Bus to Nha Trang
8:09 - fourth stop we’ve made. Time to start recording. Stop 1 was
for a mysterious pick up, 2 and 3 were for vomit and cigarette breaks,
respectively, and now we’ve been pulled over transferring mysterious
baskets from a pick up truck into the bus. Drugs?
8:13 - the driver and his friends who have been riding along are
casually sitting on the curb outside the bus. The drivers phone keeps
going off inside the bus. Should someone tell him?
8:15 - moving again. No explanation as per usual. Huge water droplet
from the cieling vent onto my phone and kindle.
8:51 - another stop. Reason, unknown.
8:55 - another stop. Stopping to say hi to people on the side of the
road? Some bags of unidentified objects and possibly one more person
Are now on board
9:12 - another brief stop. Driver shouted to someone outside and drove away
9:15 - yet another stop. Pulled over on the side of the road. Driver
& crew have exited the bus. I hear them opening the storage area.
Trading our bags for drugs?
10:10 - the bus just backed up a long stretch of highway. This cant be safe
10:11 - it appears we’ve stopped at some sort of restaurant but
there’s no explanation on what to do
10:19 - a sketchy truck stop. Tried to stay on the bus but it got
extremely stuffy and I saw a bug. Need to get air & charge phone.
10:20 - no wifi here. It wasn’t even worth checking
10:23 - this place is a nightmare. Only white person inside, sorry
I’m not sorry but I need to charge my phone. Everyone is staring.
Guess this wasn’t the best occasion for “leggings as pants”
10:27 - just saw the driver consider a beer but go for a coke instead. Thank god
10:28 - this is a very authentic place to watch & learn how people eat
pho with the chopstick/spoon combo. Taking notes.
10:29 - 9% til my phone is at an okay battery level. Think I’m safe,
as the driver & crew haven’t even touched their food yet (it’s been on
the table for at least 3.5 minutes)
10:31 - shamelessly watching people eat. I’m so impressed
10:34 - back on the bus. Greeted by a puddle of water in my seat and
what I’m assuming is a baby cockroach. Fuck this bus
10:40 - in the short time I was outside I got a nasty bug bite through
my pants. Awesome. Also we’ve been here for a half hour. This. Is.
Hell.
10:44 - 35 minutes.
10:49: the busses that arrived after us are leaving. 40 minutes.
10:51 - driver turns the bus back on. While he enjoys his meal at
least the rest of us will stop melting.
10:52 - turning on the AC cued an irritating beeping noise. Too bad
the driver went back inside so he can’t hear it
10:54 - drivers back on the bus. Completely disregarding irritating
beeping noise
10:56 - people filing onto the bus. Including the coughing baby. This
bus defines filth.
10:58 - noticing that the aisles are doubling as “beds”. FILTH. hope
they at least got discounted tickets
11:01 - and finally, we’re off. Gonna listen to the beatles and
Pretend this is just a bad dream
