China, Zhuhai-Guilin Sleeper Bus (2009, Apr 18-19)

Sleeper bus 臥鋪 wo4pu4. What is it? I had no idea since it was my first time to hop into a sleeper bus. It was a 13 hours trip from Zhuhai to Guilin by Hao Hua Express Bus 毫華空調臥鋪快巴. Imagine rows of bunks instead of seats? Imagine two decks bunks with a narrow aisle running down the center? Sleeper bus has three rows of two tier bunks stretching the length of the bus. Each bunk is made of aluminum and is similar in size to a small coffin or crib with no enclosed sides. It is, however, possible to fit your whole body into your bed provided you are not taller than 1.7 meter. Some might find sleeper buses in China were nightmare and very difficult to sleep on, not only due to the crazy driving but the fact that the beds were both too short and too narrow.

We were asked to take off our shoes as soon as we embarked the bus. Each of us were given red plastic bags for putting our shoes in. I definitely took the top berth since I suffer from claustrophobia. There are a small luggage rack above our feet for putting in our handbags.

However I had to give credit to where it was due. The sleeper bus accommodation provided cozy blankets and nice air-conditioning though sometimes they did switch off the air-con halfway. What the heck! I wasn't able to sleep anyway. They even provided entertainment by mounting 3 TV sets and VCD player in the bus, one up front above the driver's seat and the other two attached to the upper and lower middle rows. Yet I rather plugged in earphones to my Sony-Ericsson walkman phone and listened to Jay Chow singing 一路向北. There were times when the bus crossed the winding roads that I had to tighten my grip on the handle of the window side railing to prevent myself from flying off the bunk. However the sleeper bus journeys were an experience in themselves, and became an integral part of my visit to Mainland China.
我一路向北 離開有你的季節... 你說你好累 已無法再愛上誰... 風在山路吹 過往的畫面全都是我不對... 細數慚愧 我傷你幾回...

Hao Hua Sleeper Bus, Bus Number: Yue C09899, provides service from Zhuhai Xiangzhou Main Bus Station to Guilin Main Bus Station and vice versa.
Zhuhai Contact Number: +86 0756 13672665589
Depart from Zhuhai Xiangzhou Main Bus Station: 18.20
Depart from Guilin Main Bus Station: 17.20
Route: Xiangzhou Long-distance Bus Station, Tanzhou Highway, Sanxiang, Madou, Banfu, Zhongshan Main Station, Xiaolan, Nantou Highway, Rongqi, Shunde, Daliang, Lunjiao, San Hong Qi, Longjiang, Lecong, Foshan, Sanshui, Babu, Ertang, Yangshuo

毫華空調臥鋪快巴, 車號: 粵C09899
定位電話: 隨車: 15807732928 阿勇
桂林: 13217839888 姜生
珠海: +86 0756 13672665589
桂林總站發車時間下午 17:20, 珠海香洲總站發車時間下午 18:20
途經: 香洲總站, 坦州路口, 三鄉, 麻斗, 板芙, 中山總站, 小欖, 南頭路口, 容奇, 順德, 大良, 倫教, 三洪奇, 龍江, 樂從, 佛山, 三水, 八步, 二塘, 陽朔

Double-decks bunks

Zhuhai-Guilin Sleeper Bus

See the red plastic bag? It's where we put our shoes in. Behind the head of the front-seat passenger!!!

Lower deck bunk

Zhuhai - Guilin Sleeper Bus

Middle Row Lower Deck

The Narrow Aisle

Middle Row Upper Deck

Left Row Upper Deck

Right Row Upper Deck

View from the Bus