Kunming
The bus departed at 17h00, and as I had the whole day to kill I roamed around
Kunming, which I knew pretty well by then.
One more surprise awaited me as I got to the bus station. The cargo section of the
bus was full, and they couldn't take the bike. At least they refunded the ticket, and I
pedalled to the Cloudland Hostel.
The hostel was cheaper and more social than the Camilla Hotel, where I had stayed
the previous two nights. Shortly following my arrival, Ernest, who had also been
booked on a southbound bus and discovered the cargo section full, slinked into
Cloudland Hostel.
Kunming - Jing Hong by bus
I couldn't believe I was still in Kunming. After a leisurely start, I cycled to the bus
station to see if I would be in luck this time. Ernest decided to tag along as he didn't
have money, and we were fortunate as a bus offering cargo space was ready to leave
for Jinghong.
The incredible thing about the bus was that the driver had a TV he could watch while
driving! But, of course, not even the bus came without a hot water machine - there is
no chance the Chinese will go anywhere without their tea.
I was coming down with the flu, which made the bus ride even more tedious, and I
wondered how backpackers did it. I would much rather cycle, even though it's far
slower. But, I felt ill and following the nine-hour trip was happy to spot The Bus
Station hotel. The hotel's convenient location saved us from re-loading the bikes and
biking around searching for a hotel in the dark.