*Wuzhou-, a city at Jiangxi
*Lichuan, a subcity at Wuzhou.
*JIUJIU=舅舅=my son's uncle
*JIUMA=舅妈=my son's aunt
I did it! was driving all the way from Shenzhen to Lichuan, a long trip of 830KM, BABY IN CAR!
April 3rd evening, as antipated, the Shenzhen to Shantou expressway was clogged with tons of cars which flock back home for memorial of their ancestor....long tradition of CHAOZHOU people. I have to say, it's something good, but meanwhile, Chaozhou enjoy fame of wealth thus seems every CHAO familiy gets a car..anyway, the road is snarled up, and this is witnessed by Ivy, my dear colleague who tried to catched a earlier step but finally stuck in the way home ended up keep reporting to me "how the road is stuff with cars and cars.
Finally, I went to sleep around 12pm, because I need to have energy for the long drive, to guarantee the safety of my son, wife, and brother-in-law and the girlfriend, we decided to leave in real mid-night,in a bid to stay away from the auto line.
3am, I waked up by Joyce and the bady is ready, so are the two, then we go.
The car was elaborately padded with many cushions, so, the mom and son could lie on the trunk, the JIUMA could sit in the middle row of seat.The car is spacious enough for 4 passengers and one bady, also, over 10 bags diferent gifts and luggages.
Even it's very early morning we still see many cars heading to the north expressway, obviously many of them just like us, tried to avoid the rush hours that happened several hours ago, I heard that total took 8 hours to finish 300KM, my poor colleague IVY.
We do not have any problem on the way until we arrive HEYUAN,
Those trucks and small vehicles slow down after entering Heyuan territory, for certain period, it does not move at all, the dawm came, the sky was getting brighter, it’s a cloudy day, I was not really tired, but felt bored, especially wit the dead sky.
After 1 hour or so, the line started moving, it was a accidient ahead, 1 car smashed the windows of another, occupying 1 lane of 2.
My colleague Ms.Cai was one hour behind me, since she leave Shenzhen around 4am, but she headed to WUHUA, so, she has my most updated news of traffic....anyway, I heard that the traffic remained terrrible behind us.
After 2 more short traffic jam, we are getting close to the scope between Guagndong and Jiangxi scope,suddenly, the strong attack of exhaustion just emerged, in just about 10 mins, I felt very weak, I knew clearly I need a sleep, so, amid foggy, high elevation empty resting area, I have a very short nap and eat a hot noodel by using the hot water for my son….in fact, in the past 5 hours, I was doing ok, I took several cigas, and beside that, some energy drink, my body was maintained well with spirit high.
Soon we reached the road of Jiangxi and it turned much more empty….I felt free, roaring forward with a speed of about 110km, regardless this is new car.
The bady was doing very good, little cry plus very sleep, and the mother felt good in the first 2 hours in the trunk but later on she got tired with the same posture, and JIUMA was ok, she was nice and give the baby a lot of help, and the JIUJIU sitting next to me, giving enough assistant chats.
We finally got to Gaizhou and found short stay hotel, so, my baby is miracle, he is so tender, but he travelled aross the province and even has experience of hotel stay, normally, the Chinese bady is not allowed to stepped out of home in the first 3 months.
The hotel was ok but I could not even fall to sleep, due to the power of ciga or energy drink, I was tired, but my sense is good enough to drive, so, after short stay, around 3~4pm in the afternoon, we resume.
It was afternoon and after merely 10km off the city, we face traffic jam again, this one is serious, we could not even move, the crazy drivers behind us tried to squeeze to the front at the opposite lane since the lanes of both direction was open, in that case, the hope is very dim, it was doomed to create serious trafffic jam. It was Qingming, people moved a lot. Stuck next to a nice country side pool and field, I felt ok, I was not really nervous, what worried me most was that the rest of the 300km will be driving in the darkness.
After 2 hours stay in the same area, we stared moving….
My GPS gives the best assistance in navigation, but, it not working well to give the best route, the system recommend no expressway afterward, but, in fact, we all knew there is an expressway, whatever it’s, we have to use that way, but it wat appearing in my system the expressway calls”JING FU”(later on we knew it calls WEN SHA in my GPS), then, we started calling,but at least, we are moving forward with right direction.
From sub-city to sub-city, the distance was very very far, between these impoverished sub-cities, there are barren lands and villages, I was worrying if my tyre or engine broke down, it could be joke, since it was all darkness in my vision!!And moreover, it’s raining. Still, I was soaring with a speed of 90km, at least 80km, I concerned about the rugged road, sometimes, waked up my tender son.
From YUDU, to Ningdo, to Guangchang, to Nanfeng, small cities one by one, we finally found the expressway.
It feels almost home when got to the expressway, which in fact, the distance remains frustrated, it was about 50km home, but we have to go it’s much easier to drive in a empty expressway when, I was using mostly cruising function of my Touran.
At about 10:15pm of April 05, we got to the familiar exit and then, my son’s grandma’s home, Lichuan.
I got up with a lot of energy in another day, Martin was doing good, he did not cry very much, in fact, from the first day to the date we left, he behaved in the night time, perhaps the cozy weather or the superior air quality.
My stay is Lichuan was cozy, there so many relatives and dinner or lunch need to fulfill, but the home of Joyce’s grandma was very good, the pure country view, the astonishing green of the grass and field, the stone fences, the impeccable air quality, just make you really relax, the visit to the GUGU’s home was even better, since it at the slope of the hill and natural scenary is more obvious, it’s the real places that Joyce grows up, bring Martin to this place is just like turning back the clock, he enjoyed a lot of the fresh air I guess.
There is a story happened between, I am a salesman, between the night I stay in Jiangxi, I happened to have a project here in Jiangxi,so, in time between,I headed to Jingdezhen for a project, I ponderred on this idea for a long time, finally, considering it make no sense to drive back to Shenzhen and fly over here again, I decided to go to the city by by myself.
This drive alone is more challenging.
The way drive to there was very enjoyable, mind was clear, and mood was good, in the first 2 hours the view was fantastic with LONGFUSHAN on the way.
I left Lichuan at 2 pm and arrived Jingdezhen at 7pm, long enough, most of the jouney depends on GPS, little on the signs.
The visit to the factory omitted, business is not easy.
My way back worried me, it was bad weather day, with repeated gale, as ususal, those beautiful places, they are very dark at night, I was driving alone, from 5pm, and arrive Lichuan 10pm, this is one of the most scary drive I have in my life, I was completely indepent and helpless, any if will be a diaster.Anyway, I did good.
Right after I drove back from Jingdezhen, next day at 8 am, we left Lichuan, with one more person, my mother in law.
The way back is as arduous as the way to here, the GPS made a mistake and I made extra 50km, and we stayed at Ningdu, not GANZHOU since my energy could barely made it there.
The lunch was at Ningdu as well, I slept for 1 hour, with poor quality of sleep.
Our dinner had turned into issue, the closest city feasible is Huizhou, but it’s really far away, and before that they are all shit cities, and personally, I like Huizhou.
We got there around 10:30pm, took very much time to find an appropiate restaurant that combine the feature of Sichuan, Hunan or Jiangxi, it’s a heavily Guangdong style city with too many Cantonese eateries,and also the city is completely refreshing, thousands of new buiding and the river has been retrofitted into a real scenic spot.
Finally with 40 mins driving in town, I found a great seafood restaurant, paradise for me, and shit for the rest, Martin enjoy very much still the milk, no compaint.
From Huizhou to Shenzhen was tough, I felt indeed sleep, perhaps it’s after-eating symdrom, and the road is tough for the first 10km.
No matter how hard, the home is near and near, we finally arrive home around 1am,
Thinking of the past, I wondered why do I did that, I think more likely it’s dream in my heart and I need fulfill, with the GPS, all these are possible, the whole China is possible, the most challenging thing is that I can put all safety issues behind my back and finally make it back and forth, 900KM home, 3 hours eating and sleeping. The way to Jiangxi, 18hours, 16hours in the car, I think the passenger are more tiresome than I am, Martin did a great job, he enjoy in moving sedan anyway.
There is no fear any long drive in the future.