Busing it to P.R.C.

To start our vacation off frugally, we took the bus to Guangzhou. What a mistake!

We got on Bus #1 in HK, each with a weekend duffel. We simply trekked to the bus depot, bought a ticket for the next bus, quickly used the depot bathroom, and boarded for departure. These buses fill up very quickly, but - and here's where the bus does earn some points for convenience - a bus leaves the depot for China every 15 minutes.

We were warned to keep our baggage within our sight on the bus, so we boarded with them in lieu of the bus' undercarriage storage; but the overhead compartments on the bus were not even tall enough to hold a 10-inch high square duffel, so we had to keep our bags on our laps for the whole ride.

We rode in Bus #1 for roughly 2 hours, then stopped at a station, where we then walked through a "neutral" border, and bought tickets for the second leg of the trip into GZ. Call me paranoid, but carrying my passport when when I'm afraid to lose it or have it stolen was a harrowing experience; it makes you almost twitchy.

After the appropriate nod to Customs, we boarded Bus #2 to GZ - duffles on our laps - for another half an hour before getting to the bus depot in GZ. Getting two taxis to our destination was a hassle for another story. But for those travelling in groups, the most cautious measure we employed during the bus trip was to give all Customs forms to two people to fill out while the rest of our party flanked them. All in all, to keep dragging our luggage around and to be on guard for passport pick-pockets was exhausting.