Mom! I missed the bus....

One of the things about living here is that usually what you expect or assume is not going to turn out the way you thought.  

Today, I had traveled out by bus to a remote, I mean very rural area with two of my friends to do some sightseeing.  Another friend had told me once before, and he has traveled alot more than I have here, that the buses usually keep running until 6-7 p.m.  So we had done our sightseeing and hiking a ton that day and we were ready to go home.  We went to the bus stop and waited.  I had had a nervous feeling all day and began to get really nervous when 30-45 minutes had gone by and I still hadn't seen a bus and only two cars on this little road.  So I called one of my friends and said, "I just want to make sure, that the buses run out here....?"  "Ya, ya," he said, "you'll be fine."  Another 15 minutes or so passed and a bus finally came, but when I tried to wave him down, he just waved at me.  Now waving here isn't usually a hi or hello, it usually means, I don't have anymore room, I'm not going that way, etc.  So the bus went on into town and I was certain he would drop off his passengers and then return to pick us up and take us back to town.  I mean that's what the guy had done when we had arrived earlier...so I just assumed.  About 10 min. later with no bus insight, a young guy on his motorcycle stopped to ask what we were doing.  I explained in my 5 year old language, we were waiting for the bus to take us back to town.  Now my language isn't great, but at this point I'm pretty sure he said, that bus wasn't coming back.....at all! 

Now enter freak out mode:  So here I am, with two visitors who speak no language and me with very little language, in the middle of nowhere and this kid I'm pretty sure just told me the last bus out runs at 3:30 and it's like 5:45.  So I call my friend and he said well I can come get you, but it's going to be an hour out and an hour back.  All the while my young friend on his motorcycle is saying he'll take us for $2/person.  Apparently he had a buddy with a motorcycle and his buddy could take the other two, he'd take me and we'd get back home on the back of a 22 year olds motorcycle.  I looked at my friends there and they weren't happy but agreed it was the best solution.  So we rode two motorcycles down the mountain, as it sprinkled, and safely made it back to our city.

Gas and transportation for two motorcycles $6

Helmets        $0...we didn't have them, neither did the drivers

Getting home in 30 mins and not having to spend the night out there......priceless

So thankfully everyone made it down the mountain and home in one piece.  Oh by the way, my friend, the one who travels alot here, told me later that he usually ask when he gets off the bus what time the last one runs.  Thanks!  

Beautiful Feet