A Trip to Qingdao: Preamble

8:20 Sunday evening: After having all day to get to the bus station, I arrive with a few minutes to spare. I am informed that I am not allowed to bring my bottle of deodorant on the bus because it's flammable. After arguing with the guard for a while, I start to feel a little flammable myself, but I let it go. Bad news for anyone who has to travel in the same vicinity as me for the next four days, though.
8:30 I board the bus. A movie starts.
9:00 The lights go out.
9:30 The movie goes out.
9:35 The inevitable snoring starts. However, this isn't just regular loud snoring. This dude seems to have every nasal deviation possible. He's snoring through his nose, mouth, throat, and possibly ears.
10:30 I have almost grown accustomed to the snoring.
10:31 The snoring changes rhythm and, sickeningly, form. Now it involves a puddle (blob? stream?) of phlegm that vibrates with a wet sound at every breath. It was, I assure you, every bit as disgusting as it sounds.
11:00 Someone Everyone has finally gotten tired of listening to this guy and after plenty of “humphing,” loud coughing, and possibly a flying ashtray, the snoring has mercifully stopped.
11:15 I begin to get drowsy, so I take out my contacts and go to the bathroom.
11:20 Now I can't sleep.
2:00 Finally, having exhausted every line of thought possible, my brain gets tired of mentally flogging me and I drift off.
4:50 We arrive in Qingdao.
4:50:30 Every Chinese person is off the bus. How they woke up from a sound sleep, got all their belongings together and got off the bus so fast, I will never know.
4:52 Still groggy, I finally get off the bus. The driver looks like he wants to punch me.
5:40 I arrive at my hostel after passing it twice. Apparently I didn't notice the “youth hostel” in small print on a huge sign for a cafe/lounge. On the other hand, I spent 30 minutes looking for 61 Jining Lu when I was supposed to be looking for 31 Jining Lu. Stupidity always seems to rear its ugly head in the worst situations.
6:00 I collapse in bed and try to think of beautiful Bavarian barmaids serving me cold beer. Instead, my last thought before going to sleep is, “Crap, I forgot my cell phone charger.”