirty, shirtless men standing around, then yes! Better is what we found insides the bus terminal.  Awe-some.

Ok, ok, not everyone was a dirty, shirtless man; there were a few women and some pantless babies running around too, but none of it was looking good.

I did get a bit excited when it was time to board.  It was as sleeper bus, which I'd never traveled on so I was looking forward to that aspect.  However, that excitement soon wore off (as before) when I found my bed.

Half-way down the coach, on the floor was a tiny coffin of a bed, my bed :-l

I think I could have been ok with it if (1) I fit in the bed, and (2) it wasn't directly next to the toilet!!!!

The idea of sleeping that close to the bathroom was enough to make the situtation disgusting.  Add to it the smell!! It was vomit-worthy!

Luckily, I was traveling with a true prince.  Michael, who can handle rougher travel accomodations than his popped collars and straightened hair let on, traded beds with me.  What a hero!

See the full gallery on Posterous

I'm really not as much of a princess as this post makes me sound, I promise!