a day trip

Let me start by saying I was in the backseat wearing a seatbelt, but it gave me little comfort or reassurance, and I’m grateful my view was partially obscured.   My kind hosts offered to take me on a day trip with the extended family to Pengzhou City, a victim of the 2008 earthquake, and now a rebuilt tourist mountain town.  Feeling like I should totally surrender to my home stay experience, I excitedly agreed, and so 9 of us and the dog, a standard poodle, piled into 2 Chevy sedans.

not a helmet in sight

I’ve been worried about the traffic from day 1 when it was immediately clear why the Peace Corps restricts our travel options and requires bike helmets.  China is notorious for dangerous driving conditions and today I helplessly experienced unmatched traffic insanity.  Compared to the journey there and back, our destination was irrelevant.

bad day for this truck driver

Frist, getting picked up required both cars crossing the oncoming traffic to park on the curb facing into the oncoming traffic and blocking 1 lane of the traffic entering from the side street.  Then, the light changed and, so what?, we were still loading, everyone else can wait.  “Everyone else” is an about equal mix of pedestrians, cars, bikes, trucks, motorized bikes, and 3 wheeled bikes or 3 wheeled motorcycles (both totally loaded down).  Anything with a horn is using it.

another fine u-turn

I should point out that there are usually clear lines and arrows painted on the road and they are largely ignored.  Few directional signs, speed signs, or caution signs exist because they are not needed; everyone does whatever they want.  For example, suddenly turning across 4 lanes of traffic to make an exit, passing on blind corners, using the oncoming traffic lanes to pass, even when there is oncoming traffic, U-turns whenever or wherever, and using the oncoming traffic’s turn lane to pass.

One heart stopping moment happened when one of our cars missed the exit on a highway with 5 lanes of traffic, stopped, backed up, started down the exit, changed mind, backed up on the exit (with a truck exiting), and got back on the highway again.  Fortunately, traffic was light. 

Pengzhou traffic

Somehow, we managed to get lost using a GPS, which I didn’t know was possible.  Trying to find our way resulted in many random, swerving, cross traffic turns to talk to pedestrians.  At one point, the Chevys were 4-wheeling in an area I’m sure no western has ever seen, so I’ve got a “1^st to see it” award.  Communication between cars included lots of cell phone calls, thankfully with hands -free technology, and stopping to chat, the old fashion way, except in our situation, it was in the middle of 5 lanes of traffic.

a relaxing lunch in Pengzhou

The trip took about two hours each way, and I have to admire both drivers' driving skill and their solid nerves.  My driver seemed unfazed and calm the entire trip.  I'm grateful they took me out for a day trip that was totally worthwhile in many ways.