Take a Local Bus Ride to See the Exhibition of Life
Travel in a bus and watch life unravel around you
I love bus or tram rides. When I travel, I find time to hop on a bus from end to end. There is something about a bus ride that makes me feel nostalgic. It’s a must-do for me when I am on my holidays.
When you are on a bus, it’s like taking a slow immersion into the local life around you. You see a lot more of the country at a gradual pace. On some occasions, it’s like an adventure on the Knight Bus in a Harry Potter movie.
The conversations and the stops along the ride give you an intimate perspective of life. It is easy to find life inspiration along the journey. As a writer, you could not ask for more.
Here is why you should try a local bus ride.
A slow bus journey gives you time to see things
Every time I take a bus journey, my mind switches off to soak in life as the bus passes along the narrow streets or villages. It moves on its own rhythm, like a lullaby in motion, putting you to sleep. Every so often, you might even catch yourself humming along the journey.
The bus journey is slow. It rarely rushes, but instead, it leisurely cruises along to take in the landscape. It allows you to sneak a peep into houses/shops along its routes.
It takes you to local nooks and crooks that are often hidden from the common sights. Each stop it makes brings a fresh stroke of colors to the constant stream of the landscape by your window. Sometimes the route passes along the seashores for you to take in the salty sea breeze.
Sometimes it passes by the local morning market, carrying along with the whiff of the market. Other times, it passes along a paddy field where the scent from the earth fills your nostrils.
If you are lucky, it takes you across a bridge to marvel at the architecture of the bridge, the water underneath, and the small boats lazing in the afternoon sun.
You hold your breath in anticipation as a new landscape looms ahead. You feel as if you have been transported.
It allows you to observe life as a spectator
As it stops at each bus stand, it brings onboard new breath of life from people who climb in or leave the bus. It’s like turning a page in a book.
The atmosphere changes along the way. It can be hot and sticky, pleasant and airy, noisy and vibrant, and even curiously dangerous.
Each passenger brings along its own mystery to add to this adventurous journey. You might be wondering…
— Where are they from? Where do they plan to go?
— What is in the bag? What do they do for a living?
— What are they whispering about?
Each passenger adds to the scene as the bus shuttles its way to the last stop.
Bus stands are like mystery stops
Each stops alludes to you to an exciting discovery. You get to decide if you want to hop off to merge with the local scene or stay to carry on the journey.
It is a gamble that you take on the ride.
Each stop can bring you close to that exciting discovery, so much so when you disembark, take five short strides, and you would arrive at the gates of a magical temple. So convenient, you would say.
It could take you to the busiest part of town and drop you right in the middle of the action. Or it could take you to the edge of a paddy field, and you must walk miles to find that treasure.
It is very much like life; you have a choice to choose where to stop and what to do at each stop.
A local bus ride allows you to experience a snippet of ‘A Day In Life’ with the locals. It is a slow affair to give you a chance to sit back and watch a local drama in real life.
It’s cheaper than a Japanese Shinkansen train, and you get to change seats if you want a different view.
Thank you for reading.
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