Trapped in a Toy Car Nightmare

15th to 16th of October

Even the locals had no clue what was going on or which bus was going where, what chance did we stand? we were now making a little detor to Mui Ne on the coast.

We didn't get our seats on the ticket (by ticket I mean hastely written, twice scribbled out, bit of paper given to us by the bus boy who was running around like a mad man) a Vietnamese family refused to be spilt up so we took two seats free behind. Soon as I sat down my heart sank. In the normal upright postion my knees were squashed up against the seat infront. There were about 10mins of relatively mild discomfort until the guy infront me went to recline his seat. I was praying this wouldn't happen but realistically knew it was only a matter of time. To his suprise nothing happened, I couldn't get my legs out quick enough and he trapped them. To resolve the situation he thought it was best to just try and start ramming the seat back as if it were mechanically jammed. I yelled out and he turned round to investigate, looked at me, looked at my knees, looked back at me, then just waved at me to move backwards and turned back round content the issue was fixed and went to try and push his seat back again! I managed to half stand up and avoid being cruched again and asked him what he thought he was playing at (knowing fully well he wouldn't understand a word). By this time his family are alterting each other to the situation and quite clearly see me trapped and offer support by laughing and pointing. Getting nothing back from this guy a woman further down takes a break from laughing and says in English 'your seat can go back too' but fails to hear or chooses not to reply when I explained it already was. I accepted my fate and twisted sideways on the seat to fit in and put my legs in the isle in a small gap through suitcases which at turns would usually rock and bash into me.

I calmed down a little during the journey, accepted the lack of human compassion as perhaps a cultural difference. I was delightfully wound up again after we stopped for a toilet and snack break and I re- boarded the bus. As usual, having to duck my head down and to the side to fit and walk the isle properly I was greeted by further pointing and laughing by the family who watched me get crushed as if I were some freak show. I may have muttered some choice words in English none of them were going to understand.

Total journey time about 7 hours. I hate to think of what happens to really tall people who go travelling south east asia.